Pimville Non-Payment Scandal: Producer Rashaka Muofe Keeps Telling Crew and Cast the SABC Didn't Pay and Isn't Communicating as He Threatens 'to Fold the Show', as SABC Says Payments Are Fully Up to Date and it is Trying to 'Stabilise the Situation'

by Thinus Ferreira

Somebody is lying: Either Pimville producer Rashaka Muofe of Bakwena Productions who remains in failure to pay the cast and crew of the disastrously derailed show and who keeps telling cast and crew that he can't pay and claims the SABC hasn't paid or communicated while he threatens to "fold the show" - or the South African public broadcaster who says it's payments to Bakwena is fully up to date and that it is busy with crisis management to try and "stabilise the situation".

The SABC is dealing with an unmitigated local production disaster, totalling millions of rands, after it decided to commission Bakwena Productions to produce Pimville for the SABC.

Pimville on SABC2 was supposed to replace Muvhango as part of a plan to turn around SABC2's flailing ratings, but filming then flamed out as the show crashed and burned just a few months later, after Bakwena Productions, since February, failed to pay the show's crew and cast.

Bakwena Productions is owned by actor Kagiso Modupe and the married couple Rashaka "Rush" Muofhe and Brenda Muofe.

Bakwena Productions is also embroiled in a nasty legal battle with Black Brain Pictures after its founder Mandla Ngcongwane, known as Mandla N., borrowed Bakwena Productions R4.2 million in order for Bakwena to allegedly pay casts and crews. 

Bakwena has allegedly failed to pay back this loan.

After Bakwena Productions' non-payment erupted, the SABC has suspended SABC head of content Lala Tuku, along with SABC executives Nirvana Singh and Reatlegile "Ree" Mampa.

SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli, Lala Tuku and the other SABC executives were all aware of Bakwena Productions deplorable production record before filming of Pimville started, but Nomsa Chabeli told South Africa's parliament that the SABC would manage it.

Lala Tuku in interviews said the SABC will ensure that Bakwena Productions pay the cast and crew working on the show and that the SABC will appoint a supervising producer to check payments.

South Africa's film industry bodies warned the SABC beforehand not to go ahead with using Bakwena Productions, and slammed the SABC's decision to make use of the production company.

Rashaka Muofe told the Pimville cast and crew in a latest string of messages that he is blaming the SABC for not being able to pay them, claimed that the SABC has not communicated with Bakwena Productions, and threatened that he would "fold the show".

The SABC disputes the claims in Rashaka Muofe's latest messages to the cast and crew, says it is aware of these messages he sent, categorically states that the SABC has paid Bakwena Productions and is up to date with payments, and that the broadcaster is busy with "legal processes" against Bakwena Productions.

Rashaka Muofe told the Pimville crew and cast "Please note, SABC hasn't paid and hasn't communicated a way forward, with nobody answering calls."

"We have three crew members who have become reliable sources to the media, and this has led to the SABC further distancing themselves from us. We urge those individuals to stop so we can reach an amicable solution with the SABC soon."

Rashaka Muofe further messaged that "We only have one option and that is for the SABC to pay so we can pay cast and crew. Unfortunately it is not in our hands ... If SABC doesn't pay, we unfortunately have to fold the show."

Mmoni Ngubane, SABC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query, "the SABC would like to reiterate that the broadcaster has duly fulfilled its contractual obligations to Bakwena Productions and remains up to date with contractual payments relating to the production".

The SABC says Bakwena Productions is in breach of its contract with the broadcaster.

"As previously communicated, the production company is currently in breach of its contractual obligations with the SABC, and formal contractual processes, including a notice of breach, have already been instituted."

About Rashaka Muofe's constinuing claims to the Pimville cast and crew that it is the SABC's fault that they're not getting paid, Mmoni Ngubane says the SABC "is aware of various claims and communications currently circulating regarding the matter".

"However, given the active contractual, governance, operational, and legal processes currently underway, the SABC is unfortunately not in a position to engage publicly on further detail at this stage."

"What we can confirm is that the SABC continues to engage directly with the production company, as well as with affected cast, crew and writers representatives, as part of ongoing efforts to stabilise the situation and determine the most responsible way forward."

The SABC says it is "focused on protecting the interests of affected stakeholders, ensuring continuity considerations are responsibly managed, enforcing contractual accountability, and assessing appropriate operational options relating to the future of the production."

Mmoni Ngubane says "At this stage, it would be premature for the SABC to speculate publicly on final production outcomes or timelines while these processes remain underway."

ALSO READ: After SABC Was Warned It Would Happen Again, Bakwena Productions Failed to Pay Pimville Cast and Crew

ALSO READ: SABC Head of Content Lala Tuku and Other Execs Suspended as Bakwena Productions' Pimville Non-payment and Exploitation Scandal Grows

Top Billing Lures 133 320 Viewers in First TV Return, Revives SABC3 Primetime Ratings as Cardova's Glam Lifestyle Magazine Show Viewership Holds Steady and Builds

by Thinus Ferreira

"Good night and God bless" indeed: The revived Top Billing, back on SABC3 after an absence of six and a half years, is pulling boffo ratings with 133 320 viewers who tuned in to watch the first brand-new episode on 30 April on SABC3, and with Top Billing's weekly viewership remaining steady and rising since.

As the SABC's most struggling TV channel, Top Billing's addition is single-handedly reviving SABC3's moribund and sliding linear TV ratings, proving that original and high-quality production content will scoop up viewers for advertisers and bring them to the channel for appointment viewing.

Besides a SABC3 repeat, Top Billing episodes also get a weekly repeat slot on SABC1.

Stripping out the SABC3 repeat, and besides the SABC1 episode replay, Top Billing lured 133 320 linear viewers on Thursday 30 April to the 19:00 timeslot on SABC3 in the All Adults 15+ demo - the one that advertisers focus on.

The next week, Top Billing held steady, luring 133 326 viewers in the demo on 7 May 2026 to SABC3 at 19:00, which increased for the third episode on 14 May on SABC3 to 177 008 viewers. 

Total Top Billing viewers would be even higher if the SABC3 and SABC1 repeats, and SABC+ were added.

The ratings for the first three Top Billing episodes are far from bad - especially considering its debut on a neglected TV channel that hasn't had any real, original local content or anything high-quality or substantive for years as an audience draw.

Cardova Productions, the SABC, SABC3, as well as show sponsors and advertisers, are surely happy with the positive Top Billing reception from viewers and the SABC3 ratings bounce. 

'Ooh, so much reverence, ooh so much respect': Canal+ and PSL's Irvin Khoza glaze each other after a meeting on how important South African football remains for DStv

by Thinus Ferreira

Although Canal+ Africa is busy with aggressive cost-cutting that also affects content it will continue to pay a lot of money to secure sports content and specifically football from South Africa's Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Canal+ says Canal+ executives have met with the PSL "for talks". Dr Irvin Khoza, PSL chairman is also commenting about the "productive talks".

MultiChoice's involvement with the PSL stretches back to 2007, when SuperSport took over the contract from the SABC, which could no longer afford it.

In a new supplied statement, Dr Irvin Khoza spouts nothing but prepared corporate-speak jibberish - the type of banal statements that make workers fall asleep in powerpoint presentations.

"This cascading effect sustains an ongoing national conversation that reaches across communities and generations, permeating age, gender, affiliations and geography. Over time, the PSL has evolved beyond a schedule of fixtures into a cultural infrastructure — a shared national platform through which stories are told, identities are expressed and moments are collectively experienced. Our responsibility is to curate and present this platform with consistency, credibility and care,” Dr Irvin Khoza says.

Who talks like this and why do Canal+ and SuperSport and the PSL think this "says-nothing" is something?

It continues.

Dr Irvin Khoza says "Canal+ holds a premiership in the delivery of content, and it is through this capability that the PSL is able to reach the nation at scale. Together, the PSL as curator and Canal+ as the premier delivery platform, enable a national cultural infrastructure that is both widely accessible and deeply engaging".

"The supporters are very knowledgeable about the game and the league. They follow its every move. It is their reading of form, consequence and inter-dependence between matches that creates the cascading effect across the league, as each result is interpreted in relation to the next."

This is the type of stuff you get when you're either beyond full of yourself and is surrounded by yes-people who don't tell you to life in the real world, or asked ChatGPT to string some type of presumptuous sentences together that in reality, is laughable.

Rendani Ramovha, Canal+ director for sports content in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa, also gets a quotable - which is less pretentious than Irvin Khoza but grovelling in its glazing and pandering.

"The PSL is a key partner to the group, and it is important to ensure that we maintain a good relationship with our key stakeholders. This meeting was a major step in solidifying our relationship with the PSL for the long term,” Ramovha is quoted as.

"We have been clear since the onset of the coming together of the Canal+ group and the MultiChoice group that our investment in local content is a top priority. And local football is right at the top of our most sought-after content from a customer and viewer perspective on DStv and SuperSport."

"We hold the PSL in high regard, as it is more than just a football league – it means so much to millions of people across the continent, who invest their time, money and emotions into what happens on and off the pitch."

"The meeting was to demonstrate the respect and reverence that is held towards one of the biggest leagues, not just in Africa, but in the world. We also look at the PSL as the perfect platform to innovate our broadcast offering, ever looking to improve our product and to give viewers and customers more value.”

 

Dr Irvin Khoza "concluded" that apparently "some smaller crowd sizes did not truly reflect the topical nature of PSL football in everyday conversation among millions of football followers in South Africa".

"Every PSL match carries value, irrespective of the number of spectators in the stadium. Each match's true significance lies in its consequence within the league. Every supporter in attendance is matched by millions engaging from homes, workplaces, transit and social spaces across the country."

To quote Miranda Priestly: "Groundbreaking."

Disney+ Hikes South African Prices by 12.5% to R179 Per Month

by Thinus Ferreira

Disney+ is increasing prices in South Africa by 12.5% per month to R179 for the video streaming service's monthly premium plan, while the Disney+ annual plan will remain R1 590, and a Disney+ mobile subscription will remain R49 per month.

Disney+ subscribers pay R179 per month from 30 April 2026 as the new price. The annual plan and mobile subscription prices remain unchanged.

Disney+ last increased prices in September 2024 with 14.39% to R159 per month.

According to Disney, all new Disney+ monthly premium plan users on or after 30 April 2026 will be charged the revised subscription price.

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Disney notes that all the existing direct-billed monthly premium users who signed up before 30 April 2026 will be charged at the renewed subscription price on the date of renewal, on and after 4 June 2026. 

"If the payment fails for these users, retries that happen on or after 4 June 2026 will also happen at the new price," says Disney.

According to Disney, existing users who subscribed to Disney+ through a third party like Apple in-app purchase, Google in-app purchase, or a local partner like MultiChoice "should refer to their third-party provider for more information".

New 10-episode Adventure Time: Side Quests set for October release on Cartoon Network in Africa

by Thinus Ferreira

The new animated series, Adventure Time: Side Quests, will make its debut on 5 June on Hulu and Disney+ in the United States, and months later in South Africa on the Cartoon Network (DStv 301) on 5 October.

Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, South African viewers will get to see the new spin-off series four months after America, with Finn and his dog Jake reuniting for new adventures, or so-called "side quests" in the fantastical land of Ooo.

Taking place before the events of the original Adventure Time, the series moves away from the heavy serialised storytelling of its later years, to return to the lighter, standalone, episodic format of the original show's early seasons.

John DiMaggio is back to voice Jake the Dog, alongside other returning favourites like Tom Kenny as Ice King, Hynden Walch as Princess Bubblegum, and Olivia Olson as Marceline. Young Finn will be voiced by Sasha Knight.

The series is leaving the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) platform ecosystem in the United States and will stream exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu. 

It's licensed for profit and to make the project financially viable, WBD chose to license the American streaming rights to the highest external bidder, which was Disney.

The longtime series showrunner Adam Muto is not attached to this series. Instead, it is being helmed and executive produced by Nate Cash, the former Adventure Time supervising director and storyboard artist.

In order to match the creative spirit of the original show's early seasons, the crew is not using traditional scripts. Instead, a team of franchise veterans and guest artists are acting as storyboarders to organically craft the dialogue, pacing, and visual gags from basic outlines.

Adventure Time: Side Quests is structured as 10-episode companion show consisting of self-contained, light-hearted, standalone adventures.

Vanessa Brookman, Warner Bros. Discovery general manager, international kids, animation and franchise, says "With its wit, originality and unpredictability, Adventure Time has always been quintessential Cartoon Network".

"In Side Quests, Nate and the team have crafted the perfect entry point for new audiences discovering the Land of Ooo for the first time, while offering a heartfelt love letter to fans who have been on the extraordinary journey from the very beginning."

Nate Cash says "Making Side Quests felt like making the original Adventure Time, which felt like hanging out with art school buddies making professional cartoons. That sounds like a big sandwich of feelings, and it was! You're going to love these new adventures with Finn and Jake!"

Canal+'s StudioCanal and Sun Africa Sign 3-year Theatrical Distribution Deal for StudioCanal's English Films in South Africa

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s StudioCanal and Sun Africa Group (SAG) have signed a 3-year deal to do theatrical distribution for StudioCanal's English-language films in South Africa.

Under the long-term deal Sun Africa will distribute StudioCanal's slate of English-language feature films in South Africa.

This will include animation titles, films from StudioCanal's genre label 6th Dimension, as well as certain selected South African productions developed by StudioCanal and M-Net.

StudioCanal will for instance soon start principal photography at the end of June on the new English-language historical feature film, The Road Home in South Africa's Cape Town, telling the story of Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba's formation of the Graceland band.

The first title to be released under the partnership will be the thriller Pressure, directed by Anthony Maras and starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser and Kerry Condon. 

Upcoming releases under the deal will include Danny Boyle’s Ink, Elsinore, Full Phil, The Custom of the Country and Sean Byrne’s The Mannequin.

Anna Marsh, CEO of StudioCanal and chief content officer at Canal+, in a prepared quote, says "South Africa is one of the world's most vibrant and influential creative markets, and our partnership with Sun Africa Group marks an exciting new chapter for StudioCanal's global distribution".

"We are proud to bring a bold upcoming slate to South African audiences while continuing to champion local storytelling and the theatrical experience."

"We also believe this collaboration with Sun Africa Group will create new opportunities for South African stories and creative talent to reach audiences around the world in the years ahead."

Debbie McCrum, Sun Africa Group CEO, in the supplied statement, says "Our partnership with StudioCanal represents a significant and exciting milestone for Sun Africa Group".

"By bringing their exceptional slate of high-quality films to cinema audiences across South Africa, we are strengthening our commitment to delivering world-class entertainment experiences."

"Leveraging our distribution expertise, together with our strong relationships and extensive reach within the exhibition landscape, we will ensure that StudioCanal's films are enjoyed as they were meant to be — on the big screen."

"This collaboration not only creates lasting value for both companies but also promises to deliver memorable and magical cinematic experiences to audiences throughout the territory." 

e.tv Again Looking for South African Regional Documentaries 'with Thought-provoking and Entertaining Characters'

by Thinus Ferreira

e.tv is again commissioning a few regional half-hour documentaries, preferably from first-time producers, who will get R265 000 per documentary project to film stories from South Africa's Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North-West provinces.

The closing date is 5 June and the 23-minute documentaries should be in vernacular languages, with English subtitles.

The documentaries are part of eMedia's budget for content made outside of Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and according to e.tv should "concentrate on strongly-researched information, while providing entertainment value through relatable characters that drive the narrative messaging of the selected subject matter".

Production companies must be registered in these provinces outside KZN, the Western Cape and Gauteng.

Documentaries should have a "unique and compelling story about a township/dorpie/village told through the eyes of the people who live there" and "showcase the beauty and uniqueness of the hometown and its people".

e.tv says proposals must deal with subject matter that is thought-provoking and entertaining, featuring characters that are layered and engaging and "hold appeal for a national audience".

Submissions must be sent to documentaries@etv.co.za

kykNET Adds 6-episode Series Boere in Patagonië from 6 July with Johan Badenhorst Visiting and Exploring Archaic Afrikaans Speakers in South America

by Thinus Ferreira

The new 6-episode series Boere in Patagonië will start on kykNET (DStv 144) from 6 July, with Johan Badenhorst returning to South America to visit and do interviews with the archaic Afrikaans-speaking people of Patagonia.

The new series follows from a 4-day visit that Johan Badenhorst and his Voetspore team did in Patagonia in 2023 during the 12th season of Voetspore: Cono Sur.

In that season, Johan Badenhorst told people like farmer Juan Schlebusch that he would return in future for another visit, and he did keep his promise.

The group of South Americans who speak an older version of Afrikaans, are the descendants of the group of Afrikaans-speaking South Africans who emigrated to Argentina in 1902 and continued to speak the language.

For Boere in Patagonië, Johan Badenhorst travelled with the production team of Stefan Sonnekuns, Adam Heyns and James Robb back to Comodoro Rivadavia and Sarmiento, and also visited places like Esquel on the other side of the Andes.

M-Net's kykNET channel has started running an on-air promo for Boere in Patagonië, noting that the series will start on 6 July, which immediately led to interest from viewers and readers asking for more information.

TVwithThinus asked kykNET publicity a week ago for more information about the show since kykNET is broadcasting the promo on-air but kykNET refused to provide any information about Boere in Patagonië.

Boere in Patagonië will be of interest to Afrikaans viewers, historians, linguists, and travel enthusiasts.

Although different, Boere in Patagonië shares some similarities with the multiple Safta award-winning documentary film from 2015, The Boers at the End of the World, which visited the same 100-year old community of people of Dutch descent who sailed across the ocean to South America.

'The plot thickens in 2026': Again costing hundreds of thousands South Africa's NFVF back at this year's Cannes party after last year's government ban with little known about the what film agency is doing there

by Thinus Ferreira

Not even a single press release or media interview done beforehand, or even after a week of ritzing at the French Riviera, but costing South African taxpayers hundreds of thousands of rands, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is back at the Cannes Film Festival this year after the government last year denied their glitzy overseas jaunt. 

After Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's minister of sports, arts and culture in 2025 denied the mismanaged film agency to travel to the French film festival, the NFVF is back in 2026 at Cannes with a large delegation, including acting NFVF CEO Onke Dumeko.

Onke Dumeko has been acting NFVF CEO for nine months at the bucking film agency, funded by tax payers and the department of sports, arts and culture - the 6th CEO figure at the organisation since March 2023.

While South African filmmakers are struggling and local artists and film industry workers are struggling just to get paid, the NFVF is overseas doing ... well, nobody really knows.

The NFVF has failed to engage with media before the 59th Cannes Film Festival trip to announce that a bunch of people would be going, didn't issue any press release, hasn't issued any press releases over the past week of the film festival, and hasn't offered any interviews over Zoom, sent information or canvassed for stories and articles to get publicity for the NFVF, filmmakers and representatives attending.

In 2024, the NFVF was accused of "glamour-tripping" overseas at film markets and festivals and the south of France, doing little in return to justify any practical return on the investment - including people like then council chairperson Tholoana Ncheke-Mahlaela, and then acting CEO Thobela Mayinje for a total of 40 people.

In 2024 the  international flights and expensive French accommodation alone cost hundreds of thousands of rands in South African taxpayers' money for people to appear at champagne-filled events on the Riviera.

In 2025, Gayton McKenzie denied the NFVF's travel to the 78th Cannes Film Festival and ordered the NFVF to stay within the NFVF's mandate that 75% of the NFVF's overall budget must be spent on actually making and funding films and content.

Now in 2026 the NFVF is back at Cannes and film industry workers in South Africa are concerned and wondering whether the NFVF is intentionally suppressing consumer and industry-facing PR and large-scale public reporting due to longering institutional fallout from previous funding scandals.

"Is the NFVF actively practicing quiet diplomacy to avoid domestic public scrutiny following a Public Protector report that exposed systematic failures in how the foundation handled and adjudicated millions in funds?" a filmmaker asks.

Another filmmaker says "Because the agency has faced continuous leadership instability and public criticism over its distribution transparency, running a loud, expensive-looking public PR campaign about a trip to the French Riviera would trigger severe domestic backlash from underfunded local artists."

A mention of the NFVF happening to be back at Cannes for the 59th Cannes Film Festival, happens to pop up on the Brand South Africa website, published 6 days ago, making it seem as if the NFVF has effectively outsourced its public relations responsibilities to Brand South Africa.

Rather than issuing standalone press releases, the press release on the Brand South Africa website appears to frame the back-to-Cannes trip as a strictly business-to-business investment mission.

What is the NFVF doing in Cannes? Who has been saying what there is what remarks and who there have done whatexactly? Who exactly is there from South Africa, and why? None of this the NFVF answered beforehand or even after a week there.

In its press release with bizarre wording, inlcuding "the plot thickens in 2026", Brand South Africa exclaims that "Building on the success of last year’s strategic groundwork established by partners of Brand South Africa: National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Screen International, department of sport, arts and culture, the South African Embassy in France, Wesgro and the Industrial Development and Corporation (IDC), the plot thickens in 2026 as we strengthen SA’s story, highlighting our world-class infrastructure, competitive incentives."

Brand South Africa further gushes: "At the heart of this year’s mission is a distinguished group of filmmakers, producers, and industry leaders identified as the 'Architects of the South African Screen".

"This delegation represents the diverse and multifaceted nature of the nation’s cinematic landscape, bringing together an equilibrium of veterans and fresh creatives who are reshaping how the world perceives African cinema, while leaning into the weight of both audiences."

"Key figures participating in the 2026 Cannes programme include Obett Motaung, Rosetta Mabaso, and Dian Weys," says Brand South Africa.

"The 2026 delegation also features seasoned professionals such as Mark Engels, Steven Markovitz, and Taryn Joffe, whose collective expertise in high-end production and international distribution is vital for securing the global footprints of South African projects."

"They are joined by influential voices like Mbali Mashaba, Firdoze Bulbulia, and Milton Reddy, each of whom brings a unique perspective to the South African story, focusing on everything from cultural heritage to the future of digital media. The inclusion of Babalwa Baartman and Tarina Patel further underscores the industry’s commitment to showcasing both creative depth and commercial glamour on the world stage."

Responding to a media query asking what is actually physically being done, Busisiwe Hobo, NFVF spokesperson, told TVwithThinus that on Sunday 17 May it would "host a networking and signing ceremony at the SA Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival".

"A press release is being finalised as to what will be signed and by whom. It will be shared with all media soon."

"The South African delegation at the festival is led by the NFVF council chairperson, Leon van Nierop. 21 filmmakers were funded by the NFVF for travel to attend the festival."

"Of those 21, two were funded to participate in the spotlight project at Cannes Docs. Another group of four filmmakers were supported to participate in the producers network programme."

Asked if there were any opportunities for press to do interviews with NFVF people or attendees at Cannes to speak about what is being done there, no answer was provided.