16 May 2025

Laugh Africa Presents: The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille

As a journalist, she exposed the coverup around Steve Biko’s murder. As a politician, she was selected as World Mayor of the Year and is the current Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance. As an author, she’s published books like #StayWoke Go Broke. She’s lost voters for the DA with her notorious tweets and gone viral for her cover of Brenda Fassie’s Vuli Ndlela. She’s appeared on Showmax in drag on Die Tollie en Manila Show. Now Helen Zille is making her boldest and bravest move yet: taking the hot seat in this year’s Roast on Showmax, filmed during the Laugh Africa Comedy Festival.

“I say it like it is and I get roasted on social media and in the press all the time – so why not put it on the main stage? If people are going to laugh, I’d rather join them, showing Africa that I can dish it out as much as I take it – all under the umbrella of fun and banter,” she says.

South African comedy royalty Tumi Morake and Trevor Gumbi take the reins as co-Roast Masters. Joining them on the panel are Zille’s political rival Patricia de Lille, former Comics Choice Comic of the Year Loyiso Gola, media personalities Bongani Bingwa, JJ Tabane and Rian van Heerden, reality TV stars Londie London and Mel Viljoen, musician Zwai Bala, and author, political commentator and lecturer Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh.

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