Comedian radio host Skhumbuzo "Skhumba" Hlophe says with working on radio, doing stand-up comedy and being a husband and dad, he needed to take time out to focus on his family and mental wellness.

TIME OUT

Skhumba took a few months off away from the stage, just to focus on family and raising his kids. "I needed to take a short break to go back to the drawing board to come back with something crazy for my stand-up comedy. I also needed to take a break for my family because once I start working, it gets busy. I needed to make time and prepare for my kids to go back to school. The young one is doing swimming lessons now, the other is playing soccer and my daughter is doing Grade 12. I needed to step back from work and see that my kids are settled for the year at school," he says. "What I have learned while at home is what I use as material for my stand-up. It's also always good to take breaks for one's mental wellness to not be exhausted and burn out."

ACTING

He features in the film titled A Soweto Love Story alongside Lunga Tshabalala, Motsoaledi Setumo, Duduzile Ngcobo, Ray Neo Buso,and Sparky Xulu. He plays the role of a debt collector.

Skhumba says starting work with the film has been exciting. This is not his first time acting as his debut was Taxi Ride with David Kau. "I was supposed to be an extra on Taxi Ride playing a queue marshal who just stands there but I ended up being one of the stars of the show," he says. "I love acting but it's not what I really do. I respect actors. With the production of A Soweto Love Story, I had a director who got me to be myself. I enjoyed how clean and high-quality the movie was shot and I was given free rein to do what I want."

Skhumba and colleagues viewing the film A Soweto Love Story at Kaya 959

COMEDY AND GIVING

It is only February and he already has a movie out, a podcast with Lilian Dube, Sonia Mbele and Kgomotso Chrstopher called, A Panel Of Love, where they discuss relationships. "We talk about how umjolo uyasinyisa sonke(the ups and downs of relationship), we talk about sex and love." Skhumba is also booked for the Laugh Africa Comedy Festival with US comic, Eddie Griffin. "I am looking forward to that and many other shows that will come this year." He also has not stopped doing charity work. Every year on his birthday, he hosts a show and all proceeds go towards donating wheelchairs. "I will never stop giving back," he says.