We've seen him on TV's 'Real Goboza' gossip talkshow, in a couple of local soapies and strutting his stuff on 'Strictly Come Dancing'. But comedy is his priority. And even though he's only been doing standup for two years, Trevor Noah is becoming one of the go-to guys for SA comedy, having opened for both crooner Julio Iglesias and US comic Russell Peters on their local tours.

When did you first realise you're funny?

I never really did — my friends were more the ones who realised. So I guess when I went on stage for the first time, that's when I realised. It was very cool. Everything went well. It was actually surprising. I was expecting to die but I didn't so it was very good.

Where was that?

It was at Horror Café when that was still open in Joburg. My friends got me a spot on the night because one of them knew one of the comedians.

Although you're a South African performing to South Africans, our country has so many different cultures. How do you make sure your comedy has mass appeal?

I guess you just hope to find the common ground that all of us have. Because no matter where you are in the world, we're all people and there's a common ground we all share. I think it goes beyond culture or race or gender — there are certain things we can all relate to. We're living in a global village.

Is there anything you wouldn’t joke about?

No, to be honest I believe if it's funny then I'll talk about it but I won't try and make something funny out of something that's not. For example if someone that people really liked passed away, I'm not one of those guys that will just try to say something about it because it happened. I'd rather stay away from something if I can't find anything funny about it. Not everything has something funny about it, if that makes sense.

What kinds of things make you laugh and what was the last thing you laughed at?

Everything makes me laugh. The last thing I laughed at was Robert Mugabe.

Can you tell me why so many comedians tell airline stories?

I guess it’s because we're always in the air – we spend a lot of time flying. The more time you spend in a place, the more likely you are to find something funny about it.

What's the best way to deal with hecklers?

I don't know, I'm not really good with hecklers. Some people ignore them, some people just think 'If I'm funny enough, there won't be hecklers' and I guess some people are so smart that they can think up stuff on the spot to get the heckler with. The best way is to have the ultimate comeback but that's not always the case with a comedian.

Do you feel a pressure to be funny in real life?

No, not really. Some people expect you to, but ag your friends and family know who you are so they don't really expect you to perform your set impromptu.

So on a day-to-day basis are you pretty much like you are on stage?

I aim to be. I try to be as close to who I am on stage as I am off stage because it makes everything more realistic. I don't want to act like someone else. Actually, I'm more open on stage and more honest than I am off stage.

And off stage, what kinds of things take up your time?

Not much, really. I love sport, I watch TV, I play videogames. I spend a lot of my time on comedy so I get to do my hobby as a job.

What kind of set can we expect to see from you?

I don't know yet. I don't know what I'm going to talk about on the night. I'll see and I'll go with the audience. By the end of the week I'll have a pretty good idea, but in the beginning it's just about being funny, and having a good time with the audience.

So is having a good time with the audience the secret to being a good stand-up?

I think first and foremost you must be funny — that's the most important thing. Then after that you can bring in your personal style or whatever you want to bring in. That's what comedy is: being funny. How you do it is your business. On the bill we've got so many different styles of comedy — from Paul Rodriguez to Sugar Sammy — but they all achieve the same goal: making people laugh.

With such a diverse line-up, how does it feel to be South Africa's representative at the UN Comedy Show?

To a certain extent I feel extra pressure. On the one side I obviously have to add a South African flavour to that section of the show — people must be able to say: 'That was a South African comedian'. And at the same time you don't just want to be the guy on stage telling Jacob Zuma jokes. So it's really a trade-off between the two and try to get the best of all worlds.