Cape Town – Trevor Noah recently became a social media sensation after reports emerged that he would star in a five-minute promotional video costing R33 million.
However, the comedian clarified the situation during an interview on East Coast Radio.
He said that the story had been blown out of proportion, emphasising that he wasn’t receiving a hefty sum for the video.
Speaking to @CarolOfori , Trevor Noah clarified the R33-million story💸
LISTEN HERE< https://t.co/e5T6JAiCX2 >#CarolOforiOnECR #TrevorNoah pic.twitter.com/dHAE4ZEAsF— East Coast Radio (@ecr9495) September 8, 2023
Noah said that he had been in discussions with hotel groups and tourism-related businesses to promote South Africa as a tourist destination, which is crucial for the country’s economy.
Contrary to media reports, he stated that there was no involvement from SA Tourism or the government in this matter.
“This is the thing … I’ve learnt about media online is that people don’t read or they just write articles. Sometimes, I just think it’s AI that’s writing these articles.
“First of all, there is nothing with SA tourism. No one from SA Tourism approached me; there’s nothing from government. I was talking to hotel groups, cause you know South Africa, we need to boost our tourism.
“(It is) one of the most important sources of our GDP and so I was just talking to these guys, who own hotels, Airbnbs, game lodges, and safaris, about how we can promote South Africa to the world,” he said.
Trevor humorously expressed his wish to have the money that newspapers claimed he received.
“And then I wake up, guys, I wish I had all this money that these people gave me in these newspapers,” he said.
Additionally, the Tourism Minister clarified that the R33 million funding for the promotional video would not come from taxpayers but would be a contribution from the Tourism Business Council of Southern Africa.
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Picture: Facebook/@Trevor-Noah
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
