Stereotypically hilarious: Radio Raps S1-2, now streaming

Okay, so you know all those stereotypes in society? A lot of them are actually true. Like Afrikaans guys chooning “hoezit” and “kiff, boet”, with the odd “lekker” and “dop” thrown into the mix.

What makes reality talkshow Die Radio Raps Show (2018-current, Seasons 1 and 2 are on Showmax) a must-see is that Rikus de Beer – aka Jonathan the fictional host of the comedy sketch series – pulls the show off with a dead-serious face.

The only time he cracks a smile is when he’s working with kids for skits because they’re adorable and brutally honest when asked things they sometimes shouldn’t have an opinion on. And their personalities are infectious. “We have a tonne of fun doing this show,” explains Rikus, who doesn’t really wear an upside-down transparent peak cap. “It’s tongue in cheek, a lot of the stuff we do. We don’t take ourselves seriously and we speak to people on a people level. There’s no talking down to people. We’re all in the same boat and we’re here having a lekker time.”

Radio Raps isn’t just Jonathan joking around and having fun. Rikus and his alter ego have toured the country from north to south, east to west in search of towns, people and communities who’re in need of a laugh and his comedic touch – and more often than not, he’s found his target audience away from the big city centres.

“I honestly don’t have a favourite town that we’ve visited in the two seasons of the show so far,” says Rikus. “I really enjoy getting away from urban zones; I grew up on a farm out in the platteland between Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom.”

“Always stay humble and remember where you come from. Rather be someone who’s from the salt of the Earth than someone walking around tooting his own horn all the time, you know?”

Rikus has had a busy start to the year – he was in Peru in January for the 2019 Dakar rally doing promotional appearances for one of his sponsors, but his real joy comes from his acting gigs like Radio Raps. “It’s not even just a talk-sketch-comedy show. There’s a bit of lekker kitchen skills going on too – even if it’s just baking a quick loaf of beer bread and adding a few slices of biltong, it’s a nice mix of genres.”

Jonathan is more than just “the main ou” though; he also dishes out advice to those who need a little helping hand, albeit sometimes in a bit of a crass, in-your-face manner. But that doesn’t mean his advice isn’t any less valuable for fans because Rikus has one important rule that he follows with his character (and in life): “Always stay humble and remember where you come from. Rather be someone who’s from the salt of the Earth than someone walking around tooting his own horn all the time, you know?”

But it’s not all fun and games when Rikus is on the road. Two years ago, he was rushed into ICU with serious gall-bladder problems.

“It was a seriously dark time,” explains the 32-year-old. “I spent six weeks in intensive care. I was busy with my live comedy show Dingetjies En Goetertjies at the Silverstar Casino (on Joburg’s West Rand) and I wasn’t feeling okay. I went to my doctor because something wasn’t right and the next thing – boom, in ICU.”

Once you’ve watched Seasons 1 and 2 of Radio Raps and smaak ‘n bietjie extra, check Jonathan: Die Movie, also streaming on Showmax. Watch now »

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