Kweku Sintim-Misa

Kwaku Sintim-Misa, universally known as KSM, is a renaissance figure of Ghanaian entertainment, a satirist, actor, director, talk-show host and author whose sharp political comedy has made him one of the most distinctive voices in the country's public life.

Early life and education

He was born on 5 December 1956 in Kumasi, the son of a moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. He was educated at Prempeh College and the National Film and Television Institute, before studying acting and directing at Trinity College in the United States and earning a master's in film production from New York University.

Career

He began with Off-Broadway and public theatre roles in the United States before returning to Ghana in 1997, where he became a pioneering radio talk-show host, tackling national issues with provocative wit on programmes like Talk Shop. Since 1999 he has developed a celebrated one-man satirical stage act, skewering politics, religion and society and earning a reputation as one of Africa's greatest satirists.

Beyond the stage

An author and social activist, he founded the KSM Foundation, which supports health and education programmes in rural Ghana. His son is the rapper known as Blackway.

Standing

Satirist, actor, host and author, KSM has used comedy as a tool for social commentary for decades, holding a mirror to Ghanaian society and cementing his place as one of the country's most intelligent and enduring entertainers.