OB Amponsah cries over visa, misses out on international gig

Ghanaian stand-up comedian Obarima Akuoko Amponsah, widely known as OB Amponsah, has shed light on the challenges faced by creatives in Ghana while striving to elevate their craft on the international stage.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, OB Amponsah shared his experiences related to a journey to South Africa and the opportunities that awaited him while sharing his frustration at the intricate visa acquisition process for a major comedy show in South Africa.

Due to his inability to secure a visa, the renowned comedian will not be able to make it to the comedy festival in South Africa, a development he finds worrying.

The comedian revealed that he, along with Nabil Alhassan of Event Factory, embarked on a journey in 2022 to explore South Africa's thriving comedy scene. Their self-funded venture aimed to test their comedic prowess on global platforms and introduce Ghana's unique humor to a wider audience.

The initial phase of their endeavor saw them performing at various South African clubs, demonstrating that Ghanaian humor could genuinely resonate with diverse audiences.

“In 2022, I decided to go check out the comedy scene in South Africa, do a few clubs, and test my strength there. I pitched my tent with Nabil Alhassan and Event Factory and went and did a couple of spots in different clubs. Then I came home to tell my colleagues about a rife market that is so cool to work in, where even our Ghanaian jokes work.

“In May 2023, Lekzy DC, my partner in crime, joined the trip to SA and we did more clubs and garnered the attention we needed from event organizers and comedian friends.

"All these two trips, personally funded. Gigs, personally sought.” he recalled.

Their hard work eventually bore fruit when they secured a coveted spot at a comedy festival scheduled to take place in Bloemfontein on the upcoming Saturday. However, their excitement was dampened by an unexpected hurdle - the daunting task of securing the necessary visas in time for the festival.

“Then our hard work pays off, we are booked for a comedy festival in Bloemfontein happening this Saturday but cannot go because we have not been able to secure visas.

"I am not sure any event organizer will love to go through the stress we've put the organizer through. Dude is just waiting for confirmation so he can book our tickets. If this doesn't happen, I doubt he will put us on anymore. 'Those Ghanaians will stress you with visa acquisition', will be their response in sure.

“I'm sad, Charlie. You take a step forward and then some immigration policies or whatever pull you 3 steps back. What's the point in sweating here? What's the point if we cannot reap the benefits of our labor. Ebi hard for this side,” he lamented.

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The incident sheds light on the challenges faced by artists when navigating international opportunities and emphasizes the pressing need for more accessible visa procedures to enable creative talents to thrive beyond their home borders.

His story can also be linked to calls by the former French Ambassador to Ghana, Anne Sophie Ave, for some Ghanaian creatives to be granted diplomatic visas to enable them to promote the arts, culture and history of Ghana internationally and without hassle.



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