Born a Crime Major Figures

Trevor Noah

The narrator and main character of Born a Crime is Trevor Noah, born in 1984 in Johannesburg during the fall of apartheid in South Africa. As a half-white and half-Black boy, he is kept behind closed doors much of the time because his existence makes his parents criminals. As he grows up, he learns to navigate the boundaries between racial groups using his knowledge of several African languages as well as English, referring to himself as a chameleon.

Patricia Noah

Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah is Noah’s mother. She is an extremely religious woman who often prays to Jesus for guidance, but she also questions and disobeys the rules of her family and the laws of apartheid. She is a single parent, constantly sacrificing to provide for Noah and trying to give him a better life than her own.

Robert

Robert is Noah’s father, a white Swiss-German expatriate who cannot marry Patricia or live with Noah because interracial relationships are illegal under apartheid.

Frances Noah

Frances Noah is Noah’s maternal grandmother, who lives in Soweto. She thinks of Noah as white.

Koko

Koko is Noah’s maternal great-grandmother, who lives in Soweto with Frances Noah.

Tom

Tom is one of Noah’s business sidekicks. He introduces Noah to Babiki.

Andrew

Andrew is two years older than Noah and a computer geek and fellow pirate.

Abel

Abel is Patricia Noah’s violent alcoholic boyfriend and husband. He abuses Patricia and Noah for years before finally shooting Patricia in the head after she divorces him.

Andrew (half brother)

Andrew is Noah’s half brother, the elder son of Abel. Andrew is nine years younger than Noah.

Isaac

Isaac is Noah’s half brother, the younger son of Abel. Isaac is 19 years younger than Noah.

Teddy

Teddy is Noah’s best friend in school. When he and Noah are caught shoplifting, Teddy gets expelled.

Zaheera

Zaheera is a girl whom Noah befriends because he has a crush on her. She moves to America, however.

Babiki

Babiki is Noah’s date to the matric dance (senior prom) at his high school. She speaks Pedi but not English, which Noah discovers on the night of the dance. He doesn’t speak Pedi, so they cannot communicate.

Bongani

Bongani is Noah’s friend and business partner during high school and after graduation. Together they sell pirated CDs and video games and run a DJ business.

Hitler

Hitler is the best dancer in Noah’s DJ group. His name gets them into trouble at a Jewish school.