by Thinus Ferreira
MultiChoice and M-Net will be adding a new telenovela TV channel on its DStv service from today, 27 November, with Novela Magic (DStv 165) that will start at 18:00.
Novela Magic that will roll out in a phased approach and that will be broadcast in standard definition (SD) only, will start in South Africa and the rest of the Southern African region from today and will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers.
Novela Magic will daily but end at 21:30 and is described as an "African-focused telenovela channel" that will collect and showcase African telenovelas from across the continent.
Series created in the language of the country of origin will be dubbed into English.
Novela Magic will launch with 4 telenovelas: Unbroken, Zuba, Forbidden, and Battleground. Novela Magic will initially have predominantly Nigerian-produced content from West Africa with some content produced in Southern Africa.
"For over 30 years M-Net has been bringing to audiences across the African continent compelling stories that harness the imagination of our viewers while also showcasing the vast talent that is harboured on the continent," says Nkateko
Mabaso, M-Net CEO.
"We want to continue this legacy of showcasing the best African stories with themes
that resonate and engage our viewers, hence the launch of this new Novela Magic channel."
Unbroken from Nigeria tells a love story between Tivdo and Jesse who are madly in love. Tivdo plans to marry Jesse until tragedy strikes, leaving him
disabled after a car accident where his beloved fiancée, Jesse, was on the
wheel.
In
Zuba, Zambia's first telenovela, an innocent, rural teenage girl must leave her
family and education behind to do a maid’s job with a complex, wealthy urban
family where she falls for the young son of the house.
M-Net says that although the telenovelas on Novela Magic would have been broadcast and seen on other TV channels before it is now collecting African telenovelas on this thematic channel.
