by Thinus Ferreira
Colour me baffled, disappointed and jaded (yet again!) by the latest just-concluded season of M-Net's Big Brother Mzansi: Bazozwa on Mzansi Magic - once again in my book a complete failure in anything resembling passable communication and proper MultiChoice PR in liaising on a bare bones, adequate way with the press trying, and supposed to, cover this show.
After raising the issue(s) with M-Net's terrible and non-existent PR around Big Brother Mzansi directly with M-Net's PR people in 2025 - in emails, as well as in-person - nothing happened, and nothing changed for the 6th season of Big Brother Mzansi on DStv, again produced by Red Pepper Pictures.
After meeting with M-Net publicists Suzaan Keyter and Portia Hlongwane, responsible for Mzansi Magic publicity, and despite promises that all of the issues raised would be addressed and not happen again for the upcoming season, absolutely nothing - and I mean nothing changed or improved in the slightest.
Neither Portia Hlongwane, nor the Playmakers PR company, came to the party in any improved way the past few months in terms of starting to communicate in a dynamic and timeous way with media who want to, and would cover Big Brother Mzansi as a local DStv reality show.
And that is after discussions about what is wrong and why, and after promises that there would be discussions with the PR company (which, it turns out, also apparently never happened).
Why is it so impossible, and seemingly so difficult and too high a bar, for M-Net to actually communicate with media and to build and sustain and have a media liaison relationship about a show like Big Brother Mzansi and about what is happening around it?
This is not rocket science.
It's as easy as picking up a phone and calling someone, using Whatsapp, emailing someone, asking them if they got an email, suggesting stories and taking the few minutes to reach out and suggest collaborations in terms of articles, sending notifications about what would be happening and about talking - none of which Mzansi Magic seems capable of doing, or seems to want to do with Big Brother Mzansi with media who have been covering it for years.
Instead of griping about Canal+ Africa paying people for PR who are not doing what they're supposed to be doing - or simply doing nothing - imagine if journalists and publications did reporting and coverage and articles about Big Brother Mzansi because they actually heard from M-Net and Playmakers about what is going to happen, what is happening, about story ideas, about what media interactions would be taking place, and afterwards about what was said there?
Similar to 2023 and before when M-Net left media (myself and others included) completely out of the loop regarding Big Brother Mzansi, again did the same in 2024, and again did nothing in 2025, it all happened and played out PR-wise (despite assured promises that it wouldn't) exactly the same again in late 2025 and 2026 with the just-concluded season.
Cue the same problems and non-communication, about the exact same gripes that M-Net PR promised and promised it would rectify (and never does).
After the 6th season launch and press event in the form of a house-party reunion early December 2025 where Shirley Adonisi, channel director of general entertainment for Mzansi Magic spoke, I asked Portia Hlongwane yet again afterwards what happened, since media including myself, were not even told it would be taking place.
How to report on something you didn't even get a notification or a heads-up would happen, so as to plan possible coverage? What was said there by Shirley Adonisi and others?
Of course, there was once again an "overnight stay" in January 2026 for some media and content creators, the season's premiere night in January, and the Big Brother Mzansi live finale and winner walk-out on Sunday with a "watch party" organised by Mzansi Magic.
The final was followed by yet another media day where some of the housemates and winner spoke. Again: No heads-up from M-Net or Playmakers about any of this at all.
What exactly do M-Net and Mzansi Magic want from media trying to cover something like Big Brother Mzansi? And what exactly are those responsible for publicity for it, doing - and not doing - to try and get these desired outcomes from media?
As if it hasn't yet been said in the past, and in-person: What is done (and not being done) isn't working.
The very easiest and most ridiculous thing that M-Net publicity people and PR agencies, tasked with and paid to Communicate about Big Brother Mzansi can do, is so preposterously simple, and yet seemingly so difficult. And it's the title of a Carly Rae Jepsen song:
Call Me. Maybe.
