The nominees in the various categories for the 11th South African Film and Television Awards 2017 were announced on Thursday morning at The Forum in Bryanston, Johannesburg, once again including some odd nominees, head-scratchers and snubs.
The announcement was followed by a panel discussion afterwards where judging chairperson John Kani said the aim is to move the Saftas to a level where it means something.
The Saftas, taking place in March at Sun City this year for the first time, is once again mired in controversy this year for soaps that decided not to enter and were therefore locked out of the Most Popular TV Soap category which is a viewers' vote.
Issues around several other aspects also remain, including questions around the judging, categories and representation.
Nominee head-scratchers include Trevor Gumbi as a nominee for best actor and Bob Mabena as best TV presenter, while people are wondering where the various shows from Connie and Shona Ferguson' Ferguson Films are.
Awkwardly, High Rollers that SABC3 abruptly cancelled and wanted to get rid of has been nominated for several awards in talent and technical categories and is also a nominee in the best TV soap category.
Sarah Graham Food Safari and Jou Ma se Chef are seen as variety shows.
The various nominees also once again show a big disconnect between who and what got nominated and what South African viewers are actually watching (ratings).
And where are the black films - or are South Africa not making any? Happiness is a Four Letter Word got nominated for best hair and make-up and Renate Stuurman for best supporting actress.
As usual - partly through sistemic design, partly through just how the Saftas judging are set up - the real quality content on South African television is not recognised, not visible, and not properly being represented as what's really the best of South African television of the past year.
News programmes as TV reporters are completely excluded from the Saftas - think of the stellar work down during #FeesMustFall and all the other big breaking news and controversies of 2016.
Meanwhile shows and series, specifically local magazine shows in various different genres are not getting the proper respect and inclusion, all lumped together in a badly organised hotchpotch of "magazine" and variety" shows.
The fascinating thing is how the Saftas categories are basically devoid of local shows made for pay-TV in South Africa - programming that has clearly better productions in general with bigger budgets, higher production values, presenter skills and that ends up looking better on screen.
Bob Mabena gets nominated as best TV presenter in a TV awards show system where a Devi Sankaree Govender who exposed Eskom and Iman Rappetti are not.
It stretches credibility that The Man Cave is nominated as part of what was supposedly the best on television in 2016 in South Africa - yet something like great local election coverage is ignored.
Open the time capsule in a century's time, and going by Saftas nominees, someone will have a very skewed perception of what South African television in 2016 supposedly was.
Trashy advertiser-funded productions (AFP) like Coke Studio and Xperia Mashlab - basically long advertisements to market brands - are "best music shows"? But Lip Sync Battle Africa not included?
Besides an overload of English language programming, Afrikaans films almost have a lock on the Saftas film categories. Where are the other 9 South African languages?
Yes, the Venda language Muvhango is boycotting the Saftas, but where are the shows and films in South Africa's other languages? They can't be all that bad not to get any nominations?
The nominees list for the 11th Saftas once again contained spelling mistakes of titles and people's names - amateurish and disrespectful of the TV and film industry it says it serves and looks shoddy. Shephards? Thwala? Really?
Here is a rundown of the various categories and nominees for the 11th Saftas. Several technical categories for directing, production, sound, script writing and others exist as well, but are not listed here:
Best Wildlife programme
Africa's Trees of Life
Brothers in Blood: The Lions of Sabi Sand
Soul of the Elephant
Best documentary feature
Alison
Doc-U-Mentally
Nobody's Died Laughing
Best youth show
100% youth
Craz-e Sistahood
MTV Base meets Bill Gates
Best children's show
Challenge SOS
Disney Cookabout
Silly Seasons - Piece of Cake
Best factual education show
Diamond River Hunters
Now or Never
Ocean Adventurer
Best actuality show
Carte Blanche
Saving Microbabies
Spieners
Best magazine show
50/50
All Access Mzansi
The Man Cave
Best variety show
Expresso
Jou Ma se Chef
Sarah Graham Food Safari I
Best talk show
Real Talk with Anele
Republiek van Zoid Afrika
The Chatroom
Best reality show
Ultimate Braai Master
Vrydag4uur
Weg! Agterpaaie Nimibie
Best game show
Musiek Roulette
Noot vir Noot
Point of Order
Best music show
Coke Studio
Jam Sandwich
Xperia Mashlab
Best international format show
Clash of the Choirs
The Great South African Bake Off I
The Voice South Africa I
Best TV drama
Bloedbroers
Heist I
Sober Companion
Best actress in a TV drama
Tiffany Barbuzano (Sober Companion)
Brenda Ngxoli (Hustle)
Linda Sokhulu (Sokhulu & Partners II)
Best supporting actress in a TV drama
Jana Cilliers (Die Boekklub)
Tina Jaxa (Isikizi I)
Samela Tyelbooi (It's Complicated I)
Best actor in a TV drama
Neels van Jaarsveld (Bloedbroers)
Jerry Mofokeng (Heist I)
Trevor Gumbi (Sober Companion)
Best supporting actor in a TV drama
Chris van Niekerk (Die Boekklub)
Tumisho Masha (Saints & Sinners II)
Warren Masemola (Heist I)
Best TV soap/telenovela
High Rollers
Isibaya
The Road
Best actor in a soap/telenovela
Anthony Coleman (High Rollers)
Justin Strydom (High Rollers)
Siyabonga Twala (Isibaya)
Best actress in a soap/telenovela
Tina Jaxa (Gold Diggers)
Clementine Mosimane (Gold Diggers)
Masasa Mbangeni (Scandal!)
Best supporting actress in a soap/telenovela
Maggie Benedict (Ashes to Ashes II)
Nandi Nyembe (Ashes to Ashes II)
Linda Sebezo (Greed and Desire)
Best supporting actor in a soap/telenovela
Mandla Gaduka (Ashes to Ashes II)
Pallance Dladla (Isibaya)
Warren Masemola (Ring of Lies)
Best TV comedy
Puppet Nation ZANews
Hotel
Those Who Can't
Best actress in a TV comedy
Zola Nombona (Forced Love II)
Hannah Barnard (Puppet Nation ZA News)
Chantal Herman (Those Who Can't)
Best actor in a TV comedy
James Borthwick (Hotel)
Kagiso Lediga (The Bantu Hour)
Grant Swanby (Those Who Can't)
Best supporting actress in a TV comedy
Sylvaine Strike (Those Who Can't)
Kate Normington (Those Who Can't)
Robyn Scott (Those Who Can't)
Best supporting actor in a TV comedy
Deon Lotz (Buurtwag)
Graham Wier (Hotel)
Reabetswe Rangaka (The Mayor)
Best film
Noem My Skollie
Shepherds and Butchers
Sink
Best actor in film
Deon Lotz (Dis Koue Kos, Skat)
Dann Jaques Mouton (Noem My Skollie)
Garion Dowds (Sheperds and Butchers)
Best actress in film
Anel Alexander (Sink)
Shoki Mokgape (Sink)
Christia Visser (Tess)
Best supporting actress in film
Hlubi Mboya (Dora's Peace)
Leleti Khumalo (Free State)
Renate Stuurman (Happiness is a Four Letter Word)
Best supporting actor in film
Grant Swanby (Modder en Bloed)
Abdurahgmaan Adams (Noem My Skollie)
Deon Lotz (Shepherds and Butchers)
Best TV presenter
Tumi Morake (Point of Order)
Siv Ngesi (Man Cave IV)
Bob Mabena (Mzansi Magic music specials)
Katlego Maboe (Expresso)
Chanley Wong (Craz-e Sistahood)
Laurian Nortje (Hectic Nine-9)
Lawrence Maleka (Clash of the Choirs)
Thembisa Mdoda (Our Perfect Wedding)
Maschechaba Ndlovu (The Big Debate VII)
Best TV talk show host
Anele Mdoda (Real Talk with Anele)
Karen Zoid (Republiek van Zoid Afrika)
Bonnie Mbuli (Afternoon Express)
