Revived Top Billing Once Again Doing a 2026 Presenter Search This Time Using Social Media - How to Enter and Maximise Your Chance for an In-Person Audition

by Thinus Ferreira

The revived Top Billing on SABC3 is doing a new presenter search through social media to find a brand new presenter to join the existing presenters' corps of the weekly South African lifestyle magazine show.

At the end of the first episode of the new Top Billing on Thursday night on SABC3, Cardova, that is producing the show, announced that South Africans can now send in videos of themselves to audition for the show.

Previous Top Billing presenter searches through the years have been hugely successful. They were physical auditions over various dates in several South African cities, and people stood in line in long queues. 

These Top Billing presenter searches were filmed as TV reality shows, and underscored the desire of South Africans wanting to be a part of "the good life" put on display week after week by the show that has become an institution on South African television.

Simba Mhere was the winner of the first Top Billing Presenter Search in 2010, with Jonathan Boynton-Lee who won My Top Billing Dream in 2012 and is once again back as a presenter on the show.

Jade Hubner, Zoe Brown and Danilo Acquisto won the Presenter Search on 3 on 2015 and joined various SABC3 shows.

Ryle de Morny and Fezile Mkhize were two of the four winners of the Presenter Search on 3 in 2018 who joined Top Billing and are also both back as presenters of the revived Top Billing.

For the 2026 Top Billing Presenter Search, the search is moving to utilise social media.

People who want to enter must be 18 years old, must be legally entitled to work in South Africa and should exude Top Billing presenter qualities like the "it" factor with a lot of charisma, a sense of style and personality, and have a passion and knowledge of people and lifestyle content.

People who want to enter must record an audition video and explain and showcase briefly why they think they're the perfect Top Billing presenter, highlighting their personality, presenter style and what they would bring to the role in terms of perspectives, travel, culture and trends.

The video must be uploaded and posted on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook or TikTok with the hashtags #TopBillingPresenterSearch and #TopBillingAudition, along with tagging @TopBillingTV and @SABC3, by 30 June.

Important for the audition video is to dress impeccably (no branded clothing) and to come across as self-assured and with charisma like a Top Billing presenter. 

The video should be one minute in length or shorter, and be a concise, professional clip or link about who you are and why you're the perfect choice to join the show as a Top Billing presenter.

The shortlisted candidates will go through to the next round of in-person auditions, currently set to take place during July and August. 

This will lead to on-camera challenges - similar to what the previous Top Billing Presenter Search shows did. With it will go possible TV appearances, background checks, and contractual negotiations and agreements.

INTERVIEW. A Survivor SA content producer on witnessing betrayals, blindsides and capturing secret conversations.

by Thinus Ferreira

The experienced producer Michal Malek knows something about making reality TV – he’s shepherded contestants, animals and even aerial drones across South Africa in multiple shows.

When the chance arose to work on the latest season of Survivor South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101), of course he packed a bag to the Wild Coast to go capture blindsides, betrayals and whispered conversations. 

He spoke to me about what content producers actually do on a reality show like Survivor SA: Immunity Island, and why the job is actually the closest thing to being a contestant in the show itself.

Thank you for the time. I'm wondering, the first thing that I wanted to ask, how was it for you working on Survivor SA as a content producer?

Michal Malek: Hello, Thinus, it's nice to see you again, long time. I mean, it is the closest thing you're going to get to actually being a contestant - that's what I can tell you. You are on the island you are among the contestants every day for up to, sometimes 14 hours a day. You are there, in the muck, in the cold, in the rain, in the sun, you know - you're are there!

So, for some people that can be daunting. And for some people like myself, that is the opportunity and adventure of a lifetime. So it is absolutely amazing. 

The production company, Afrokaans, and the way everything is run is incredibly professional. You don't feel it as much as you would think - the content producers have a lovely time. You go there, they see what's happening, and then they go home to their lovely warm bed, and food.

What did your role as content producer on Survivor SA: Immunity Island entail?

Michal Malek: So the content producer, essentially, is on the island with the contestants in-between the challenges. 

So the challenges are a different kind of almost, a different kind of production. When the castaways are back at camp the content producers are there to essentially "gather" the story.

We're a small team - I think this year we had around six - and we rotate because it's quite a demanding position. And we follow the crew around, and we follow them - we have a crew with us, and we follow the castaways and we observe. Our job is to observe. 

Our job is to take notes of the essential moments of you know, betrayals, alliances, strategy - that kind of thing. And then we come together at the end of the day, content producers with the director and the head of content and we discuss the stories and the main storylines; the main narratives that are coming out of the island. 

So that is in a nutshell, we are observers, we are note-takers. And whenever you see a moment where they're - where the show cuts to someone talking in that "diary-style", we're the ones who ask the question - the real questions. 

So we uncover, so if someone is talking to someone else, we will take them aside, and we'll ask them "what was that conversation really about?" So we get the real story out of them in those "diary-type" sessions.

What was interesting for you personally working on Survivor SA and that you realised you had to perhaps adapt to or figure out, that you maybe haven't encountered before?

Michal Malek: I think from a technical perspective, Thinus, you and I go way back in terms of the various first productions of mine that you've covered. And on those productions, I had to wear many hats. I had to be the assistant director, I had to be the director, I had to ask questions; I had to solve problems left, right and centre. 

And this is a strange thing to say but on the Afrokaans production of Survivor SA: Immunity Island, it was so weird for me to just have one job. I could - everything else was taken care of.

Everyone knew their position, everyone did their job incredibly well. And I could focus on the story. I could focus on what I needed to do without ever having to worry about anything else. It was so professionally done. 

And the level of professionalism was so great that I had to adapt to not being responsible for other things. So, sometimes in past work there were times where I found myself directing. But I wasn't a director. So I'm not used to that. So that's what I had to adapt to.

And then also from being out there, you really underestimate how physically taxing it is. When we go out to the campsite, it is a grueling journey. At one point you're driving in the back of this big Land Rover thing, and then like a safari vehicle through mud and water and you're in the rain and it's cold.

Then you have to walk. You walk far. So that is something I underestimated, like, it is physically taxing. You really are out there in the middle of nowhere with these people, surviving - not quite as extreme as their survival, but it is something else.

The times I've observed you work - your energy, and how fast you work, and just your confidence in yourself that you also instill in the crew around you and in participants of a show: You're really well-honed in terms of multitasking that I find really exceptional. 

Your ability to take charge and just do it - is that an innate quality that's part of your personality, or something that you had to learn to do and be because that's what the creature of TV demands?

Michal Malek: I think it's definitely the latter. I think Thinus if you had met me in high school, I was not a very confident person. I was a bit of a nerd. And I was a very kind of, a bit of a weirdo. 

And, yeah, I mean, productions that I started on, there was a fight-or-flight element, it was a sink-or-swim kind of scenario where you either step up to the plate, or you leave, you can't take it.

And there were those scenarios where I had to adapt. I had to, I just had to do it, there was no option and I had to power through. 

And once you've done it, once you've gone through a few of those moments, once you've seen that, yes, I can do this, it becomes easier and easier. I think that builds confidence within you. 

Energy-wise, I think, I'm naturally a very energetic and a very bouncy and an optimistic person. So having that kind of internal energy in the beginning, helped me get through those moments where I could feel that slump coming but the energy helps me to push through. So yeah, so definitely, it's the monster of television that has made me who I am today.

In reality TV, you can't really "direct" the events or people but you also want the buzz-worthy moments and you want the dramatic narratives. To what degree are you however able to shape or mould the situation or the circumstances to build a path that you then just hope people decide to walk on?

Michal Malek: Well, I think it starts with casting. I think if a show does its casting well, and I think Afrokaans did an absolutely spectacular job casting Survivor SA: Immunity Island this season, then the content comes truly natural and the content producers just have to observe and take notes.

In terms of moulding - various shows, allow for various levels of moulding. I can't speak to reality TV as a whole but I mean, as you know, something like Keeping Up with the Kardashians or The Osbournes is highly moulded; it's highly constructed. It's even actually a separate sub-genre of reality.

Something like Survivor where it's a competition and there are rules and it's an internationally acclaimed series - it's almost like sport.

There's nothing you can do and nothing you should do. Because anything you do, you would be affecting the rules and outcome of the game.

In Survivor you film for such a long time - you're there for 40 days - and the tensions are high. Everyone's hungry. There are competitions, there's backstabbing with alliances and those moments come completely naturally. You don't need to prompt or mould anything. 

Then in those "diary-style" moments that I spoke about, that's when we unpack what key conversations were about. That's what those moments are for so that you don't have to interrupt scenes because you can unpack them in these diary moments.

You left South Africa, I think you went to Dubai or some Middle Eastern desert country, and then back to South Africa, and then Covid-19 lockdown happened. How did you end up working on Survivor SA: Immunity Island?

Michal Malek: Doha! So my history with Afrokaans goes back a little while. I had a friend of mine, who was a camera operator there - her name is Fahema Hendricks - she is now a director of photography on various productions; at Die Boekklub on kykNET at the moment and she just DoP Temptation Island which I'm also working on.

She recommended me to the Afrokaans team and I got a call from them in 2018, to be a part of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets in Samoa. And I literally - I had just moved, I had like a weekend to go and I said "I can't". 

But we stayed on good terms. I interviewed physically with them as soon as I got back - we got along like a house on fire, they saw my experience with Cardova and with Tropika Island of Treasure, and Presenter Search and Win a Home. 

So they felt like I could step up to the position. I think I did okay. 

So yeah, it was a matter of staying in touch, and I follow up with them a lot. Thinus, I bothered them a lot. Every month, I would send them three or four emails or WhatsApps saying, "Hey, don't forget about me". It was persistence, persistence. But polite persistence.

And then during Covid - did you think now you can't do it?

Michal Malek: Survivor South Africa has been on my bucket list. So no matter what I was doing at the time, I was going to drop it and do Survivor SA. 

So when I came back from Doha, I joined a company called Special Effects Media, which is run by Danilo Acquisto, who I met on Presenter Search on 3, and he and I worked together on Win a Home for many years. 

And I worked with him for about a year and a half, and I told him before I joined him that "You know, I'm in contact with the production team of Survivor SA, and If I get it, I'm going to go, I'm going to go do it".

And then the time came and luckily Danilo's company is a digital-first company, they're a YouTube specialist company, they're a digital video company.

So under Covid and during the national lockdown period, we were lucky in that digital video was all the rage. And it was booming because everyone was stuck at home watching content on their computers and on their phones. So we were very lucky in that sense. So I had a bit of work still over Covid, and then I got the call from Darren [Lindsay, supervising producer], saying - I didn't get a call, I got a Whatsapp saying "Are you ready for the island?" And I said "Which island? Wink, wink." 

And without a thought, I said yes. I said yes to Darren first from Afrokaans and then I told Danilo, "Listen, I'm going to Survivor SA" and the rest is history.

I think as an audio-visual storyteller you're really incredibly gifted. What do you think South African producers doing reality-genre content don't maybe yet know or grasp about what they need to do? What needs to be done more or differently to take it to that next, let's say "American" level?

Michal Malek: The first thing that comes to mind - look, having worked in in reality for a long time, I know the budgets that people are working with. 

When you look at your American TV shows - one or two episodes of an American series is how much our entire season of most shows cost. 

So we have to kind of take that with a pinch of salt when you say "Why is it not like America? Why is it not like Australia?" We just don't have the budgets. 

We just don't we don't have all the fancy toys and all those kinds of things. Having said that, if you look at the American Survivor credits, especially season 40 Winners at War, you can count on your fingers and toes how many South African crew are on that production because our crew and our talent are incredibly good and I think we know what we're doing.

I have to say, one thing in general that producers and directors maybe could improve on, is with casting.

If you take your time casting a show "correctly", or if you cast a show with the cast that is going to give you the content that you expect from the show - so, finding personalities that are going to clash in the circumstances that you're going to put these contestants in - then half the battle is won in casting.

I think a lot of the time, because of the time restrictions and the budget restrictions, we simply just don't have the resources to cast better. So for several shows we just take whoever just entered and it's "go, go". 

I'm not saying it's their fault, or it's anyone's fault. I'm just saying that if we could improve on something, then we could spend a little bit more time on better casting because I've seen the results with great casting first hand.

Can you share something interesting from behind-the-scenes during the making of Survivor SA: Immunity Island?

Michal Malek: I mean, we don't have enough time to discuss all the things that have happened behind the scenes. Ha ha. I don't want to give anything away. Give me a minute to think about something that's not going to compromise the viewers' experience.

So let me ask you, it feels that with every season, the show gets better in terms of even capturing moments that it seems the castaways themselves are not aware of is happening. 

The camera captures the dramatic irony and we get the sound of who's talking to whom. And there are no do-overs. You capture it or you miss it. The split-second decisions of the camera and sound operators and where to focus and it's incredible.

Michal Malek: There are so many stories, and so many kinds of narratives happening that, you know, inevitably there's going to be drama because you can't stick a bunch of people on an island, not you know, not feed them and have everyone getting along all the time.

. 

In terms of capturing those candid moments - quite frankly contestants very quickly forget the cameras. Even after day one, they get there and they used to get food and suddenly it's dinner time and it's a feeling of "I haven't eaten today". And now their priorities are completely different. 

You as a producer become second nature. You don't even become a consideration for them. All of a sudden for them, the cameras disappear, and microphones disappear. 

Kudos to the sound guys and the skill with which they operate those booms. The sound guys are incredible in the way that they operate to capture contestants' conversations. 

Camera operators zoom in from far away. They're so skilled in capturing moments where you can tell that if they were to just stick a camera in a contestant's face, they're going to get skittish, and you're not going to have that intimate conversation where they speak with each other but don't want other people to suspect they're having a conversation. 

Previous seasons of Survivor SA have been great. This current one I think is really excellent in terms of the narratives and the blindsides and the cinematography and editing - it's even more "turbo-charged". What factors do you things influence this elevation in the end-product?

Michal Malek: Firstly, I think the talent of the technical crew is, as you say, the cinematography is amazing. Every camera operator on the island with me is almost like a storyteller in their own way. 

So are the sound operators - even more so - because you can tell a story, you can cut away to an iguana while people are having a conversation, and so long as the sound is there, we have a story. 

So what I think really makes it amazing is the talent pool of operators, and technical operators that are just incredibly skilled at finding moments and as I said before, that is why many of them end up in Fiji on the American series, because they're just so good. So I think that helps, that helps a lot. 

Also, the streamlining of the system that the content directors, content producers have, is also incredible for distilling the core nature of the cool narratives and the cool stories for each episode. 

At the end of every day, we have a meeting of all the content producers, and everyone knows what the main story is. Then a comprehensive list goes back to the editors saying, "this is our story". That then goes into the edit, and that gets further editing tweaks. And the editing is so good. the editing is good. I think that's what enhances it, what makes a turbo-charged. 

What makes Survivor SA so good compared to other productions I've been on is that the distillation in the capturing of the story is done really well - both technically on the island by the crews, and also taking those notes and taking those questions that we have asked as key moments and putting it all together so that the editors know exactly. 

You can imagine, there are petabytes of footage to go through. And we help with that as content producers in that content meetings to really streamline that and to help make it so that you as a viewer can know that you're going to get to see the very best moments.

How has Covid-19 impacted you and your business? I'm so sure that M-Net will do several more seasons of Survivor SA - would you be willing to work on further seasons?

Michal Malek: I mean, absolutely I would work on further seasons.

As you know Survivor SA: Immunity Island was done in a so-called "production bubble" They were very, very strict with their production bubble. I'm not sure it's my place to say how strict but very strict.

It was organised in such a way where you still had your basic freedom  - you didn't have to sit in your room the whole time when you were not working. There were dedicated areas where you could go, although often you were too busy to even notice to be honest because you were on the island most of the time.

Covid-wise, business has taken a hit obviously. Smaller productions, especially smaller productions that can't afford to be in a production bubble - they can't afford to lock away crew in separate accommodations for weeks on end - are definitely struggling a bit more. 

Video is booming. People are finding ways. People want content. Luckily, we're on the provisional end of that, you know. We're providing content, so it's been okay. This new Level 4 has seen some jobs disappearing. But I'm not out of jobs, I've just found ways to adapt and to push through.

MultiChoice crows about its 2020 14th SAFTAs wins by deleting e.tv - cluelessly culling category winners on its platforms like eNCA, Ultimate Braai Master and films like Buddha in Africa yet listing SABC3's Hectic on 3.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice that decided to boast about its 2020 14th SAFTAs wins revealed how badly it knows its own content by taking the list of winners and indiscriminately taking a hacksaw and deleting all e.tv wins but in the shoddy process culling content and category winners that are actually on DStv and Showmax ranging from eNCA to Ultimate Braai Master and films like Buddha in Africa.

MultiChoice proceeded to take undue credit for the win of Entle Bizana for Best TV presenter - a win that actually belongs to the SABC - as a win for MultiChoice. Entle Bizana is a presenter on Hectic on 3, a youth strand on the SABC3 channel of South Africa's public broadcaster.

On Thursday MultiChoice did an extremely thoughtless copy-and-paste job of a published list of winners of the National Film and Video Foundation's (NFVF) 14th South African Film and Television Awards.

This was done in order to do an email blast to the press with drop-in quotes from Nkateko Mabaso, M-Net CEO.

MultiChoice hacked through the 2020 SAFTAs winners list like a third-year accounting student deleting budget line-items on an Excel spreadsheet to remove any traces of e.tv content.

Wrongly deleted in the process was the win for Best current affairs programme going to Checkpoint on eNCA (DStv 403). While eNCA is a TV channel from eMedia Investments, the eNCA TV news channel is exclusively and specifically made and packaged for MultiChoice to be carried on DStv.

With multiple film category wins MultiChoice couldn't bother to research and was clueless that the film Buddha in Africa, that is carried and available on its video streaming platform Showmax right now, should remain in the list.

In February MultiChoice first highlighted Buddha in Africa as content that it has as a 2020 SAFTAS nominee.

On Showmax the film is still highlighted as a "2020 SAFTAs nominee".

None of Buddha in Africa's wins feature in MultiChoice's lobotomised winners' list although the outstanding film saw Nicole Schafer win for Best achievement in directing for a film, while the Thinking Strings Media production company also won for Best documentary feature.

The same goes for the short film The Letter Reader that's also on Showmax that won for Best short film.

Ditto for film winner The Fun's Not Over: The James Phillips Story.

MultiChoice saw the win of Ultimate Braai Master produced by Okuhle Media as a category winner as just a e.tv show, although it's not actually commissioned by e.tv but is an advertiser-funded production.

Ultimate Braai Master was scrapped from being included and mentioned in MultiChoice's list under Best reality programme because nobody at MultiChoice knew outright or did a Google search.

Ultimate Braai Master is on The Travel Channel (DStv 179) ... and The Travel Channel is carried exclusively on DStv.

In its list MultiChoice bizarrely proceeded to tack on the non-channel, non-broadcaster aligned awards like Lifetime achiever award, Youth achiever award and others.

After going to painstaking lengths to remove any mention of the SABC or e.tv, MultiChoice included - wrongly - a mention of Entle Bizana, the presenter of Hectic on 3 on SABC3 as Best TV presenter category winner.

In a provided, prepared statement to go with the MultiChoice mistake-filled list, Nkateko Mabaso says "MultiChoice has made substantial investment in locally-produced content, aiming to share our incredible African stories with the world. It's an incredibly proud moment to see these award-winning stories being recognised at the 14th SAFTAs".

"Our 152 nominations are testament to the fact that Africa’s most-loved storyteller continues to deliver the best in local content. Beyond entertainment, it’s just as rewarding to see how our investments in infrastructure, technology and development initiatives are empowering a supply chain which supports local businesses and communities."

"These awards are not only a great reflection of the broad local content offering available for our customers across our large selection of channels but is also compelling evidence that our investment in local content both works and matters. This is the magic that has made us Africa’s most-loved storyteller," Nkatemo Mabaso.

Nkatemo Mabaso, M-Net, MultiChoice and Showmax execs and their PR people, as well as MultiChoice's corporate PR company Aprio were all asked by TVwithThinus on Thursday night about its issued winners' list and the mistakes and omissions.

MultiChoice responded and said that it is investigating the broader issue regarding the information it receives from the NFVF and will be relooking the list.

With an updated list, MultiChoice will actually have even more 14th SAFTAs wins to boast about.

Below is the list as MultiChoice, through M-Net and Aprio, issued it to the media with several wins not included and odd inclusions at the end.

MultiChoice said that it is "The full list of awards for shows and films which have a home on the MultiChoice platform":

·       Best Achievement in Directing – Telenovela: The River (Ferry Jele, Catharine Cooke, Zolani Phakade & Johnny Barbuzano)
·       Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – Telenovela: The River (Gwydion Beynon, Phathutshedzo Makwarela, Christa Biyela, Lebogang Mogashoa & Mamello Lebona)
·       Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Soap: Getroud met Rugby (Writing team)
·       Best Achievement In Original Music/Score – Telenovela: Isibaya (Philip Miller)
·       Best Achievement in Editing – Telenovela: The River (Bongi Malefo, Matodzi Nemungadi & Ula Oelsen)
·       Best Achievement in Sound - TV Soap/Telenovela: The River (Ben Oelsen, Juli Vanden Berg & Tladi Steven Mabuya)
·       Best Achievement in Cinematography – Telenovela: The River (Alice Mataboge)
·       Best Achievement in  Make-Up and Hairstyling- TV Soap/Telenovela: The River (Bongi Mlotshwa)
·       Best Achievement in Art Direction - TV Soap/Telenovela: Arendsvlei (Beatrix van Zyl)
·       Best Actress -Telenovela: Sindi Dlathu (The River)
·       Best Actor -Telenovela: Roberto Kyle (Arendsvlei)
·       Best Supporting Actress – Telenovela: Mary-Anne Barlow (The River)
·       Best Supporting Actor – Telenovela: Loyiso MacDonald (The Queen)
·       Best Actress -TV Soap: Denise Newman (Suidooster)
·       Best Telenovela: The River (Tshedza Pictures)
·       Best Achievement in Directing - TV Drama: The Republic (Johnny Barbuzano & Rea Rangaka)
·       Best Achievement in Scriptwriting - TV Drama: The Republic (Phathutshedzo Makwarela & Gwydion Beynon)
·       Best Achievement in Editing - TV Drama: Spreeus (Leon Visser)
·       Best Achievement in Sound  - TV Drama: The Republic (Ben Oelsen & Juli Vanden Berg)
·       Best  Achievement in Original Music/Score - TV Drama: Spreeus (Pierre-Henri Wicomb)
·       Best Achievement in Wardrobe - TV Drama: Ifalakhe (Heidi Riss, Monique Lamprecht & Nerine Pienaar)
·       Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling - TV Drama: Ifalakhe (Ronwyn Jarrett)
·       Best Achievement in Cinematography - TV Drama: The Republic (Ntobeko Dlamini)
·       Best Actress - TV Drama: Florence Masebe  (The Republic)
·       Best Actor - TV Drama: Wiseman Mncube ( eHostela)
·       Best Supporting Actress - TV Drama: Brenda Ngxoli ( iThemba)
·       Best Supporting Actor - TV Drama: Seputla Sebogodi (The Republic)
·       Best TV Drama: The Republic (Tshedza Pictures)
·       Best Natural History and Environmental Programme: STROOP - journey into the rhino horn war (Scott & de Bod Films)
·       Best Structured or Docu-reality Show: Living The Dream With Somizi Season 4 (Barleader TV)
·       International Format Show: Celebrity Game Night S1 (Rapid Blue)
·       Best Factual & Educational Programme: Op Seer Se Spoor (Gambit Films)
·       Best Variety Show: Mooi (Afrokaans Film & Television)
·       Best Youth Programme: MTV Shuga Down South 2 (Quizzical Pictures)
·       Best Entertainment Programme: Emo: 30 Jaar In Musiek (All Star Productions)
·       Best Lifestyle Programme: Elders: Japan (Bonanza Films)
·       Best Made for TV Movie: Droomman (Deon Opperman Produksies)
·       Best Achievement in Directing - Feature Film: Knuckle City (Jahmil XT Qubeka)
·       Best Achievement in Scriptwriting - Feature Film: Fiela se Kind (Brett Michael Innes)
·       Best Achievement in Cinematography - Feature Film: Die Verhaal van Racheltjie de Beer ( Willie Nel) 
·       Best Achievement in Sound Design - Feature Film: Die Verhaal van Racheltjie de Beer (Jim Petrak)
·       Best Achievement in Original Music/Score - Feature Film: Die Verhaal van Racheltjie de Beer (Chris Letcher)
·       Best Achievement in Editing – Feature Film: Knuckle City (Layla Swart)
·       Best Achievement in Production Design – Feature Film: Knuckle City (TK Khampepe & Justice Nhlapo)
·       Best Achievement in Costume Design – Feature Film: Back of the Moon (Trudi Mantzios)
·       Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling - Feature Film: Knuckle City (Carol Babalwa Mtshiselwa)
·       Best Actress - Feature Film: Clementine Mosimane (Poppie Nongena)
·       Best Actor – Feature Film: Bongile Mantsai (Knuckle City)
·       Best Supporting Actress - Feature Film: Anna-Mart van der Merwe (Poppie Nongena)
·       Best Supporting Actor - Feature Film: Patrick Ndlovu (Knuckle City)
·       Best Feature Film: Fiela se Kind (The Film Factory and Nostalgia Productions)
·       Lifetime Achiever Award: Thembi Mtshali-Jones
·       Youth Achiever Award: Thabo Welcome
·       Outstanding Person with Disability Contributor Award: Boitshoko Keabetswe, Malebo Matlhage
·       Outstanding Provincial Contributor Award: Luzuko Dilima
·       Emerging Filmmaker Award: Vusi Africa Sindane
·       Best TV Presenter: Entle Bizana (Hectic on 3) 


ALSO READ: 2020 SAFTAs 'unable to deliver a show to the standards we had hoped for': Inside the delayed and badly done virtual fiasco of 2020's 14th South African Film and Television Awards that started 6 hours late from inside Dineo Ranaka's living room.

After Leigh-Anne Williams leaves her daily Expresso post Cardova says the presenter will be back as the production company is 'keen to pursue new and existing shows and roles with her in 2020'.

by Thinus Ferreira

After Leigh-Anne Williams quietly left her early morning perch as one of SABC3's Expresso presenters some week ago, the Cape Town based production company behind the show says that she will be back in December although it's not clear whether it would again be in a daily role or in what capacity.

On Tuesday TVwithThinus reported that Leigh-Anne Williams quietly exited SABC3's weekday morning show with her name that was removed from the end-credits roll of Expresso.

Prior to Tuesday's reporting, multiple media enquiries were made over weeks with neither SABC3 nor Cardova Productions that responded to questions around Leigh-Anne Williams' exit and sudden absence from the show.

Leigh-Anne Williams' unexplained exit at the beginning of November came after Ewan Strydom left in April for Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144), followed by Zoë Brown, who was not an original presenter, who left Expresso in July after 4 years without an on-air farewell or explanation.

Expresso added Jamie-Lee Domburg from Plumstead and Kuhle Adams as the show's two new presenters after they won the Presenter Search on 3: The Expresso Edition at the end of October and which made use of Leigh-Anne Williams as the presenter of that prime time reality search programme.

Expresso, which made its debut in October 2010 and was produced from The Equinox Building in Sea Point, Cape Town as SABC3's breakfast show, moved to a new studio complex in Westlake in June.

It's much further away that the picturesque highrise the show had been done from for almost nine years before the move. According to insiders both Zoë Brown and Leigh-Anne Williams had issues with the move with the longer daily travel distance that was problematic and contributed to their decisions to leave.

On Friday morning producer Patience Stevens from Cardova Productions in a statement through SABC3 said that although Leigh-Anne Williams stepped away from her daily Expresso presenting work that Cardova will continue to work with her in the future and in 2020 in existing and new shows.

"Leigh-Anne has been a very important part of the Expresso journey for the past eight years and is a valued member of the Cardova family," said Patience Stevens.

"While Leigh-Anne has been taking a step back from her daily presenting role on Expresso to pursue other career opportunities, this does not mean the end of our relationship with her. Leigh Anne will be back on Expresso in December, and we are keen to pursue new and existing shows and roles with her in 2020."

"While we have missed Leigh-Anne's positive energy every morning for the past couple of weeks, Cardova’s mission statement is to identify, nurture and grow new talent."

"We have recently welcomed two fresh new faces to Expresso, namely the winners of the Presenter Search on 3: Expresso Edition, Kuhle Adams and Jamie-Lee Domburg, who have been adding their own unique dynamic and personality to the show."

"Expresso is a brand which always evolving. We have grown new talent like Leigh-Anne Williams and Zoë Brown over the years and we hope to continue doing so for years to come."

Plumstead single mom Jamie-Lee Domburg and Kuhle Adams win SABC3's Expresso presenter search.

SABC3's weekday morning show Expresso will add Jamie-Lee Domburg and Kuhle Adams as the show's two new presenters after they won the Presenter Search on 3: The Expresso Edition on Wednesday night.

Jamie-Lee Domburg, a single mom from Plumstead, and Kuhle Adams from Port Elizabeth who now lives in Johannesburg, will replace Ewan Strydom and Zoe Brown who exited the morning programme earlier this year.

The winners who took part in the latest edition of the Presenter Search on 3 talent reality show were announced in the final episode at Cape Town's Mount Nelson hotel last night.

Both will start on Expresso, produced by Cardova Productions, on Monday 4 November.

"We've been warned about the hard work that is ahead, about the early mornings and the late nights but we are so ready," says Kuhle who will have to move from Johannesburg to Tokai in Cape Town where the Expresso studios are now located.

"This is not television – this is dreams come true," says Jamie-Lee.

For their final challenge, the remaining four finalists - Nathaneal Davids, Jamie-Lee, Deen Woodman and Kuhle - had to conduct an interview with a high-profile guest in the Expresso studio.

"All four of them are so talented – they all have the potential to do the job – and after spending so much time watching them grow, and take notes, and improve from one episode to the next, it was really hard to have to make that final choice," said Presenter Search on 3 judge Thando Thabethe.

In the end the judges were unanimous in their final decision. "It was a really tough call, but I feel confident that we made the right decision here tonight," said judge Roger Goode.

Patience Stevens, executive producer, said "Congratulations to Kuhle and Jamie – I am extremely excited to welcome them on to Expresso and can’t wait to see them develop as they grow in confidence and experience".

"But I know that we have not seen the last of Deen and Nathaneal either and look forward to seeing how they take the exposure they had with this show and make that work for them in their future careers."

SABC3 and Expresso launch a 2019 Instagram-edition of Presenter Search on 3, 13-episode reality series will look to find 2 new morning show presenters.

SABC3 and Expresso have launched another Presenter Search on 3 reality show looking to find two new presenters for the channel's morning show.

The latest Presenter Search on 3 comes a year after the one held in 2018 but this time, instead of presenters for various different shows, will be looking for two presenters for Expresso to replace Ewan Strydom who left and the end of April and Zoë Brown who left at the end of June.

South Africans can only enter on social media through Instagram this time by submitting a 1-minute video "showcasing" themselves, after which successful contestants will be contacted for an in-person audition in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

Expresso is looking for "unique personalities and creative individuals who will bring something fresh and new" to the show.

In the 1-minute Instagram video, wannabe presenters must record themselves introduce themselves, give their names and explain where they live, explain what makes them unique and use the hashtag "PresenterSearchOn3". The closing date for entries is 31 July 2019.

The judges - who will still be announced and who will be made up of media personalities and celebrities with extensive experience in live television and the media industry as a whole - will then choose 10 finalists who will take part in a 13-episode reality series.

Presenter Search on 3 2019 will start on 7 August and end in a live grand finale on 30 October where the two winners will be announced.

Zoë Brown gone from SABC3's Expresso without explanation as SABC3 readies another Presenter Search on 3 for 2019 for a new Expresso presenter.

Zoë Brown has exited from SABC3's Expresso morning show after 4 years without an on-air farewell or explanation as SABC3 is ready to launch another new Presenter Search on 3 for 2019.

The 29-year old Zoë Brown joined Expresso in June 2015 after she was chosen as one of the winners in SABC3's Presenter Search on 3 competition.

Currently on an overseas holiday, Zoë Brown's last Expresso day was 29 June, coming shortly after the exit of Ewan Strydom at the end of April resigned and left to join the weekly Afrikaans magazine show on Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144).

It's not clear whether Zoë Brown resigned or whether her contract wasn't renewed. There was no on-air farewell for Zoë Brown.

SABC3 hasn't responded to a media enquiry asking about Zoë Brown exit, and neither did Dumisa Lengwati, Expresso segment producer or Layinah Petersen, Expresso assistant producer, respond to emailed media enquiries made since 2 July and who TVwithThinus was referred to.

Zoë Brown's exit, alongside that of Danilo Acquisto who left Afternoon Express in late-2018, leave Jade Hubner of Top Billing as the only remaining 2015-winner of Presenter Search on 3 still on the air in a Tswelopele Productions and Cardova TV show for SABC3.

According to insiders, SABC3 is doing another 13-episode Presenter Search on 3 this year. Instead of looking for multiple presenters, SABC3 and Cardova will be looking for two people to replace the gap left by Zoë Brown and Ewan Strydom's exit.



UPDATE Thursday 1 July 2019 15:30 - A statement was received from Cardova TV on Thursday afternoon after publication of this article. Cardova said it responded to a media enquiry earlier. This was however not received which is why TVwithThinus kept asking. The email was however received when it was sent again on Thursday afternoon.

Cardova says that "After 4 jam-packed years on the show, Zoë Brown presented her last episode on Friday 28 June, choosing to quietly and privately end her time on the Safta-winning programme."

"She is taking some well-deserved time off, after which she will continue on her journey in the broadcast and entertainment industry."

In the statement provided Zoë Brown says "Being part of Presenter Search on 3 and Expresso has truly been a life-changing journey. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine a career in TV and I surprised myself at the joy and growth I experienced over the last 4 years."

"I feel privileged to have worked alongside the best presenters and crew in the country, and I will forever cherish my time with the Expresso family."

"Cardova Productions and Expresso wish Zoë all of the best in her future endeavours."

E! commissions new 10-episode show, Celebrity Game Night, produced by Rapid Blue, as its next localised African series; production starting July for broadcast in late-2019.

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has commissioned Celebrity Game Night as a local South African version of the American game show, Hollywood Game Night, with the first 10-episode season that will start production in July and be broadcast on E! in late-2019.

Celebrity Game Night, produced by Rapid Blue, is NBCUniversal International Networks' latest local production in Africa, following The Search: E! Host Africa, How Do I Look? SA and sporadic red carpet coverage at events and awards shows like the Saftas and Samas.  

E! didn't announce a host or participants for Celebrity Game Night but confirmed that it will be a local South African TV presenter who will guide African celebrities through episodes' games.

Based on the format distributed by NBCUniversal International Formats, in each episode two teams of celebrity guests face-off against each other as they play hilarious and outrageous party games that test pop culture knowledge, acting skills and nerves.

"With outstanding success as an international format, Celebrity Game Night is perfectly placed as the latest local production for E! Africa," says Lee Raftery, the managing director for the UK and emerging markets and chief marketing & content officer at NBCUniversal International.

"I'm excited to bring local nuances to this fun, high-energy series, which will feature the best of African pop culture and celebrity."

"As we celebrate 15 years of E! in Africa, in partnership with DStv, and follow on from recent success with How Do I Look? South Africa, this commission demonstrates our continued commitment to creating impactful local content which reflects the market." 

On Thursday evening in Johannesburg E! will celebrate its 15th anniversary in Africa with a special celebration party for which it also chose winners for its first-ever E! Africa Pop Culture Awards with Trevor Noah, Black Coffee and Akin Omatoso who were already announced as category winners.

Presenter Search On 3 gives on-air TV jobs on SABC3 to all 6 of the final contenders.

The outcome of SABC3's latest season of Presenter Search On 3 hit a 6 on Thursday night with the concluding 13th episode, with all six of the remaining contenders who were asked to join and appear across various of the channel's lifestyle and entertainment shows.

Instead of one person asked to join SABC3's flagship lifestyle magazine show, Top Billing, the judges chose three, with one winner for morning show Expresso and afternoon talker Afternoon Express, and one consolation prize for the 6th person asked to become a field presenter.

Interestingly the winners all range between just 27 and 29 years of age.

In the final episode of the show produced by Cardova Productions and filmed on Reunion island, the judges Patience Stevens, DJ Fresh, Jeannie D and Sbusiso Kumalo announced that there won't just be three winners.

Medical doctor Fezile Mkhize (27), model Harmony Matulondi (28), and "the fastest man on sand" and lifeguard Ryle de Morny (29), will all be joining Top Billing. They will be making their first appearance on Top Billing on Saturday 4 August at 18:00.

"Speaking French will allow me to add to an international flare to Top Billing. My diverse background, upbringing and curious nature will also bring an interesting perspective to the segments," said HarmonyMatulondi.

"I'm going to bring a fresh new energy to this show. I hope to share as much love as possible and take my viewer on awesome journeys with me as we discover and showcase moments, events and areas in a unique, raw and genuinely real way," said Ryle de Morny.

"I plan to maintain the high standard it's always been known for with a huge dose of whimsy, energy and most importantly heart," said Fezile Mkhize.

The entrepreneur and brand analyst Thabiso Makhubela (28) will be relocating to Cape Town and will be joining the SABC3 morning show Expresso, making his first appearance on Monday 6 August.

"I love Expresso and I can't wait to bring my refreshing, upbeat energy to the show," said Thabiso Makhubela. 

"The show is extremely important because people are waking up and the tone on the show sets the audience's mood for the entire day. I am like the power bank for the people and I don't take that responsibility lightly."

Actress Palesa Tembe (27) will be joining the afternoon talk show Afternoon Express and will be making her first on-air appearance on Monday 6 August at 16:30.

"I'm going to bring some spunk to afternoon TV. I'm excited to bring a younger energy to the show and add to the already positive atmosphere the show delivers on a daily basis," said Palesa Tembe.

The judges awarded actress Mosa Kaiser (27) a consolation prize and asked her to become a field reporter for Expresso.

"I am really happy about my new gig with Expresso. It promises to be a lot of fun and I am excited to bring my unique style and spunk to these inserts. I am so proud of myself and I am excited for the journey that lies ahead," said Mosa Kaiser.

Top Billing presenter Jonathan Boynton-Lee on what he's looking for at SABC3's Presenter Search on 3: 'I'm looking for the Simba factor'.

The popular Top Billing presenter Jonathan Boynton-Lee says that for SABC3's new Presenter Search on 3 looking for new on-air talent for the public broadcaster's shows, he's looking for the "Simba factor".

It's a reference to Simba Mhere, Jonathan's close friend who tragically died in a car accident in 2015. Both Simba and Jonathan were winners of the previous presenter search competitions on SABC3 that is once again looking for 3 new TV presenters to join Top Billing, Expresso and Afternoon Express.

With the nationwide auditions ending with the Johannesburg auditions taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium in Johannesburg, it's the last chance for South Africans older than 18 to pitch up in the queue if they think they've got what it takes to join one of these TV shows as a presenter.

TVwithThinus asked Jonathan Boynton-Lee what he will be looking for in the Presenter Search on 3 as the ideal candidates to become TV presenters, and what people who go to the auditions should and shouldn't do and be before the judges.

"I'm not looking for the X-factor - I'm looking for the Simba factor," said Jonathan, adding "I don't think that exists!"

"To me, if I think of a good TV presenter, I think of Simba," he said.

"I need someone that's got something that no-one else has - someone who is natural on camera, who is loveable, someone who is just themselves and relatable. Like you're born to do it."

"It doesn't even look as if you're trying hard - something that just comes naturally. I'm looking for that: I'm looking for someone who walks in and is born to do it."

"Remember to not be too over-reheased," said Jonathan as a word of advice to people going to the Johannesburg auditions on Friday and this weekend. "Some people just run that link they have to do so much that it becomes so familiar that it's not natural anymore. Don't over-rehearse. Keep it natural."

"Something to remember is to be yourself. Be natural and don't try and mimic another presenter. We're not looking for Jeannie D, we definitely don't need another one of me. We're looking for someone new and someone fresh."

After the Johannesburg auditions the Presenter Search on 3 will start on SABC3 on 10 May at 19:30.

From Dubai with a dream: Thousands queue for the Cape Town auditions of SABC3's Presenter Search on 3 - as someone even bought a one-way ticket and flew from Dubai.

Anita Buys living abroad with her family was so determined - with such conviction that she's the new TV presenter that SABC3 is looking for - that she booked a one-way ticket and flew all the way from Dubai to Cape Town to come and do an audition for the Presenter Search on 3.

Thousands of people from across South Africa patiently queued on both days of the past weekend at Newlands Rugby Stadium when SABC3's nationwide auditions, that kicked off in Port Elizabeth, did its second auditions session in Cape Town on Saturday and Sunday, before moving on to Durban this coming weekend.

On Saturday people queued from very early for the chance to be seen by the regional judges Spitch Nzawubmi, SABC3's acting brand manager Smangele Mauka and Expresso's Graeme Richards; and on the Sunday Sean-Marco Vorster, Tumi Voster and Khanya Siygeno.

The former winners Jonathan Boynton-Lee and Danilo Acquisto made an appearance alongside Expresso presenters Katlego Maboe and Leigh-Anne Williams.

After the huge response to the Port Elizabeth and Cape Town auditions, the nationwide search moves to Durban this coming weekend on 14 and 15 April at the Durban Exhibition Centre, and then on to Johannesburg on 20, 21 and 22 April at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium.

Khanyna Dumjana (20) from Kuilsriver who was first in the queue on Saturday at the Cape Town Presenter Search on 3 auditions told TVwithThinus that she was first because "I did not sleep. Really I didn't sleep. I made sure that I'm here very early, accompanied by my little sister as well. I got here at 2am."

As to why she decided to enter she said "For me TV was always a way to escape reality, and I can do that for someone else who's going through stuff".

Noah Mbongo (20) from Hermanus who woke up at 2am and got to the auditions at 3am, said "I've always had a passion for being on TV and hopefully this is my window".

Kobus Badenhorst (25) from Claremont who woke up at 4am said he decided to enter "because I've always liked to communicate with people and to find out their stories. I've always watched Expresso and Top Billing and it's always seemed to be the ideal platform to connect with people".

Nelisa Msila (21) living in Pretoria said "I've always had a thing for TV and presenting, and I love to talk so this chance combines all worlds into one." She woke up at 3:10am.

"The whole week I prepared to find the right words to put my personality into those 15 seconds you have to present yourself." She said she would love to be on Top Billing "but I wouldn't mind Expresso because I think any show would be a good fit for me".

Neo Mohapi originally from Welkom but now living in Cape Town said "growing up watching watching YO.TV, I've always fantasized being on TV and loved the presenters - they made it look so amazing even though you know that doing TV presenting isn't as glamorous as it looks."

"The Presenter Search on 3 is such a grand opportunity. I don't mind at all waiting in the queues because you never know what might happen and you just really never know where you might end up."

Neo said she would love to be a presenter on Top Billing. "I've always watched Top Billing. I grew up watching Top Billing and I believe in what it stands for, I believe in the best of the good life."

"Top Billing has always had me feeling that, you know, whatever you want to dream, or whatever you can think of, you can attain it. I've always loved how they show ordinary people just like us who've worked from nothing and then ending up being phenomenal people having great things in life."

From Dubai with a dream
Anita Buys who was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in South Africa and then moved to Dubai with her parents got on a plane with a one-way ticket and flew all the way from Dubai for the Presenter Search on 3 auditions in Cape Town.

"Three weeks before I saw the Presenter Search on 3 auditions coming up and I literally booked a one-way ticket to Cape Town. When you move abroad, you can never think that it's going to be permanent."

"My parents were shocked - I think speechless for a little while. They didn't really understand the whole process of me relocating or what I would be doing."

Anita says "it's a one-way ticket - so there is no return. Ha ha. But my plan is really to go all the way with SABC3's Presenter Search on 3 and to make it all the way to the top 3."

"I do see myself on Top Billing. I do see myself presenting first thing in the morning helping everyone wake up and get energised with Expresso. So that's the plan. If they literally need me to be here for a month, I will! Just quickly go home and pack a few boxes and come back and I'm ready."

Anita told TVwithThinus that "you don't even understand the preparation that went into this. I did so much research and preparation. I started 3 weeks ago and watched very single episode of the previous season of Presenter Search on 3 in 2015."

"I was looking out for who the judges are. When I walked in here I quickly looked around and I saw Graeme Richards from Expresso and I thought "Oh, cool, I know Graeme from seeing him. The preparation started early and it was quite intense."

"It felt like I was on a 2-week intensive course of just understanding the SABC3 brand and understanding the Tswelopele Productions team and the great relationship between Patience Stevens and Basetsana Kumalo and Top Billing celebrating 25 years on TV. It's awesome. These are milestones. I'm just so impressed by what they've managed to achieve and I would kill to be part of the SABC3 family."

Qieän Wang who lives in Newcastle and is South African Taiwanese, travelled all the way from KwaZulu-Natal to audition and said "she would love to be on Top Billing that is about sharing experiences and aspirations. That is what I believe in".

Qieän who woke up at 06:30 said "Asians have been living in South Africa for a long time and I do feel like we need a bigger presence on TV. We're part of South Africa too. I'm very proud to be South African. TV keeps growing and I would love to be a voice for the Asian community on TV."

The new season of Presenter Search on 3 starts on SABC3 on Thursday 10 May at 19:30.

ALSO READ: Presenter Search on 3 kicks off its nationwide audition in Port Elizabeth.