Trevor Noah, a South African comedian little known to U.S. audiences, will replace Jon Stewart as the host of the Emmy Award-winning, late-night parody newscast "The Daily Show," Comedy Central announced Monday.

The Viacom Inc.-owned network said it selected Noah, 31, because he is an "enormous talent" and "wickedly funny." His premiere will be announced at a later date.

Hailing from the township of Soweto, Noah joined "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" as a contributor in late 2014. He said it is an honor to step into Stewart's shoes.