As a teenager attending drama school in Cape Town in the 1990s, Kagiso Lediga found himself disinterested in the heavy focus on theatre and Shakespeare in the curriculum, feeling that he had seen more interesting things growing up in Pretoria. His mother was a nurse but also a hustler who sold secondhand items on the side, while his father worked in the transport and insurance industries. Despite his father’s career path, Lediga viewed selling insurance as a backup plan if his other interests didn’t work out.
Ultimately, Lediga dropped out of school but has since become one of Africa’s most successful comedians and filmmakers. Over the years, he has created a variety of popular shows and movies, including The Pure Monate Show, Matwetwe, and Catching Feelings. His work with Netflix has brought him even greater success, with shows like Queen Sono reaching a global audience.
Although Queen Sono was abruptly cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lediga remains hopeful for the future and continues to work on new projects with Netflix and other platforms. He co-runs a production company, Diprente, with his partner Tamsin Andersson, with whom he also shares a teenage son. Their working relationship began when Andersson joined Lediga to produce Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola.
Despite facing challenges and setbacks along the way, Lediga has always considered himself a storyteller. From his early days performing standup comedy for predominantly white audiences in apartheid-era South Africa to creating popular TV shows and films, he has always pushed boundaries and challenged norms. As he continues to grow as a filmmaker and creative, Lediga remains committed to sharing stories that entertain, enlighten, and inspire audiences around the world.