About John Vlismas
John Vlismas (born 3 May 1973) is a South African stand-up comedian, academic and DEI strategist. He won the 2007 South African Comedy Award for best stand-up comedian of the year and was a finalist in the 2008 Yuk Yuk's Great Canadian Laugh Off. In 2010, Vlismas appeared in the comedy film Outrageous alongside fellow South African comedians Barry Hilton, Joey Rasdien, Loyiso Gola, Mark Banks, Riaad Moosa and Krijay Govender. In April 2014, he was part of the panel for Comedy Central Africa's Roast of Kenny Kunene and Steve Hofmeyr.
He has also appeared in several Comedy Central productions, including solo specials and additional Comedy Central Roast programmes. Vlismas has performed internationally at venues including the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Sydney Modern Art Museum and the Tempodrome in Berlin. He was appointed as a 46664 Ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Vlismas was awarded a scholarship at Henley Business School Africa, where he completed an MBA and received distinctions in Strategic Marketing and Relationship Marketing. He works in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), leadership, culture and community building through his business, OGO Creative, where he serves as co-founder and Head of Strategy. He has collaborated with Henley Business School in the co-design and facilitation of course material. In 2023, he co-authored a white paper with Henley Business School on workplace diversity, and in 2024 he presented a work titled Player Zero at LeaderEx and at academic and industry conferences.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is John Vlismas?
John Vlismas (born 3 May 1973) is a South African stand-up comedian, academic and DEI strategist.
What comedy awards has John Vlismas received?
He won the 2007 South African Comedy Award for best stand-up comedian of the year and was a finalist in the 2008 Yuk Yuk's Great Canadian Laugh Off.
Which film did John Vlismas appear in in 2010?
In 2010 he appeared in the comedy film Outrageous alongside fellow South African comedians Barry Hilton, Joey Rasdien, Loyiso Gola, Mark Banks, Riaad Moosa and Krijay Govender.
What is John Vlismas's academic background?
He was awarded a scholarship at Henley Business School Africa, where he completed an MBA and received distinctions in Strategic Marketing and Relationship Marketing.
What is OGO Creative?
OGO Creative is the business through which Vlismas works in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), leadership, culture and community building, where he serves as co-founder and Head of Strategy.
