Conrad Koch - AVP

Conrad Koch is South Africa’s top comedy ventriloquist, and possibly the only one, and is a double International Emmy nominated comedian. His most famous puppet, Chester Missing, has won numerous awards in his own right, including being the first recipient of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s Anti-Racism Award.

Chester Missing has interviewed most of South Africa’s political elite and has held a number of regular radio and TV slots, and even wrote an award-winning book. Conrad’s live shows have received wide political acclaim, and are a regular feature at arts and comedy festivals, including at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. The truth is, with a master’s degree in social anthropology, talking to puppets was his only career option.

He has worked all over the world, been featured on local and international television and is a frequent guest at some of South Africa’s biggest comedy events – Mass Hysteria, Blacks Only, the Smirnoff Comedy Festival, the Vodacom Comedy Festival, Metro FM Comedy Experience, etc.

His most famous character, Mr. Chester Missing, was a regular on eNCA’s Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola; and his hit one man shows have received standing ovations around South Africa.

In 2015 Comedy Central Africa took him to Just For Laughs in Montreal, the world’s biggest comedy festival, where he recorded shows for both Comedy Central and Canada’s Comedy Network.

Conrad has studied psychology, and is a social anthropologist – he has a master’s degree in the subject from WITS University (Cum Laude), focusing on corporate and African culture. He has had extensive experience implementing culture change programmes for the likes of FNB, Goldfields, Sun International, SAA, etc.

His outspoken political analyst puppet, Mr. Chester Missing, is fast becoming a household name.