Culture | Laugh, the beloved country

Trevor Noah’s tour spotlights South African comedy

When politics and the economy are grim, sometimes you just have to mock it all

Trevor Noah performs comedy to a crowd.
Image: Matt Wilson/Netflix
|Cape Town

There is plenty to cry about in South Africa. The country has the third-highest murder rate and the highest unemployment rate in the world. Graft has corroded the shine of the ruling African National Congress. Nearly three decades on from April 1994, when millions queued to elect Nelson Mandela, most people will probably stay at home when the country votes in next year’s general election.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Laugh, the beloved country”

From the September 9th 2023 edition

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