Alie Barber: The Sitcom That Made Us All Sing Along

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Cape Town entertainers clearly had a thing for barbershops back in the 90s—can’t blame them. It’s the kind of space where characters come alive, stories tangle up and egos clash under one roof.

First it was Joe Barber, then Alie Barber followed close behind. But Alie Barber wasn’t just some copycat project. It stood firmly on its own. Created by the late Taliep Petersen, the same mind behind Kat & the Kings and District Six: The Musical, it brought music, drama and comedy into one format. It played out in Afrikaaps and English and featured a proudly Coloured cast—rare for local TV at the time. Musical sitcoms weren’t even a real genre back then, but this show didn’t wait for permission.

The show was set in Salt River, inside a small barbershop. At the centre of it all was Alie. Barber by trade, landlord by circumstance, and the unofficial councillor for anyone walking through the door. His right-hand man Mr Min cleaned everything from mirrors to moustaches while throwing in his two cents whether you asked for it or not. Margie kept things unpredictable with her charm and sharp tongue. Lovebite, the newspaper guy, never missed a beat—always in people’s business and never short of opinions.

The first season did well enough to bring season two back to screens. Alie, recovering from a stroke, hands things over to his son Abdol. Abdol calls himself “Computer” and thinks he’s ready to turn the shop into a nightclub or karaoke bar. The rest of the crew can see right through him. Mr Min doesn’t buy it. Margie rolls her eyes. Lovebite? Already talking trash on the corner. But the comedy? It made for good TV.

The cast included familiar names like Emo and Luqmaan Adams, Cyril Valentine, and Gail Reagon. And Roderick Jafta as Computer—smooth and smug in equal measure.

You can still find some episodes on YouTube if you know where to look. The songs performed by the cast were compiled into a soundtrack.