by Thinus Ferreira
Questions are growing about the apparent disorganisation, confusing messaging, postponement of the awards show date, and now the abrupt nominees announcement no-show of the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority and its 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards.
The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority promised that it would announce the nominees of the 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards (SSA26) on Friday during a live stream but then failed to do so without any explanation.
After doing nothing on Friday afternoon in terms of any nominees announcement, the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority also said nothing and just ignored its own no-show.
Observers are now wondering what's going on behind the scenes of the organising of this year's 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards.
The 13th Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards (SSA26) was originally scheduled to take place on 10 October. It then suddenly got postponed and moved to a new date of 21 November at The Playhouse in Durban.
On 6 October, just 4 days before the awards show was set to take place, the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority for the first time publicly announced that it is being postponed to 21 November, with editor Jack Esterhuizen heading up the judging process.
The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, through a press statement issued by its PR company, suddenly said on 6 October that the "revised
date allows for the adjudication process to be concluded with the necessary
rigour, following the strong response of more than 420 entries, while providing
sufficient time for the final preparations required to deliver an awards
ceremony that appropriately celebrates the depth and calibre of South Africa’s
film and television industry".
On the same date, the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, and its PR company, noted that "this year's nominees will be announced online on 16 October, marking the next major milestone in the
countdown to the ceremony".
But this self-described milestone was not going to happen on 16 October.
On Thursday, 15 October, the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, and its PR company, issued a media reminder, saying that the "wait is almost over" and that the Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards was going to "reveal 2026 nominees this Friday".
"The excitement is building as the Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards prepare to reveal the stars, storytellers and creative talents vying for top honours at this year's awards," the press release noted.
The "media, film and television industry stakeholders and the public are invited to tune in and follow the announcement live across the Authority's social media platforms," said the media mailer.
The film body once again confirmed that the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority would "unveil the much-anticipated 2026 nominees in a special online broadcast on Friday, 16 October 2026, at 14:00, across its social media platforms".
"From outstanding acting performances and compelling storytelling to excellence behind the camera, the announcement will shine the spotlight on the filmmakers, actors, producers and television professionals whose work has made an impact on South Africa's screen industry," it said.
"With 29 award categories and two additional special awards, the reveal promises to generate excitement across the film and television fraternity as nominees discover who will be competing for recognition at one of the province's premier industry celebrations."
The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority specifically told the media that it would make the nominees announcement on Friday on its FilminKZN and VisitKZN accounts, on both Instagram and Facebook, as well as on YouTube at VisitKZN.
But 14:00 on Friday came and went, followed by nothing but silence, with no update, no press release, no explanation or notification, and no basic advisory to the press as to the no-show or what is going to happen next.
It came just a day after the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority on Thursday still asked media to diarise and give time, attention and effort to the nominees announcement on Friday, and for news editors and lifestyle reporters to cover it.
Making it even more bizarre is that the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority on its very own social media accounts and pages promoted that it would do the nominees announcement - only to not do it, and then also say absolutely nothing about it.
Following the hyped "countdown", asking the media to sit ready to cover something, then the nominees no-show, and then complete silence for days, the final nominees list remains unreleased.
Nhlanhla Ngwenya, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority PR person, as well as the PR company FBI Communications repping the film body, were asked in a media query for an explanation and what's going on, and for the nominees list.
The response will be added here when received.
