Hisense South Africa Celebrates 30 Years with Customer Conference, Sharing its Vision for the Next Three Decades

Partner content

Hisense South Africa marked three decades in the country on 29 October with its 30th Anniversary Customer Conference.

Themed around the company’s 30-year development journey and its RGB Mini technological innovation, the event reflected on Hisense’s roots in South Africa and its growth alongside local partners and set out a collaborative vision for the next 30 years.

The conference showcased Hisense’s full product line, with a particular focus on new high-end offerings, including RGB TVs, Laser TVs and Kitchen Fit refrigerators. 

Through product demonstrations and technical explanations, Hisense highlighted the core advantages of its RGB TV backlight technology, underlining its innovation capabilities and high-end product strategy. The showcase strengthened channel customers’ confidence in Hisense's products and future direction.

"Thirty years in South Africa is a milestone we share with our partners, because our growth has always been built alongside theirs," shared Luna Nortje, Deputy General Manager at Hisense SA.

"Bringing our customers together to experience innovations like RGB Mini technology and to talk openly about the next 30 years shows how committed we are to this market and to the people who help us serve it."

Approximately 120 clients attended, including representatives of key South African retail channels such as Massmart, Hirsch’s, Tafelberg and Atlas, as well as clients from the eight core club countries in Hisense’s export sector. The conference provided a platform to deepen channel cooperation and build consensus on future growth.

Guests at the conference included Wang Xiaodai, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Embassy, as well as South African government officials, customs authorities, and representatives of Chinese banking institutions operating in South Africa.

Their attendance strengthened dialogue between Hisense and local government bodies, regulators, and financial institutions; and laid a solid foundation for deeper government-enterprise collaboration and a wider local partnership network.

Hisense South Africa was first established in 1996 as Hisense's very first overseas operation. 

The company manufactures televisions and refrigerators at its Atlantis facility in the Western Cape and provides a broad portfolio of consumer electronics and home appliances to the South African market. Its local operations span manufacturing, retail, distribution, after-sales service, skills development and community investment.

Images supplied by Hisense SA following their customer conference in Cape Town

Embarrassment as KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority Forced to Dump Nominees for 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards and Entire Best TV Production Category After Judges Shortlisted a Non-TV Project

by Thinus Ferreira

There's more embarrassment for 2026's delayed 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards, with the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, which was forced to dump ineligible nominees after they had been announced and had to scrap the Best Television Production category entirely.

After the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority was forced to postpone this year's awards, and then also belatedly announced this year's nominees, the organisation has now been forced to backtrack on the announced nominees who are ineligible, with four nominees dumped and replaced.

The Best Television Production category has been withdrawn entirely.

It's a major embarrassment and the latest inexplicable blunder in the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority organising of this year's 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards which seems to have stumbled from amateurish mistakes to unprofessional conduct the past few months.

The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority says the nominees had to be removed after they were announced because they were found to be ineligible. 

The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority isn't explaining why eligibility requirements were not checked and verified before received entries were judged, and final nominees were announced.

To try and explain the delay of the 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards, the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority a month ago said there were too many applications and entries that still needed to be judged.

But proper vetting and ensuring applications adhered to eligibility criteria before judging would have cut down on the time wasted on judging bogus entries.

About the latest problem that surfaced regarding nominees, Sibusiso Gumbi, acting CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, says "We recognise that these matters should ideally have been resolved before the nominations were announced".

"Our priority is to ensure that the necessary corrections are properly verified, communicated transparently and supported by appropriate safeguards to strengthen the process going forward."

According to the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, there was a review that focused on the "qualifying screening and broadcast period of 29 March 2025 to 28 March 2026" which found discrepancies.

The province's film organisation says it acknowledges that "these discrepancies should ideally have been identified during the initial screening and verification process, before the nominations were publicly announced".

In the category for Best Sound Design N3 for Solum has now been dumped and replaced by Siduduzo Vezi for Uzalo, since Solum wasn't screened during the qualifying period.

In the Best Screenplay category, Mxolisi Mbhele for Kayise has been removed and replaced by Zigizendoda Yeni for Izenzo Zami since Kayise also failed to adhere to the qualifying-period requirements.

Noxolo Mathula for Kayise has been dumped from the Best Actress in a Film category and is replaced by Thembi Mtshali Jones for Izenzo Zami for the same reason, while The Trek has been dropped from the Best Feature Film category and replaced by Amathambo, represented by Sabelo Ndlovu.

The reasons for why The Trek has been dumped are murky, with KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority only saying it is because of  "a reassessment of the category's KwaZulu-Natal-related judging considerations" - whatever that means.

It's all hugely embarrassing for the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority and the nominees who were publicly announced and now got dumped.

The entire Best Television Production category got scrapped for this year, after the axing of the nominations of Sah Zungu for Isigodlo Samatshitshi and Enhle Selesho for Inkosinathi. 

According to the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, "The review found that the former did not qualify as a television production, while the latter had been screened outside the qualifying period."

So a production not only got entered as Best Television Production, it was judged, shortlisted and made it to the category, got announced and was then discovered to not even qualify as a television production.

"The panel determined that the category should be withdrawn after considering that the eligible entry is recognised in other similar remaining categories," the organisation now says.

The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority says the "review was conducted by the awards’ senior judging panel, with the participation of the auditors".

It's unclear where the auditors were or what they were doing or not doing, after all the entries were received and before the judging process started.

Jack Esterhuyzen, chief judge of the Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards, in a prepared statement says, "Our responsibility as judges is to ensure that every nomination meets the published requirements and that all entrants are assessed fairly".

It's unclear why the judges failed to ensure that every nomination met the published requirements before the judging process started.

Jack Esterhuyzen continues: "Following the concerns raised, we revisited the affected nominations, examined the eligibility information and reviewed the relevant judging scores. Where discrepancies were confirmed, the panel agreed on the necessary corrections."

"These decisions were taken to uphold the integrity of the awards and ensure that the same standards apply to every entrant."

Originally set for October, 2026's 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards will now take place on Saturday, 21 November at The Playhouse in Durban.

ALSO READ: 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards Postponed to 21 November as Awards Show Needs More Time to Judge 420 Entries

ALSO READ: Where Are Nominees of Postponed 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards That KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority Said Would be Announced 16 October?

ALSO READ: KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority Refuses to Explain What Exactly Led to Its Botched Livestream No-show Nominees Announcement for 2026's 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards + Unformatted Full Nominees List

Ramprakash 'Ramu' Gopidayal, Creator of Impressions as First-ever Indian Show on SABC and Broadcaster's First Indian Technician, Dead at 70

by Thinus Ferreira

Ramprakash Gopidayal, known as "Ramu", who created Impressions as the first-ever Indian programme for the South African public broadcaster in Apartheid-era South Africa in 1986 and who was also the first-ever Indian technician at the broadcaster, has died. He was 70.

Ramprakash Gopidayal died on Thursday after an undisclosed illness.

In a announcement, his family said "It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our dearly beloved Ramprakash Gopidayal".

"He was a devoted husband, loving father, cherished grandfather, and a true friend to many. he will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and the positive impact he had on all who knew him."

Ramprakash Gopidayal joined the SABC in 1980 as the South African public broadcaster first-ever Indian technician.

Ramu became the executive producer of Impressions, the SABC's first weekly magazine lifestyle programme on South African television focused on the Indian community, and launched it at a time when the broadcaster had no template for how to do it.

Impressions on TV4 was hugely successful, showcasing South African Indian culture, personalities, community stories, news, music,  lifestyle and fashion.

Impressions ran for 14 years on the SABC after it eas rebranded as Eastern Mosaic in 2000.

Lotus FM, then called Radio Lotus, is where Ramprakash Gopidayal, a guitarist, helped to set up the resident band Kamal Sungeeth with the plan to have the band play and build up a recording archive for the SABC of the music of local Indian artists in all languages.

So successful was the creation of Kamal Sungeeth as an in-house band that they went on the road and toured nationally throughout South Africa, and then also appeared on Impressions.

The band's success also led to South Africa's first Indian songwriting competition in the five languages of Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujaranti and Telugu used in South Africa.

After his exit from the SABC, Ramprakash Gopidayal worked as station manager at Hindvani, the first radio station in South Africa for the Hindi-speaking community in the country, and also worked in the cellphone industry.

CCMA Orders SABC to Pay Almost R800 000 for 'Grossly Unfair' Mess in Which CEO Nomsa Chabeli Signed Off on Staffer's Promotion That Ended in Computer Says No Rejection Email

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC has been ordered to pay a promoted and then spurned staffer almost R800 000 as part of a botched promotion appointment followed by an automated rejection email slammed as "grossly unfair", after SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli approved the worker's promotion and her appointment was then abruptly halted and rejected.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has ordered the SABC to pay staffer Nomhle Zenzile a year's higher pay of R766 608.48 after the public broadcaster's "reckless mismanagement of an internal recruitment process".

The shocking case started after Nomhle Zenzile, a SABC learning and development consultant with 13 years of experience, applied for an organisational development specialist position in 2024.

After an interview for the position, the panel recommended her appointment, and then Nomsa Chabeli, SABC CEO, approved and signed it on 28 November 2024. 

In addition, the SABC's human resources rep formally congratulated Nomhle Zenzile, gave her a start date for her new position and even a "dummy payslip" of what her new salary would be.

Shockingly, the SABC then, for some reason, abruptly halted the process, with Nombhle Zenzule getting no answers or feedback - until January 2025 when she received an automated system rejection email.

Nomhle Zenzile, a member of the Bemawu trade union at the SABC, took her case to the CCMA.

Thula Cebekhulu, CCMA commissioner, ruled that the SABC was allowed not to give the promotion due to a changing requirement for an industrial psychology qualification.

The CCMA however, also ruled that the SABC's conduct throughout the process of Nomhle Zenzile's job "promotion" was grossly unfair.

According to the CCMA, the SABC "created a legitimate expectation that the applicant was recommended and appointed for the position" with the public broadcaster heavily criticised for its unprofessional recruitment process.

Thula Cebekhulu noted the "severe prejudice, disappointment, and suffering endured by the employee as she waited months for clarity".

Hannes du Buisson, Bemawu representative, says "This ruling is a massive vindication for our member and a stern warning to the SABC".

"Employers cannot play fast and loose with the careers, livelihoods, and psychological well-being of their staff. When a recruitment panel recommends a candidate, an HR representative congratulates them with a payslip, and the CEO signs the approval, an employer cannot simply walk away and hide behind an automated rejection email."

National Geographic Adds TV Special, Expedition: Saving Our Seas, on 16 November Exploring All 5 Ocean Basins

by Thinus Ferreira

National Geographic is adding the hour-long TV special, Expedition: Saving Our Seas, that will premiere on Monday, 16 November on National Geographic (DStv 181) and will stream on Disney+ and explore all 5 of the world's ocean basins.

Produced by Offspring Films, Expedition: Saving Our Seas has Auli'i Cravalho as narrator.

The documentary follows teams of National Geographic Explorers as they investigate our global ocean, from seashore to seafloor.

Viewers get to see the ocean's depths through remotely operated vehicle SuBastian aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor in the Southern Ocean, including oceanographer Dr Andrew Thurber, biological oceanographer Dr Kim Bernard and microbial oceanographer Dr Allison Fong as they survey the basin's depths and its icy surface.

Tracking blue whales and their krill prey, Dr Bernard returns alongside Explorer and marine ecologist Dr Leigh Torres and the local Māori community to New Zealand's South Taranaki Bight.

Explorer Dr Anya Brown studies coral for heat tolerance in the Cook Islands. Both teams are racing to understand how rising temperatures are reshaping Pacific Ocean ecosystems.

Meanwhile, deep below the Indian Ocean's surface, the first deep-sea scientist from the Seychelles, Explorer Sheena Talma, and her Seychellois team are getting training on deep-ocean camera lander systems off the coast of South Africa.

They will deploy similar landers in the Seychelles to gather data to support fisheries and marine protected area management.

Along the Gambian coastline, coastal researcher, marine ecologist and Explorer Maiyai Taal Hocheimy trains local students to measure ocean depth and currents and works with Explorer Dr Angelo Bernardino to map and assess the mangrove forests standing between the capital, Banjul, and the encroaching water.

In the Arctic Ocean, warming at four times the rate as the rest of the planet, marine biogeochemist Dr Kristina Brown conducts the first-known scientific study of a secluded marine bay called the Sherman Basin to chart a seafloor no one has ever seen.

Then there is  Dr Katy Croff Bell, founder of the Ocean Discovery League, who is developing a Deep Ocean Research and Imaging System (DORIS) as a lightweight, low-cost device designed to open up deep-sea exploration to communities that have not previously had access to their deep-ocean waters.

Expedition: Saving Our Seas is directed by Katharine Arthy and executive produced by Sam Hodgson for Offspring Films, Vanessa Serrao and Kaitlin Yarnall for National Geographic Society, and Tracy Rudolph Jackson for National Geographic.

Samsung Rolls Out Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+ With Substantial Price Hike

by Thinus Ferreira

Samsung has rolled out its Galaxy Tab S12 tablet series - its Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Tab S12+.

Both the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Tab S12+ feature immersive displays and come bundled with the ergonomically designed S Pen for note-taking and editing.

At 5.1mm, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is Samsung's thinnest Galaxy Tab and its most powerful Galaxy Tab to date.

On a single charge, the battery lasts up to 23 hours on Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and up to 21 hours on Galaxy Tab S12+, with recharging from 0% to 100% in about 95 minutes with the 45W adapter.

The 3nm processor delivers improved GPU power compared to Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra that increases speed and responsiveness for gaming as well as rendering complex creative projects, or for notetaking.

Samsung says a newly designed 3D Vapour Chamber efficiently dissipates heat to support more reliable performance during demanding tasks, whether users are editing video or gaming.

The Galaxy Tab S12 series also comes with an expansive screen. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra features a large 14.6-inch display, while the Galaxy Tab S12+ features a larger 12.6-inch display and slimmer bezels than its predecessor, offering more screen space.

Both models feature Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays reaching up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness with clear and vivid visuals indoors and the upgraded Vision Booster now adjusts brightness in real time based on lighting conditions.

Soundwise, the tablets have 4-channel spatial audio. Samsung claims that is is "twice as many channels as the previous generation" for a richer, more immersive gaming experience, as well as scenarios where users are streaming content, following a tutorial or editing.

However, the previous Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra already featured a quad-speaker (4-channel) setup. 

While the Tab S12 series introduces improved spatial audio processing and hardware tuning, it does not actually double the number of physical audio channels from the previous year

The Galaxy Tab S12 series runs Android 17 with One UI 9 and the latest Galaxy AI.

A user can split the screen into up to three sections in Multi Window layout, for instance, take notes in Samsung Notes on one side while playing a lecture and opening an AI assistant on the other.

The Pro Keyboard has an aluminium finish, while the Book Cover Keyboard Slim allows for flexibility with comfortable viewing angles.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 series is available in South Africa since 6 November and comes in grey and silver.

The premium positioning tiering comes with a substantial price increase. In South Africa, the base Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra 5G (256GB) enters the market at approximately R30 000 to R32 000 once-off, representing a sharp price hike over the previous generation.

To try and soften the initial price shock, Samsung is running a local promotional campaign running until 31 January 2027. Purchases made during this window include a R1 500 voucher, 6 months of free Google AI Pro and heavily discounted Samsung Care+ protection plans starting at R99 per month.

Canal+'s MultiChoice Dumps Another Streamer As It Rips Away GOtv Stream in its 9 African Markets After 3 Years

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s MultiChoice is getting rid of another one of its video streaming services months after it axed Showmax and has ripped away and ended its GOtv Stream mobile application across all of its operational African markets without any explanation.

The GOtv Stream was launched in December 2023 to give subscribers a digital streaming alternative, in the way that DStv Stream is the alternative for DStv subscribers.

GOtv is MultiChoice's digital terrestrial television (DTT) pay-TV version, targeting lower-to-middle-income households across Africa who don't need a satellite dish installation but get a few TV channels with a decoder and an antenna.

GOtv Stream was available in the African markets of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and Mozambique, and besides the pay-TV channels on a package, also allowed and included the streaming of a country's free-to-air TV channels.

Up to 4 devices could use a GOtv Stream account, but streaming was only allowed on one device at a time, meaning no concurrent streams, and it blocked casting.

GOtv Stream was launched in Nigeria and Zambia in December 2023 and then in other African markets as a free, value-added feature for active decoders, allowing MultiChoice's GOtv subscribers to watch live TV channels and catch-up content on their mobile devices like phones and tablets through streaming.

In a notification, MultiChoice gives absolutely no explanation for dumping GOtv, telling GOtv subscribers to watch on their TV sets using their decoders.

"GOtv Stream has been discontinued. You can continue enjoying the channels included in your active GOtv package on your GOtv decoder," MultiChoice says.

The GOtv Stream app was removed from Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store on 21 October.

The GOtv Stream shutdown directly follows a period of massive structural change within the group since the French media giant Canal+ took over MultiChoice, with Canal+ focused on aggressive cost-cutting, offering staff severance packages, realignment of various brands, reducing brand, package and decoder options and getting rid of loss-making and underperforming operational cost centres.  

Canal+ dumped the Showmax streaming service in March, followed by the recent restructuring and repackaging of the various DStv bouquets, first in South Africa in mid-September and two months later in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.

Canal+ Dumps Africa Magic Family Channel on DStv Replaced by Africa Magic+

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net have dumped the Africa Magic Family channel after 12 years on 5 November 2026, replacing it with Africa Magic+.

Africa Magic Family, packaged by M-Net, spent more than a decade on DStv, broadcasting family-focused Nollywood dramas and series for a predominantly Nigerian pay-TV audience.

Like in South Africa, where Mzansi Wethu has been replaced with the Wethu+ channel and moved to the DStv Starter package, Africa Magic+ will fulfil the same role and has also been moved to the new DStv Starter package.

Canal+, MultiChoice and M-Net have strategically moved Africa Magic+ to its lower-priced tiers to expand its audience reach.

LIV Golf Collapses and is Done as Saudi Arabia's Sports-washing Leaves Canal+'s SuperSport with Egg on the Face

by Thinus Ferreira

Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf sports-washing, which was publicised and showcased by Canal+'s SuperSport without qualms, has finally fully imploded and is shutting down internationally, meaning all operations and events in South Africa are officially cancelled.

At a bankruptcy court hearing on Thursday, the league's legal team officially confirmed that they have abandoned all restructuring plans, known as "LIV 2.0" and that LIV Golf is shutting down with a total liquidation and wind-down of the business starting Monday.

LIV Golf initially said that they intended to continue in South Africa - but that was just some temporary plan that has now completely fallen apart.

When the league originally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2026 in the United States, LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil released an open letter explicitly naming South Africa, Australia, and Asia as the "vital, highly profitable international markets" that they fully intended to preserve and build around for the proposed "LIV 2.0" relaunch in 2027.

But that all failed.

In March 2026, the league made its historic African debut by hosting LIV Golf South Africa at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg.

MultiChoice and SuperSport gleefully went along, although human rights organisations have repeatedly noted and explained at length how Saudi Arabia was using LIV Golf to try and deflect from Saudi Arabia's abhorrent behaviour.

In 2018, journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by a 15-member team of Saudi assassins with the CIA that found that his killing was ordered and approved by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

LIV Golf created Stinger GC as a South African team, which was later rebranded as Southern Guards GC because of trademark complications.

The criticism regarding SuperSport's partnership with LIV Golf in South Africa mirrors the broader global debate over sports-washing. 

Media analysts, human rights advocates, and critics have argued that by promoting and broadcasting the league, SuperSport effectively and shamelessly served as the PR vehicle for Saudi Arabia's controversial state-backed project.

Through showcasing LIV Golf as some kind of a premier, high-energy entertainment spectacle, SuperSport joined in efforts of sportswashing on MultiChoice's DStv by diverting public attention away Saudi Arabia's from human rights abuses. 

Instead of associating the league's financial backer, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, with issues like the murder of Jamal Khashoggi or crackdowns on dissent, African audiences watching DStv were presented with a type of "celebratory" broadcast.

Unlike several major Western networks that hesitated to broadcast LIV Golf due to ethical concerns and public backlash, SuperSport shamelessly went "all-in" with LIV Golf.

SuperSport prioritised ratings and "new content", as well as media rights over corporate social responsibility, signalling that financial gain took precedence over taking a stand against autocratic regimes using sport for reputation management.

Hilariously, LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil and South Africa's sports minister Gayton McKenzie held a joint press conference promising that LIV Golf was "never leaving this continent again". 

There was also talk of a so-called "2027 relaunch" with a 4-day tournament scheduled for April 2027, that would be even "bigger, better and bolder", and with promises to expand with music, concerts, "fan zones" and to host future tournaments in other venues across South Africa by 2029.

Gayton McKenzie even paid R82 million in taxpayer money to pay LIV Golf Events for the tournament licence fee.

The shutdown is an absolute humiliation, particularly for South Africa and SuperSport.

SuperSport's uncritical and shameless LIV Golf promotion and its league has now ended in corporate embarrassment.

SuperSport wasn't just a passive broadcaster - it acted as a primary public relations engine for the Saudi state's reputation-cleansing efforts in Africa.

"As the broadcast partner to Africa’s first-ever LIV Golf tournament, LIV Golf South Africa, SuperSport has gone out to match the innovation that LIV Golf has brought to the sport of golf,” said Rendani Ramovha, Canal+ director for sports content in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa, still enthused in a prepared press statement in March.

Even after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund pulled out in April, SuperSport continued to report on and implicitly back the narrative that the league would survive through "LIV 2.0". 

By carrying water for the idea that a downsized, equity-based model would keep the breakaway circuit alive, the bankruptcy leaves SuperSport looking completely out of touch with the reality of the imploded league's toxic financials and players who jumped ship over pure greed and now try to return to the PGA.

Now SuperSport's "first-ever" LIV Golf tournament in South Africa has turned into "last-ever" - with egg on the face.