Celebrated magician Mahommed Moorad, better known by his stage name Mo Magic, has been entertaining Mzansi and the rest of the world, for more than a decade.
His continued efforts to improve his craft meant he’s able to pursue a successful career as an entertainer.
His interest in magic began in 2003 while studying engineering.
Seven years later, what started of as a hobby, took over his heart and he resigned from his lucrative job to focus on magic full-time.
He has never looked back since.
“My focus has been on delighting my corporate, private, theatre and TV audiences, and delivering more value than they expect while continuing to develop my skills and repertoire,” said Mo Magic.
He follows the Japanese principle, “Kaizen”, which means “continuous improvement”.
“It’s taken time and is ever continuing, however, I have seen the benefits from this approach,” he shared.
The magician, who looked to other magicians for inspiration during his early days, has now discovered his own specific style: to charm his audience with meaningful presentations and interactions that are emotionally-engaging, respectful, family-friendly and humorous.
“As I have grown as a person and performer, I have discovered my own specific style ... Overall my intention is to delight my audiences.
“I reflect after each performance and look at how I can improve and put in the work to do so.
“Most times, audiences will never know how much time, effort and energy is required, but for me, it all contributes to the final experience,” he said.
Mo Magic has showcased his talents all over the world. One of his many career highlights is performing at Hollywood actor and film producer, Gerard Butler’s home.
He has also performed at the world’s most-attended tech event in Saudi Arabia.
Amid the highs, Mo Magic was also faced with an incredible low during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I lost all my events and income during this period because of restrictions prohibiting live events.
“This was a period of tremendous self-growth and reflection. By the end, I took the decision to move to Dubai for a few months as the UAE was resuming work while I was still unable to work at live events in South Africa.”
This year, Mo Magic has been focused on perfecting his stage production, “Mo Magic: Stage of Wonders”, which has already been showcased in Johannesburg.
He plans to perform in Durban in December.
“With this production, my intention is to create a theatre show that will captivate audiences, whilst leaving them with an uplifting message - that joy and wonder exist around us and that once we choose to acknowledge it, we can experience it.
“The magic, mentalism and humour created is a metaphor to support this message, and I use lighting and music to enhance the experience.
“I continue to tweak each performance and the show is always evolving,” he said.
Apart from his live shows, Mo Magic has also been entertaining viewers on TV. He’s had a 13-part prime-time TV show called “Magic with Mo”, a streaming special on Showmax titled, “Mo Magic Live”, and “The Mo Magic Minute" on e.tv’s “The Morning Show”.
“My mission is to spread joy. My work has given me experiences that I am truly thankful for.”
To those who are considering taking a magical leap of faith into this career, Mo Magic shared: “When I decided to do this full-time, there was a part of me who wanted validation and to prove to people that magic was cool.
“As I have grown, my approach has evolved to enjoying my contribution as I do my best to deliver the most value to my clients and audience with my contribution, and to enjoy the process of creating, performing and refining.
“In doing so, I have let go of attachments of where I think I should be career-wise and enjoy the present moment and be open to life’s opportunities.”