Costa Carastavrakis is an award-winning South African comedian, motivational speaker, author and actor whose distinctive blend of warmth, cheekiness and self-aware humour has earned him recognition both locally and internationally. Winner of the 2024 SA Comics’ Choice Award for Uplifting Comedic Content and a 2026 Naledi Theatre Award nominee for Best Solo Comedic Performance, Costa took an unconventional route into comedy, stepping onto the stage for the first time at 44 after training at New York’s American Comedy Institute. Since then, he has performed across South Africa and internationally, including in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Dubai, Rotterdam, Kuala Lumpur, Australia, Greece, Cyprus and Zimbabwe. His one-man show, Desperately Seeking Souvlaki, toured 10 cities across six countries, earning strong reviews and sell-out performances.

Drawing on his Greek-South African upbringing, relationships, identity and everyday experiences, Costa finds comedy in the contradictions and quirks of being human. His material is personal, observational and irreverent, with an ability to connect across cultures and generations. He also brings this candid storytelling style to the corporate stage through The Shame Game, a keynote that combines humour with thoughtful insights into diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and company culture. By using lived experience to encourage courageous conversations, Costa challenges organisations to consider how kindness, acceptance and tolerance can help create environments where people and businesses thrive.

Costa’s story extends beyond the stage. In his book, I Am Costa: From Meth to Marathons, he reflects on a deeply personal journey of adversity, recovery and transformation. His commitment to rebuilding his life also led him to complete three full-distance Ironman races, demonstrating the perseverance and determination that inform his work as a speaker. Alongside his entertainment and speaking career, Costa is an entrepreneur with interests in the restaurant industry and marketing strategy, as well as an actor whose television credits include Legacy and The River.

Whether booked for a comedy performance, corporate function or motivational keynote, Costa offers more than entertainment alone. He brings humour that helps audiences recognise themselves in others, a frank and human approach to difficult conversations, and a powerful reminder that connection often begins when we are willing to laugh, reflect and be a little more honest about who we are.