Kwêla, the weekly Afrikaans entertainment magazine on Wednesdays at 19:30 on kykNET (DStv 144) is on air since the beginning of this month now being produced by Homebrew Films from Cape Town - following the shocking backstage wrangling at the end of 2013 which saw Pieter Cilliers Produksies (PCP) and kykNET end their longrunning contractual relationship of the show.
kykNET and Homebrew Films wisely worked together on a seamless as possible production transition for Kwêla.
They managed to keep Coenie de Villiers as the host as well as the set for now until a possible scenic change later in 2014. The Kwêla theme music and opening logo also remain in tact for now - as well as the overall look, feel and tonality of the magazine show.
Jaco Loubser is now executive producer; Erica Greeff is director.
The various Kwêla field presenters had to be jettisoned during the production company switch, with presenters Shemane Harris, Suzaan Steyn, Pieter Koen, Susan Booyens and Mandi du Plooy who are now gone.
In as new Kwêla faces are Therese Benade who is also now a content producer on the show and who was a field presenter for half a decade on Kwêla before (and is leaving behind her long running soap role in kykNET's Villa Rosa as vixen Astrid).
She is moving to Cape Town at the end of this month. She previously worked for Homebrew Films which produced the reality competition show Saktyd for kykNET in 2012 which was looking to find a new media worker for the Huisgenoot magazine.
André Weideman from Cape Town who did voice work for SABC2's Pasella, TV presenting for kykNET's car show La't Wiel and had a comedy role in kykNET's Parys Parys is another new on-air field presenter.
Johnny Davids from Cape Town who presented for the Afrikaans magazine show Kollig on sister channel kykNET & Kie (DStv 145), a show also produced by Homebrew Films, left that show to now do Kwêla.
