If there’s one thing South Africans are known for, it’s our ability to laugh through just about anything. We don’t take ourselves too seriously – and more often than not, that sense of humour brings us together.
Take lockdown, for example. When Cabinet Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma defended the tobacco ban with her now-infamous line – "When people zol, they put saliva on the paper, and then they share that zol" – the internet did what it does best. Within days, Capetonian music producer Max Hurrell had turned the moment into the viral hit 'Zol', which quickly became a national lockdown anthem.
@maxhurrell SOMEONE DO A DANCE FOR THIS 😂 #whenpeoplezol #zol #tiktoksouthafrica #fyp #foryoupage #lockdown #cyril #level4 ♬ original sound - maxhurrell
Fast forward to the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the peak of loadshedding, and Mgarimbe gave 'Sister Bethina', affectionately called South Africa’s unofficial second national anthem, a fresh spin with 'Amabokoboko (Sister Bokkina)', featuring the memorable line: "We’re taking the loadshedding to France, boys."
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Now, science has caught up with what we’ve always known. A global study by Remitly using the Humour Styles Questionnaire, involving 6,000 participants across 30 countries, set out to identify the World’s Funniest Nations – and South Africa made the list, ranking 19th with an average humour score of 69.26.
The study assessed four types of humour:
- Affiliative humour: The social glue – friendly, inclusive, and uplifting.
- Self-enhancing humour: Optimistic and resilient – helping people cope through tough times.
- Aggressive humour: Sarcastic, teasing, and sometimes at others’ expense.
- Self-defeating humour: Self-deprecating and used to deflect or gain approval.
While we didn’t crack the top 10 overall, South Africa did claim the number one spot for both affiliative and self-enhancing humour.
The 10 Funniest Nations:
- Czech Republic
- Portugal
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Chile
- Greece
- Australia
- Poland
- Denmark
- Hungary
So no, we might not be the absolute funniest, but when it comes to laughter that brings people together and keeps spirits high, South Africa leads the pack.
As if our sense of humour isn't enough (we're looking at you Trevor Noah), we've were also recently named one of the Best Countries on Earth!
Get to know Alan Committie, one of Cape Town’s best-loved comedians.