One of South Africa’s proudest exports has officially reached a four-decade milestone!
Yes, the world-renowned comedian, and former host of the Daily Show, Trevor Noah has officially turned 40 years old.
While the – now, part-time podcaster – and full-time stand-up comedian seemed to be quite silent on his personal social media pages, his friends and fans alike took time to celebrate the talented funny man.
Leading the list was long-time friend and media personality Anele Mdoda who wished him on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
She wrote: “Happy Birthday @Trevornoah 40 years old and not a day over fabulous,” along with multiple gift emojis.
Happy Birthday @Trevornoah 40 years old and not a day over fabulous 🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁
— Anele Mdoda (@Anele) February 20, 2024
Later several others took to the platform to share their birthday wishes.
Happy birthday @Trevornoah 🥳
Thank you for always using your platform to shine a light on some of the world’s biggest issues. ✨ pic.twitter.com/zmYxsxf2ag
— Global Citizen Africa (@GlblCtznAfrica) February 20, 2024
Today, we’re celebrating the man behind the mission, our incredible founder, Trevor Noah!
Trevor, your passion for education, unwavering commitment to social justice, and boundless creativity continue to inspire us every single day. pic.twitter.com/rLK5F840XC— Trevor Noah Foundation (@TrevorNoahFdn) February 20, 2024
Happy birthday, @Trevornoah ! May your day be as hilarious and insightful as your stand-up routines. Keep making us laugh while also shedding light on important issues. Here’s to another year of wit and wisdom! 🎉🎂
— Abì.Móhan (@AbiiiMohan) February 20, 2024
At just 40-year-old, Trevor has done a good job in building himself a world class resume.
Born to mixed race parents (a Swiss father and IsiXhosa mother) he described his childhood as being a challenging one, especially since the apartheid laws at the time forbid mixed-race relationships from taking place.
In addition to that he was not allowed to be seen walking with his mother in public because of his skin complexion which was slightly lighter than that of hers – being spotted together would have resulted in jail time as he was categorised as ‘coloured’.
Since entering the entertainment industry Trevor used comedy as a medium to address these childhood trauma’s, a medium that would soon make him become a world class entertainer and winning multiple awards, hosting an American satire television show and launching his first book ‘Born a Crime.’
His overall awareness about trending topics in the arts and entertainment industry has recently led him to hosting the Grammy Awards for the fourth consecutive time. This resulted in him receiving praises from Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
In an interview with Forbes on why Trevor was the best fit, he said: “From the music community standpoint, from the Academy standpoint, I look at him as somebody who loves music. This guy can recite lyrics, he can rap, he can sing and he’s so passionate about music that when I see him on our stage and when I see him hosting our event, he’s having fun, he’s in his happy place.
“He’s respected by, not only by our viewers but he’s respected by the music community.”
Also see: Dutch royalty honour Trevor Noah with Erasmus Prize in Amsterdam
