IN IMAGES. Look inside Hisense South Africa's first-ever premium brand store in Cape Town and the biggest TV in Africa

by Thinus Ferreira

In November 2025, Hisense South Africa opened its first-ever premium brand store in South Africa at the Canal Walk mall in Century City, Cape Town - with plans to open some more soon - and a few days ago, I went for a guided store tour.

Hisense SA's Canal Walk store is beautiful inside and for the brand represents a milestone in Hisense's 29-year presence in South Africa.

Hisense SA also has a factory in Atlantis that employs more than 1 000 people and produces TV sets and home appliances for both South Africa and export markets, including the United Kingdom.

You won't get lost in Hisense SA's premium brand store but you can easily get lost by being transported into feeling and seeing how the TVs and appliances would not just "fit" physically, but fit experientially into your living space.

Hisense SA's Cape Town store has been designed as an interactive retail space and showcases the company's latest connected technologies like AI-powered appliances, mini-LED televisions, laster projections - and yes - even a robo-woof. A bit more about that later.

When it opened in November, Luna Nortje, Hisense SA deputy general manager, said that the Hisense SA store is a celebration of the company’s investment in local manufacturing, skills development and sustainable job creation.

"This store allows customers to experience locally made quality up close while supporting a value chain that creates jobs and transfers skills right here at home."

Besides interactive product demonstrations, it also showcases Africa's largest TV: The 116 inch UX RGB MiniLED which is made in Atlantis.

"From our Atlantis factory to our new flagship store at Canal Walk and now the Tevolution Museum, Hisense is building more than a brand, it’s building a legacy of accessible innovation."

The really wonderful Alex Chen, Hisense SA marketing and brand manager, showed me through Hisense's premium store and how it looks inside.

And say hello to ... TechBud!

Hisense's 4-legged robot dog TechBud also calls the Hisense SA premium store home, and is, well, incredible. 

I got an in-store demonstration of just some of what TechBud is capable of. TechBud performs tricks and interacts with shoppers, with the help of his human handler (and Wifi remote controller).

TechBud also runs really fast. And TechBud's little eye is like a spider's eye. 

While TechBud can't bark, imagine your home security system not being static, mounted cameras but TechBud roaming around outside, bringing you different, multi-camera angles of everything it sees.

'Oubaas' and 'Hilda' reunites on-screen as Pierre van Pletzen joins Annelisa Weiland in kykNET's Suidooster

Thinus Ferreira

It's an on-screen reunion for actors Annelisa Weiland and Pierre van Pletzen, with Van Pletzen who is joining kykNET's (DStv 144) Afrikaans weekday soap Suidooster.

Anneliza Weiland and Pierre van Pletzen played the iconic duo Hilda and Oubaas for decades in SABC2's now-cancelled Afrikaans weekday soap 7de Laan until first Van Pletzen and later Weiland, were let go as the Danie Odendaal Productions show got rid of the older characters and actors.

Weiland joined the cast of Suidooster in 2019 as a new character.

Now Van Pletzen is joining the show, also as a new character called Willie, from the episode to be shown on 2 April.

"This time the dynamic is different between us since Pierre's character is a lot different from Oubaas and Kate is also very different to Hilda," Weiland says in a supplied quote.

Willie is a retired train driver who was or still is involved in illegal diamond trading.

Van Pletzen's return not only reunites him with Weiland but also with Ingrid Paulus who is a director on Suidooster and who played the character of Vanessa Meintjies on 7de Laan.

"It wasn't strange to work with Annelisa and Ingrid again, although I haven't seen much of them the past decade," says Van Pletzen in a supplied quote.

"The three of us have come a long way from 7de Laan - 17 years to be exact. The same with Neil Rattray, the head of sound at Suidooster."

Stephanie Pillay upped to MultiChoice Botswana CEO

by Thinus Ferreira

Stephanie Pillay who has been MultiChoice Botswana managing director has been upped to MultiChoice Botswana CEO.

Stephanie Pillay, known as "Steph", joined MultiChoice Botswana in 2022 as managing director.

Before her move to Botswana, she was at MultiChoice Africa where she served as the regional head of customer experience (CX) and care for MultiChoice Africa's southern markets.

MultiChoice gives eligible Showmax subscribers the chance to switch for a year to DStv Stream Compact for R99 per month

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice is migrating some of its Showmax subscribers to DStv Stream Compact who will be offered access at R99 per month for a year, after losing access to Showmax.

Canal+ decided to axe Showmax that MultiChoice did in partnership with Comcast's NBCUniversal, with the failed video streaming service which will remain accessible until 30 April although no new content is being added.

In order to not lose those Showmax subscribers entirely, MultiChoice is giving eligible Showmax subscribers a trial access to DStv Stream Compact for free, until the end of May 2026. 

After that they can pay R99 per month, for a year at this price if they remain monthly paying subscribers.

About moving eligible Showmax-only subscribers to a DStv Stream service at a discount rate, Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice CEO, says "Our priority is to ensure customers continue to have a home for the stories they love".

"By bringing thousands of hours of Showmax Originals and a deeper on-demand library into DStv Stream, we are creating a more holistic experience where live sport, news, the best international content, and award-winning local drama live together." 

According to the company, DStv Compact, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Premium subscribers will get access to Showmax content on DStv Stream at no additional cost.

How it will work from today for eligible Showmax-only subscribers who are given the opportunity to access DStv Stream, is that they will get a trial access to DStv Stream Compact until the end of May.

This offer and details on how to do it, will be communicated to them directly, using the email address linked to their Showmax account.

After the trial period, these eligible former Showmax customers would be offered the chance to continue on DStv Stream Compact at R99 per month for 12 months - provided payments remain up to date.

This offer will be for qualifying customers, including Showmax subscribers who do not have an active DStv subscription and who subscribe directly to Showmax. It excludes existing DStv customers who already receive Showmax content as part of their package or who add Showmax to their DStv bill.

The offer will be for all Showmax plans, including Showmax Premier League.

Showmax subscriptions will not migrate automatically. According to Showmax, customers who want to continue watching, will need to follow the sign-up process for DStv Stream shared in the email, and create a new email.

Showmax subscribers who don't want to move to DStv Stream may request a refund for any unused portion of their Showmax subscription. Auto-payments to Showmax will stop automatically once the service is discontinued. 

 

The Showmax platform will be discontinued on 30 April 2026, with Showmax Originals continuing on DStv Stream.

Revived Top Billing return to TV a no-show in March without explanation, SABC says lifestyle magazine show 'on SABC3 remains in development'

by Thinus Ferreira

After the SABC announced in late 2025 that a revived Top Billing would start as a new weekly show during March 2026 on SABC3, that didn't happen and the public broadcaster doesn't want to explain why.

In November 2025, the SABC announced that the iconic lifestyle magazine show Top Billing would be returning to SABC3 from March 2026 with several of the former famous presenters, six years after it was cancelled in October 2019.

The revived Top Billing is produced by Cardova Productions.

In November the SABC said that Top Billing is coming back with "a new chapter that will see the show back on air with a reunion special on 27 November on SABC3, followed by weekly episodes from March 2026".

The new "weekly episodes from March 2026" have however not come to pass and the SABC has been silent about why Top Billing isn't back this month, about the delay with the transmission or TX date, and when it will now start.

Caroline Phalakatshela, SABC publicist, in response to a media query about Top Billing, told TVwithThinus "The SABC confirms that the return of Top Billing on SABC3 remains in development, with final production and contractual processes currently being concluded".

"As these processes are being finalised, the broadcaster will confirm the official broadcast date once all requirements have been completed. The SABC looks forward to bringing the iconic lifestyle programme back to audiences on SABC3 and appreciates the strong interest from viewers and the media."

ALSO READ: SABC revives Top Billing with Cardova produced lifestyle magazine show back from March 2026 with former faces, adding a shorts format, looking at doing TikTok presenter search

Why M-Net's Carte Blanche is exiting its Ferndale office space and switching to a work-from-home staff format

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net's long-running weekly investigative current affairs programme Carte Blanche is exiting its office space in Johannesburg, with the show produced by Combined Artistic Productions that has decided to switch to a work-from-home format.

Combined Artistic Productions is giving up its office space in Oak Avenue in Johannesburg at the end of March. 

What DStv subscribers of Canal+'s MultiChoice however see, and are familiar with on Sunday evenings on M-Net (DStv 101), is the beautiful blue-hue Carte Blanche set, located at Stark Studios, which remains in place. 

"Combined Artists will be vacating its rented Ferndale offices at the end of this month as the building has been sold by its owner," John Webb, Carte Blanche executive producer, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query about the building move.

"We considered finding alternative office space but, given the experience gained during the pandemic and to improve operational efficiencies, we’ve decided instead to return to a work-from-home model."

"As our internal team is small and we rely on freelance producers and other technical contractors for the bulk of our content, a fixed office space is no longer a necessity."

Since Canal+ took over MultiChoice, all local programming is at risk, with Canal+ executives saying they're going with a "fine-comb through everything". 

It's not yet publicly known what Canal+'s plans are for channels like M-Net and premium local programming like Carte Blanche, and if channels and shows like these will continue.

The M-Net channel will celebrate its 40th anniversary in October, with the 37-year-old Carte Blanche as the channel's longest-running local show.

First HBO Harry Potter series official teaser released as Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net have still not secured it for DStv

by Thinus Ferreira

On Wednesday evening HBO released the first official teaser for its upcoming new Harry Potter series, entitled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that will debut over Christmas this year on its HBO Max video streaming service.

Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net (DStv 101) have so far failed to secure this series, set to run for a decade, for DStv subscribers in South Africa.

It means that currently, no DStv subscribers anywhere in Africa would be able to see the Harry Potter TV series when it starts in December 2026. 

Canal+ and M-Net have failed to extend the output deal that expired at the end of December 2025 with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) that existed for decades for Warner Bros TV and film studios content like TV series and films, as well as HBO content for M-Net.

It means that no HBO series or Warner films are currently available on the M-Net channel or the M-Net Movies channels on DStv for subscribers, with Canal+ that is busy with aggressive cost-cutting at MultiChoice.

Sky in the United Kingdom as well as other pay-TV operators worldwide, secured the upcoming Harry Potter series over a year ago, but in March 2026 MultiChoice and M-Net have nothing.

J.B. Perrette, the CEO and president of global streaming and games at WBD, has repeatedly referred to the upcoming Harry Potter TV series as "the streaming event of the decade".

During a 2026 press event in London, Perrette further amplified this, saying that when the first season of the Harry Potter series starts in December, it would be "the biggest streaming event in history and arguably in streaming, period".

So far, Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net will not make South African pay-TV subscribers part of this global viewing event who will be excluded. 

Ironically, Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net will very likely be directly pushing many people who are not going to wait to see it, to pirate episodes of Harry Potter in order to watch it immediately in the way M-Net used to promote HBO's "Express from the US" content.

The official teaser of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone series was released on Wednesday evening, as part of a press event that HBO held in London for media.

Starting with the first of seven books of JK Rowling, it introduces the three central characters of Harry (Dominic McLaughlin), Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton) and Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout) as 11-year-olds on the train to their first year at the Hogwarts wizarding school.

Scenes also include Harry meeting the half-giant Hagrid (Nick Frost), the introduction of Hogwarts' Sorting Hat and Harry's his first Quidditch game as Gryffindor seeker.

John Lithgow was cast as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, with Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape. 

Filming takes place at Warner Bros.'s Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, England, since July 2025 on the sets that were used for the Harry Potter movies.

ALSO READ: HBO Harry Potter series cast Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout as Harry, Hermione and Ron

Trace has a channel rebrand event for Trace Ngoma TV channel on DStv, MultiChoice CEO notes 'the evolution of a brand'

by Thinus Ferreira

On Wednesday night, TRACe held some type of launch event for its rebranded Trace Ngoma (DStv 326) TV channel on Canal+'s MultiChoice DStv platform, although it failed to tell media and journalists covering TV anything about it or that it would take place.

Trace rebranded Trace Africa to Trace Ngoma in December 2025, and now, three months later, decided to have some type of a rebranding launch event for it.

In December, Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and Trace CEO, in a statement, said "Trace Ngoma is where music meets identity. It amplifies the rhythms and stories that define South African culture and gives young people a space to connect and feel seen".

On Wednesday, Trace Southern Africa had the cheek to ask on its social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter, to ask "If you are not here where are you?!" - apparently too stupid to realise that media trying to cover TRACE and not aware of, and not told beforehand that something would happen, will be even more put off and care less about the channel in response to TRACE's basically non-existent media liaison efforts.

Somebody who was invited and who was told about the Trace Ngoma event was Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice South Africa CEO and DStv Media Sales.

In a video recorded on Wednesday night by someone who attended, Willington Ngwepe is seen saying "It's a very special evening for us. Today we're celebrating the evolution of a brand. This brand has been a very stable offering on our linear broadcasting offering on DStv".

Willington Ngwepe noted "a partnership of over 23 years" that he sees "getting stronger and stronger for another 23 years" and said Trace is becoming "an anchor of the creative digital economy".

Olivier Laouchez, likely also spoke but it's not known what he said.

At the event, Trace apparently also talked about some type of app it has, but information about what was said about it wasn't shared.

Three months in, industry observers and advertisers have said they're still unsure of what Trace Ngoma is now and why the rebrand happened, with very little reporting industry reporting about it.

ALSO READ: Trace renames Trace Africa music channel to Trace Ngoma

Angry MultiChoice execs sidelined by Canal+ frustrated and fearful for the(ir) future after decision-making moved to Paris - report

by Thinus Ferreira

Frustrated MultiChoice executives, sitting in Randburg in Johannesburg and who used to have final approval on decisions, say they're fearful about the future and their futures, after new owner Canal+ swooped in and moved the final decision-making function to Canal+'s own executives in Paris.

In a new report by Africa Intelligence, MultiChoice executives are quoted as saying they're frustrated and angry about having been sidelined in the decision-making process regarding content and other decisions since Canal+ acquired MultiChoice in September 2025.

According to the report, several MultiChoice executives who used to be in the loop, explained that they were not even so much as consulted recently before the publication of Canal+'s financial results for 2025 that now includes MultiChoice.

Angry MultiChoice executives are blaming Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO, and David Mignot, Canal+ Africa managing director, for the way that things inside MultiChoice have deteriorated and broken down.

Meanwhile discontent under MultiChoice executives are growing, as well as producers and content creators, with MultiChoice staff telling producers that projects, budgets and approvals are all delayed and stacking up at Canal+ headquarters in Paris where Canal+ either can't or won't make decisions and do final sign-offs.

According to Africa Intelligence, the new Canal+ Africa management structure includes the former MultiChoice CEO, Calvo Mawela who has been kept on as Canal+ Africa president; Hennie Visser as director of Africa operations, and Byron du Plessis who was MultiChoice SA CEO, as a regional manager.

Aziz Diallo now oversees French-speaking Africa, Kemi Omotosho is now responsible for Nigeria, Retief Tromp is looking after English-speaking countries outside of South Africa, while Glauco Ferreira is overseeing the Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.

Fuming MultiChoice and SuperSport executives say their hands are tied and they can no longer make decisions, are isolated and have no final say with anything anymore, and have to send decisions to Paris and then wait approval from there.

 Not only are these executives frustrated, they're also wondering about their futures within what used to be MultiChoice or Canal+ Africa going forward.

Canal+ is shuttering MultiChoice's loss-making streamer Showmax by 30 April, and while neither staff involved with Showmax, or within MultiChoice can he retrenched, Canal+ is now going to offer voluntary severance packages to try and get rid of workers who might want out.

According to the agreement Canal+ signed with South Africa's Competition Commission, no MultiChoice workers can be retrenched for a period of three years. 

What is however happening, is that people who work for service providers and production companies making local content for DStv channels like M-Net, kykNET, Mzansi Magic and Africa Magic are losing jobs.

This is because the volume of content that MultiChoice used to commission for these channels are decreasing due to Canal+'s cost-cutting, and because of the end of Showmax as a separate platform.