Trevor Noah defends pricey tickets: We need to learn to value our own

It's Trevor Noah fever in South Africa as the comedian is back in town for his show, Trevor Noah - There's a Gupta on My Stoep. Some critics, however, have slammed the ticket prices for the show, which range from R450 to R1,400.

Select media were invited to a press conference by M-Net with the host of The Daily Show on Thursday where he said that while he admits that the cost of tickets is expensive, he believes South Africans need to celebrate "their own."

"We have to learn to value our own. I wanted to come back to SA and perform for as many of my fans as possible. In the time that was allocated to me and the venues that are available, the Dome is where I could do that. I was in a place where I had to put together a show. A great show. Not just a good show. I want it to look good. I want it to sound good."

He said he remembered rapper Cassper Nyovest mentioning the exorbitant costs of putting a show together.

"I remember when Cassper did Fill Up The Dome and he said 'you can sell out the Dome and still lose money.' I didn't understand what he fully meant at the time, but I do now. It's an extremely expensive venue. It's the cost of doing business."

Trevor brought up the fact that South Africans are never happy to pay for local talent.

"Is it expensive? Definitely. Would I do it again? Probably not. But I will say I am enjoying that we are making history. In South Africa,  for a long time, we've had that attitude of 'these tickets are expensive'...for a South African. And yet for an international I don't see anybody complaining about the price of their tickets when it's four thousand, five thousand rand."

He said that he would be giving local audiences the same quality show that he presents overseas and that people should also consider that he's not a one man entity.

"We have to build the industries here. I'm hiring South African production companies. I'm hiring local camera crews. I'm aware that it can be expensive and I'm always grateful. I say thank you to my fans and I also know I will make it worth your while."

*The Daily Show is on Comedy Central, Tuesday to Friday, from 9:30pm.