After a whirlwind season that breathed new life into local late-night television, eNCA’s The Dan Corder Show is set to broadcast its final episode on January 26.
The show — which launched in May 2024 as eNCA’s first return to political satire since the days of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola — quickly became a firm favourite for a digital-savvy audience.
“It’s now the right time for me to do something else. Throughout my career, I’ve been one of those people who loves building a new thing and enjoying it for a while, and then doing something completely different,” Corder told the Sunday Times.
“We started before the election. For a short while, it was two half-hour shows [a week], and then it quickly became a single one-hour show a week, with a band as a musical guest. Obviously, it’s all rather bittersweet, because this was the first local late-night TV show in the American style.
“I’m incredibly proud we were able to present the show to audiences for the last two years, and I’m also proud of the impact it’s had, with hundreds of thousands of people watching it on TV and online. I’m sure I’ll do more of this kind of thing in the future.”
Known for his trademark three beanies — which have spawned a range of merchandise — and blunt analysis, Corder managed to successfully bridge the gap between traditional broadcast news and viral social media.
The fact that people watched my stupid whiteboards to understand the Madlanga commission is really cool. Those whiteboards got millions of views a week, which for local linear television is insane.
“The fact that people watched my stupid whiteboards to understand the Madlanga commission is really cool. Those whiteboards got millions of views a week, which for local linear television is insane.”
“Those clips have been seen by so many people, and that’s very meaningful, because South African news is unbelievably overwhelming. To have been able to figure out a simple device to help people understand one of the most important seismic happenings in South Africa is very gratifying.”
Corder named being interviewed by Bill Carter and having rapper Nasty C host his show during the rollout of his album Free as definite highlights of his time on the show.
While he’s had many wins, Corder admits it hasn’t been an easy journey, as his work comes with huge pressure.
“Some [death threats] have come through DMs, but now they are DMs on postable platforms. Death threats are a kind of bullying, and if you don’t react to them, [those who make them] give up. What’s interesting now is that the death threats have gone away. Now [the people who posted them] are trying to convince others that I’m stupid, rather than trying to silence me.
“My job is extremely anxiety-inducing because every day I have to come up with something new, and that means every single day I could get it wrong, upset people, or misjudge matters. The sheer volume of my work means that [every so often] I may have a lapse in judgement, and that’s very anxiety-provoking and hard to handle. The occasional missteps are far harder to deal with than people who don’t like me, because after eight years you don’t feel the haters any more.”
Corder revealed his style of analysis has not endeared him to politicians.
You can use humour to be popular and liked. Humour and comedy can be instruments of survival
— Dan Corder, broadcaster and stand-up comedian
“Politicians avoid me. They turn down my interview requests … they are scared [of me]. I’m not an easy interviewer [because] I’m very straightforward. In fact, I was booked to do Helen Zille’s roast, but then I was axed — almost certainly because they wanted soft and non-threatening panelists. Helen was about to announce she would be running to be Joburg’s mayor, and I could have caused harm.”
An alumnus of the University of Cape Town, Corder rose to prominence after he directed the globally acclaimed 2015 documentary Luister, which traced the lives of students of colour at Stellenbosch University. This project was followed by a decade in radio on Good Hope FM and 5FM, during which time he received many broadcasting awards and honed his skills as a social media commentator and filmmaker.
After doing his first stand-up comedy show with comedian Yaaseen Barnes in 2025, he is gearing up to host another stand-up event in Cape Town this February.
“I use humour to talk to people. I was severely bullied at school from grades 5-7, and then in grade 8 at a different school, so I learned how to be funny as a form of survival. You can use humour to be popular and liked. Humour and comedy can be instruments of survival.”
Corder will continue venturing into comedy, as well as hosting events and creating content under his Three Beanies Network.
He now employs two full-time staff to produce and edit his podcast and TV show, a part-time staff member to handle his merchandise store and events, and three others to work on the show.
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