Tourism Business Council of SA (TBCSA) CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhenga has refused to reveal how much comedian Trevor Noah was paid for a five-minute advert promoting the country. The advert was released online on Thursday and many social media users have given it a thumbs-up. It has been praised by critics and viewers alike, being described as a "funny, insightful, and thought-provoking ad." In September, the ad sparked outrage in the country when it was reported that Noah would be paid up to R33 million of taxpayers' money for the 5-minute advertisement. However, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille had categorically denied any government involvement, saying the bill would be footed by TBCSA. Tshivhenga says, "We have never come out and said we're paying him R33 million, these were reports that came from the Parliament Portfolio Committee, which should be in a position to answer those particular questions. "We did this deal with Trevor Noah. He is the talent for this, he got a fee and a very small amount of a fee to do this. As a star whose appeal is international, Trevor Noah is definitely not paid 33 million, that's a myth, and those people who have said that they should be able to answer those questions. We have a deal that is very straightforward, he's a well-known brand in the world, and his fees were actually a gift to us for him to agree to do this," Tshivhenga explains.