Trevor Noah’s $1.7-million deal with South Africa’s Tourism Business Council (TBCSA) set the nation ablaze with controversy.
The plan to have the Emmy Award-winning comedian promote South Africa as a tourist hotspot became public just days ago.
Trevor causes uproar
But the staggering price tag ignited a furious outcry, pointing fingers at the government.
The uproar comes when power outages are crippling Africa’s industrial powerhouse,
South Arican citizens are grappling with soaring food and fuel prices.
The government vehemently claims that it has no financial involvement or sponsorship in the proposed advert.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille clarified to Twitter, stating that the
“Trevor Noah advert for SA ‘does not involve public funds’.”
TBCSA, a private tourism organization, asserted they would foot the bill entirely, “if and when the parties ultimately agree on a common strategy.”
The advert’s primary goal is to revive South Africa’s tourism sector, which languished in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
However, South Africans aren’t holding back in expressing their scepticism and concerns regarding this deal.
On social media platforms, they’re questioning the motives and accusing the Tourism Ministry of seeking creative ways to deplete taxpayers’ money.
“South African Tourism & Tourism Ministry are looking for creative ways to loot out taxpayers’ money,” one user tweeted.
Another pointed out the stark contrast:
“Paying Trevor Noah R33 Million for a 5-minute ad when I’m losing 5 hours of electricity almost daily is a crazy business.”
Trevor Noah, the former host of “The Daily Show,” is currently touring South Africa, with plans to visit the United States, India, and Britain.
His journey from apartheid-era South Africa, as the child of a black South African mother and a white Swiss-German father, is well-documented in his 2016 best-selling memoir, “Born a Crime.”
Amidst the controversy, South Africa awaits a resolution to this high-profile promotional endeavour that could shape the nation’s tourism fortunes.
