From Facebook to the stage – Bustop TV taps into offline revenue, starts monthly standup comedy show

Bustop TV, the Zimbabwean online comedy outfit that helped birth Zimbabwe’s growing market of internet skits and mockumentaries recently marked its second year anniversary in Harare with its 2.0 Comedy Show.

The event was a comedy night that lined up a string of stand-up performances from comedians like Doc Vikela, Tinaye, Simba The Comic King, Ba Shupi, Comrade Fatso (Zambezi Magic), Q Boss, Mandla, Boss Keda as well as Maggie and Gonyeti – two characters that have become the faces of Bustop TV.

The successful show was also set as the first of many comedy shows that Bustop will be hosting on the last Saturday of every month starting in 2017.

Bustop TV will essentially bring together a troop of comedians and entertainers once a month to perform at a stand-up comedy club of sorts.

Cashing in on internet videos & standup acts

With access to the show attracting a cover charge (just US$5) plus support from some of the corporate partners that Bustop has cultivated relationships with over the past 2 years (the first show roped in Steward Bank, Nash Paints JanJam, Moto Republik and Rainbow Tourism Group – RTG) this looks like another revenue stream for Bustop TV.

Seeing that Bustop TV has been one of the early – and in a lot of respects – successful implementers of a model that monetised online content in Zimbabwe (some of their skits are branded entertainment) the move to tap into other revenue streams is worth noting.

This is even more pertinent considering the fact “traditional” online monetisation routes like Google Ads don’t always translate to credible revenue in Zimbabwe because of “low numbers” from a global internet standpoint.

While Bustop TV, a very visible player in the Zimbabwean Facebook and YouTube content distribution game, can now boast of a decent following (10,200 YouTube subscribers, 51,500 Facebook followers, 14,500 Instagram followers) those numbers alone probably can’t be cashed in on a per click basis through middlemen like Google.  Other routes have to be explored to ensure a decent payday.

At the same time, if Bustop TV is doing this, it not only highlights the need for revenue diversification for local online entertainers but gives a sense of the potential for growth that is carried by great content that’s shared through Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Two years ago Bustop TV (which started as P.O Box) launched an entertainment brand using a Facebook Page and YouTube account.

It has evolved to become an outfit generating revenue through branded entertainment, advertising and acting gigs and a monthly comedy night that could go a long way in cultivating Zimbabwe’s comedy scene. All this was managed through the internet and without any reliance on traditional media players like ZBC.

It’s clear that content creators like Bustop TV that are using social media strategically are doing a lot to explore the power of going online and having the last laugh.