Pay artists decently, says Noah
US-based comic says SA stars’ cycle of poverty must end
Trevor Noah has urged South Africans to stop underpaying artists.
The golden boy of local comedy who now hosts the Daily Show TV show in the US bemoaned legends like the late Ray Phiri and Brenda Fassie dying without a penny in their pocket because South Africans have for a long time made it easy to underpay artists.
“We need to get better at improving and paying each other,” he said.
At a press conference held at Montecasino in Fourways, north of Johannesburg, yesterday, Noah defended the high cost of his tickets for the Ticketpro Dome show costing as much as R1 400.
“I am just a successful comedian that happens to be working in the world, internationally. I am proud of my achievements. One thing I’ll never underestimate is the cost of doing business.
“I wanted to come home and perform for South Africa and the venue that happened to be available was the Dome. We lack large venues in SA. In SA for a long time we’ve had this attitude of ‘these tickets are too expensive for a South African’ but when international artists come here, you pay R4 000 to R5 000 for them.
“I choose to deliver quality shows and I know for sure I will make it worth their while, South Africa, we need to value our own,” he said.
Noah also pointed out that he hired South African pro- duction companies and comedians that he doesn’t want to underpay.
Artists like Cassper Nyovest have managed to fill up Ticketpro Dome and Dr Tumi is following suit with his upcoming DVD shoot at the same venue.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Noah has signed a deal with M-Net for a new TV show that will be aired in 2018.
The 13-part series aims to “showcase young talent” and will see Noah take the helm and guide up-and-coming comedians. Noah said he had always wanted to grow comedy in South Africa.
“I remember when I was young watching really amazing shows and at the time, it was a lot of Afrikaans comedians. It was the Tolla van der Merwes and all of them. They were telling jokes together. There was a culture of comedy in South Africa.”
Filming for the show, to be called Trevor Noah Presents, will start in early 2018 and will be aired soon after. He said it would give comedians the chance to share a stage with him. –