Third season of Netflix Africa's crass-spicuous consumption reality show Young, Famous & Africa set for 17 January without Bonang Matheba

by Thinus Ferreira

A third season of Netflix Africa's reality show mixing crass conspicuous consumption with conflict, Young, Famous & African, will be released on the streaming service on 17 January - but without Bonang Matheba who joined last season.

According to a press release from Netflix South Africa's PR agency, newly-added participants in the third season include Kefilwe Mabote (South African influencer), Ini Edo (Nigerian star) and entrepreneur Shakib Lutaaya (entrepreneur).

These three join the returning participants Zari Hassan, Swanky Jerry, Annie Macaulay-Idibia, Diamond Platnumz, Naked DJ, Kayleigh Schwark, Fantana, Luis Munana, Nadia Nakai and Khanyi Mbau for a third season that has 8 episodes.

South Africa's Bonang Matheba is not part of the third season of Netflix's Young, Famous & African and no reason for her exit has been given.

"Eight episodes pull back the curtains on fractured marriages, fragile friendships and fresh connections. It all ends in premium tears," states Netflix SA.

Young, Famous & African produced by Urban Brew Studios and Apop Media was created by Peace Hyde and Martin Asare Amankwa, with Adelaide Joshua-Hill, Martin Asare-Amankwa and Peace Hyde as executive producers, and Jwalane Letaba as showrunner.

Wesley Makgamatha is the director.

TV RATINGS AUGUST 2024. SABC2's Muvhango plunges, Bonang Matheba's B'dazzled a SABC3 flop while The Lion King roars for e.tv

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC's struggling Muvhango lost close to a quarter million viewers and a further fifth of its SABC2 audience when it resumed in August, and while Bonang Matheba's B'dazzled attempt at a reality TV return on SABC3 was a flop, The Lion King roared for e.tv.

Following the break between season 25 and the delayed start of season 26 of a "new" Muvhango, the Word of Mouth Pictures show shed over 241 000 viewers after it fell from an already low 1.32 million viewers on SABC2 in July to just 1 084 399 viewers at most in August after it returned.

The SABC announced that it signed a new contract with Word of Mouth Pictures and that Muvhango would return on 5 August, but it then didn't and only resumed a week later on 12 August and without the SABC's promised new opening sequence and updated logo. 

Only two weeks later on 27 August did Muvhango notch its highest viewership of last month at just over a million viewers - a loss of a further 18% of its viewers and another fifth of its total audience gone.

More concerning is that although SABC2 is publicly available, it has now become the SABC's second of its three TV channels (following SABC3) where its most-watched regular show has fewer viewers than a pay-TV channel like Mzansi Wethu's Sibongile & the Dlaminis.

Bonang Matheba's little publicised reality TV return was a flop for SABC where B'dazzled eeked out a meagre 331 238 viewers at most in August - less than the umpteenth repeat at 12pm of the 1980's American series The A-Team and Knight Rider, and even fewer viewers than repeat episodes of SABC3's Deal or No Deal SA.

The 2024 Miss South Africa pageant on Saturday 10 August at 18:00 - co-incidentally hosted by Bonang Matheba as well, however lifted SABC3 to 1 032 596 viewers. 

Although her reality show flopped, Bonang did bring SABC3 for the month very close to SABC2's  Muvhango viewership numbers.

Top soaps largely steady

SABC1's Uzalo dropped from 5.63 million viewers in July to 4.93 million - a loss of over 600 000 viewers, although it remains the most watched show on SABC1 and the whole of South African television.

Generations - The Legacy remained in second place and dropped from 4.75 million to 4.42 million viewers in August. 

Skeem Saam was slightly up from 4.31 million to 4.37 million viewers in August as South Africa's third most-watched show in South Africa, followed by e.tv's House of Zwide in fourth place which sagged from 4.66 million to 4.15million viewers in August.

Scandal! on e.tv lost further ratings ground from 3.68 million to 3.45 million viewers in August opposite Skeem Saam in the same timeslot.

The Lion King roars for e.tv

The Zulu TV news bulletin on SABC1 held steady with 2.49 million viewers as South Africa's most-watched newscast.

The rugby match between the Springboks and New Zealand on 31 August which SuperSport simulcast on SABC2, led to it being SABC2's most-watched content during last month with 1.38 million viewers.

Morning Live grew from 454 293 to 480 663 viewers in August on SABC2, while the Afrikaans TV news when it was suddenly placed back on SABC2 over weekends, drew 479 914 viewers.

On SABC3 the latest season of MasterChef SA fell to 325 191 viewers at most, and the English TV news bulletin had 681 408 viewers. 

On e.tv the English News @ 8 had 1.69 million viewers, Isitha - The Enemy dropped from 3.73 million to 3.36 million viewers, while Isiphetho held steady at 2.68 million viewers. 

An umpteenth reshowing of Leon Schuster's Mr Bones netted e.tv a big 2.57 million viewers, while a special reshowing of Disney's The Lion King for its 30th anniversary lured a handsome 2.5 million viewers on 17 August.

On MultiChoice's DStv Sibongile & the Dlaminis had 1.344 million viewers - more viewers than Muvhango on SABC2 although Sibongile & the Dlaminis is on Mzansi Wethu as a pay-TV channel.

Umkhokha The Curse lured 847 169 DStv subscribers, while Isencane Lengane on Moja Love (DStv 157) lured 684 716 viewers in August and X-Repo 602 758.

Miss South Africa beauty pageant switches back to SABC3 from M-Net after 23 years preceded by 5-episode Crown Chasers reality show lead up.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Miss South Africa beauty pageant is jumping from M-Net back to the South African public broadcaster after 23 years with a preceding reality show of 5 episodes on SABC3 until the 2023 crowning event takes place at the SunBet Arena at Times Square in Pretoria on Sunday 13 August.

After years on M-Net (DStv 101) and Mzansi Magic (SDtv 161) for MultiChoice's pay-TV audience, the Miss South Africa competition done by Weil Entertainment in association with Sun International, is moving back to the SABC after 23 years.

Weil Entertainment says Miss South Africa is back on SABC3 "bigger and better than ever" after its run on Mzansi Magic.

Crown Chasers is a 5-episode reality show which will start on SABC3 on Saturday 8 July at 16:00 that go behind the scenes in the lead up to the pageant event taking place in Pretoria on Sunday 13 August.

Contestants in Crown Chasers will be put through a series of challenges, tasks and mentorship sessions.

"We are thrilled to have Miss South Africa back on our platform," says Lala Tuku, SABC head of local productions, in a press release.

Stephanie Weil, Miss South Africa Organisation, in the press release, says "We are so excited and thrilled to be back on SABC3, not only for the final pageant event, but also with a real game changer that is the Crown Chasers series".

"We said we'd shake things up, do things differently and bring a new level of interest to the Miss South Africa competition and I believe we have done just that."  

In Crown Chasers Bonang Matheba and Leandie du Randt will act as judges, together with a celebrity guest judge every week, while the show's host Zozibini Tunzi who was Miss South Africa and Miss Universe 2019, will act as a mentor to the finalists throughout the competition.

The Crown Chasers guest judges include Miss South Africa 2018 Dr Tamaryn Green Nxumalo, Miss South Africa 2001 Vanessa Carreira Coutroulis, Miss South Africa 2010 Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala, fashion designers Gert Johann Coetzee and Khosi Nkosi, as well as businesswomen Koo Govender.

Bonang Matheba and IK Osakioduwa to co-host 2022's 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards on 14 May in Lagos.

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's Bonang Matheba and Nigeria's IK Osakioduwa will co-host 2022's 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCAs) on Saturday 14 May in Lagos, Nigeria which will be done as a live broadcast across M-Net's various Africa Magic channels on DStv.

MultiChoice and M-Net West Africa's AMVCAs, marked year after year by shockingly bad production values, problems and amateurish on-air gaffes, return after a year's absence due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

MultiChoice and M-Net West Africa last held its Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, the 7th edition on 14 March 2020 with a packed hotel auditorium audience, after which MultiChoice had to warn its thousands of MultiChoice and M-Net guests who physically attended in Lagos, Nigeria that they were likely exposed to Covid-19.

In 2021 MultiChoice and M-Net didn't organise any Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards due to Covid-19 and never officially announced that it's cancelled for this year.

MultiChoice didn't have the AMVCAs in 2019 and revived it for 2020 after a year's absence,  meaning that the pan-African awards show for the continent's film and TV industry has been an on-off, on-off event for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Although the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards is supposed to include and represent the entire film and TV industry of sub-Saharan Africa, the MultiChoice and M-Net awards remains an overwhelmingly West African and specifically Nigerian-centred exercise with the 2022 nominees across categories once again stacked with talent favouring predominantly Nigerian television and film.

The Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards continues to get little exposure and publicity effort in East and Southern Africa with many producers in the pan-African industry outside of Nigeria not aware when entries open or that they can enter work.

Although called the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, viewers get to decide only a third of the category winners since MultiChoice doesn't think viewers make the best decisions.

2022's 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards now has a total of 33 categories, with a whopping 21 categories decided by the AMVCA panel of judges. Only 12 categories are voted for by the public - 36%.

Although still shockingly low, this is an improvement on the 25% of 2018 in which Africa's viewers only got to decide the winners in 7 out of the 27 categories at the AMVCAs.

Saturday's 8th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCAs) will be the first time that Bonang Matheba is co-hosting this awards ceremony, with returning AMVCA presenter IK Osakioduwa. 

The 2022 awards will honour work done between 1 December 2019 and 30 November 2021 - a two-year period that is bigger than usual due to the shutdowns and interruptions which were caused by the Covid-pandemic. 

Busola Tejumola, MultiChoice's head of content and West African channels, says in a statement "We are excited to have Bonang join IK as co-host for the 8th edition of the AMVCAs".

"They are both extremely talented and have attained continental acclaim having both hosted some of Africa's biggest shows. Together they will keep the crowd entertained on the biggest night to celebrate African film and TV stars."

Bonang Matheba in a prepared statement says "It's always such an honour to host live productions and I think after Covid we haven't had the opportunity to be outside to have these big, big productions with live studio audiences".

"So it's lovely to have all of that back. It's also an honour. Any single stage I get to step on is an honour. I've always wanted to work with IK. I am a huge fan of his. So, I'm looking forward to that too."

IK Osakioduwa says "I feel really honoured to be hosting the AMVCAs again. I'm also really excited about the decision to honour the social media content creators with a category of their own. Trust me when I say, without a doubt this year is going to be another amazing outing for the African film industry."

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK. With M-Net and MultiChoice's 6th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards for 2018 coming up, cue the fawning, superficial - and mostly non-existent - coverage by Africa's so-called entertainment journalists, quick to take selfies, but slow to actually report anything.

Bonang Matheba dumps CSA Global with 'disturbing news', asked lawyers to investigate possible criminal conduct' as agency says they look forward to expose the scandalous allegations as 'false and half truths she has been spreading'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Bonang Matheba caused a stir on Tuesday when the star that is now living in New York, announced that she has dumped her management team at CSA Global, saying she has "disturbing news" and that she told her lawyers to "investigate the possibility of criminal conduct by the company and its representatives".

"Today I've got disturbing news. Over the last few years I have been in a business relationship with a management group to represent my brand. I put my trust in them and gave them stewardship over brand Bonang to build and support it across all mediums, including entertainment, fashion and entrepreneurship," Bonang said on Tuesday, using Twitter Spaces that lured over 15 000 "listeners".

"Today I announce that I've terminated that contract with them and they no longer no longer represent me or any of my business ventures."

"Furthermore, I have instructed my lawyers to investigate the possibility of criminal conduct by the company and its representatives. I will revert over the next few days with an update so that others can be aware of what I consider as their very unsavoury behaviour," Bonang Matheba said.

Celebrity Services Africa (CSA Global) with offices in Cape Town and Los Angeles, on Twitter on Tuesday said in a statement that "For the record, Bonang Matheba is currently in breach of multiple contracts with various clients as she has been derelict to these brands and indeed her own for the past 6 months".

"We are currently awaiting a response from Bonang's lawyers on legal letters already sent. There is no merit in these scandalous allegations; we look forward to the day in court with Bonang, exposing the false and half truths she has been spreading".

Bonang Matheba's last known manager was CSA's Davin Phillips who still made a public statement on behalf of her and defending her in April of this year. 

Bonang Matheba switched back to CSA in 2017 to represent her after she had worked with Sylvester Chauke's DNA Brand Architects for several years.

In 2017 when she rejoined CSA, Bonang Matheba said that she was "thrilled to be joining CSA, who have proven themselves as a force to be reckoned within the African market as well as globally".

"With CSA on my side, I will focus on projects beyond South African borders. Moreover, I'm really looking forward to building my philanthropic undertakings, which both brand Bonang and CSA hold very dear."

SABC1 cancels LIVE AMP after 25 seasons, show will bow out with a "last dance' theme and viewers contributing memorable moments.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC has cancelled its long-running music show LIVE Amp on SABC1 with the 25th final season that will start on Friday 9 July.

The once-trendsetting show, produced by Urban Brew Studios, saw ratings fall over years with SABC1 that decided to end the programme that launched in 2007 as simply LIVE and that started Bonang Matheba's career who initially co-hosted with Andile Ncube.

Later presenters included Minnie Dlamini, Sizwe Dhlomo, Pearl Thusi, Loot Love, DJ Warras and Lerato Kganyago, with LIVE AMP that is currently presented by DJ Speedsta and DJ Lamiez.

SABC is branding the final LIVE AMP season as "The last dance" with the final season that will include guest appearances, as well as "reminiscent elements" looking back at some of the most influential moments from the show.

Viewers will also be given the chance to be "content contributors" and to share some of their most memorable moments. 

"The show has grown to become synonymous with youth Friday night rituals from more than a decade," says Sane Zondi, SABC programme manager.

"With season 25 being earmarked as the final season of this flagship title, the series content plan has been devised to be reflective and to be celebratory of iconic moments and success achieved by the show from a talent development, socio-cultural contribution, creative innovation, and all-round leading music TV show brand in Mzansi."

"The best, most memorable and unique content moments will be reinterpreted for the audiences combined with newly curated music performances."

Bonang Matheba bounces back to SABC1 after 13 years with new reality series A Very Bonang Year and documentary film Public Figure Bonang Matheba about the pitfalls, obsession and psychological impact of influencer lives on social media.

by Thinus Ferreira

Bonang Matheba is back with South Africa's public broadcaster, ready to roll out a new semi-scripted reality show about her life on the SABC and South Africa's most-watched TV channel - including a 2-part documentary film about the pitfalls, dangers and fame that come with social media using her own life as the subject matter.

It will mark Queen B's return to SABC1 13 years after she became a presenter on Live AMP in 2007 that ended in 2012.

On Tuesday evening SABC1 is set to officially announce Bonang Matheba's official return to the channel and free-to-air television in South Africa with a new reality and a documentary.

This follows after three seasons of her Being Bonang reality show that was on MultiChoice and M-Net's 1Magic (Dstv 103) and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channels on DStv.

In the latter part of 2019 Bonang Matheba said that filming the third season of Being Bonang produced by Barleader "was one of the worst working experiences of my life! Glad it’s ending. Remind me to tell ya’ll why one day".

Last year Bonang Matheba, in an interview on SABC1's RGB show, teased that she is returning to SABC1 in 2020 for a new TV project.

As part of SABC1's latest slate of new local 202 winter programming, headlined by the multi-hyphenate star's new content, Bonang Matheba will dazzle viewers from Saturday 1 August at 18:00 with her new reality series, A Very Bonang Year.

The partly-scripted reality series A Very Bonang Year will kick off as cameras follow her on a trip to the United States as she "begins a new chapter in her career".

The series will offer viewers a fascinating look behind-the-scenes of Bonang's extremely busy life and how she hops from events to meetings to fitting in snaps for Instagram, while she's figuring out her next moves for 2020 in America.

A Very Bonang Year will show how she attends red carpet events, as well as interviews with movers and shakers in the entertainment industry, while she's exploring fascinating sites in both New York and Los Angeles - including "some shopping dahling!".

SIZZLE REEL. @Official_SABC1 shares this new sizzle reel about its upcoming programming on the channel coming to viewers in July and August 2020:#SABC1WeMove pic.twitter.com/FJSBQmi1RY

— TVwithThinus (@TVwithThinus) July 14, 2020

In a second project, also for SABC1, Bonang Matheba is using her own life as source material for a 2-part documentary film, Public Figure: Bonang Matheba, that will be broadcast on Mondays 24 and 31 August at 21:00.

Public Figure: Bonang Matheba investigates the psychological effects of social media, while exploring how big and successful social media influencers like Bonang herself deal with the fame, hate, money and obsession that comes with it.


UPDATE Tuesday 14 July 2020 - 17:27: SABC1 reissued its publicity material, changing the name of the show from A Year of Bonang, to A Very Bonang Year. The first version of this article originally carried the name of A Very Bonang Year, until SABC1 suddenly issued the name-change notification late on Tuesday.

Bonang Matheba calls 3rd season of Being Bonang on DStv's 1Magic produced by Barleader 'one of the worst working experiences of my life'; says there won't be a 4th season.

Bonang Matheba is calling the third season of her reality show, Being Bonang, produced by Barleader for M-Net's 1 Magic (DStv 103) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service "one of the worst working experiences of my life" and again said that she is done with it.

The first-run broadcast of the 13-episode third season produced by Barleader ended on Friday night on 1Magic, with Bonang Matheba as co-executive producer and once again starring Tebogo "PinkyGirl" Mekgwe.

"After 3 successful seasons, Being Bonang ends tonight! The next chapter awaits," Bonang Matheba said on social media on Friday, and underscored its ending by saying "Finished. Finished. Finished".

Later she cryptically remarked that "making Being Bonang season 3 was one of the worst working experiences of my life! Glad it’s ending. Remind me to tell ya’ll why one day!"

Being Bonang started in 2017 as the multi-hypenate opened the doors to her behind-the-scenes life.

In August 2019 Bonang Matheba announced during a TV interview on SABC1's RGB show that she will be returning to the South African public broadcaster with a new TV project in development set to air sometime in 2020 on SABC1.

Multi-hyphenate entertainer Bonang Matheba set to return to the SABC with a new SABC1 TV project in 2020.

The multi-hyphenate entertainer Bonang Matheba will be returning to the South African public broadcaster with a new TV project in development set to air sometime in 2020 on SABC1.

It will mark the sobriquet Queen B's return to SABC1 13 years after she became a presenter on Live AMP in 2007 that ended in 2012.

While the in-demand master of ceremonies moved her TV projects largely to pay-TV and M-Net's channels like Mzansi Magic and 1Magic on MultiChoice's DStv, she also fronted SABC3's Top Billing, as well as the afternoon talk show Afternoon Express on the South African public broadcaster as one of the co-host for a while.

With the third season of her popular reality show Being Bonang currently broadcast on 1Magic (DStv 103) with her assistant Pinky Girl (Tebogo Mekwe) in tow, Bonang Matheba once again recently said that the third season will be her last, although she also said that after the second season.

Being Bonang on 1Magic with later rebroadcasts on Mzansi Magic enjoys a hugely loyal and engaging audience with viewers who lap up her international jetsetting adventures and local South African tête-à-tête's with the rich and famous.

Bonang Matheba will soon appear on National Geographic's (DStv 181 / StarSat 220 / Cell C black 261) advertiser-funded programme (AFP), 6-episode series, Activate: The Global Citizen Movement from Proctor & Gamble, in the episode "Keeping Girls in School", with the series looking at the causes of poverty worldwide.

On Saturday night on The Real Goboza (RGB) on SABC1, the Urban Brew Studios produced local magazine show on SABC1 made the unusual decision to devote the entire episode to an interview with Bonang Matheba.

During the RGB interview she revealed that she will be returning to SABC1 in 2020 for a new TV project, saying "big plans for that in 2020, with SABC1, so let's see how that goes".

Bonang Matheba, Minnie Dlamini and Lasizwe panned over red carpet fashion choices, Nomzamo Mbatha and Aisha Baker praised for E! Africa's 15th birthday celebration.

The South African celebrities Bonang Matheba, Minnie Dlamini and Lasizwe Dambuza (who forgot to put on pants) got slammed, while Nomzamo Mbatha and social media influencer Aisha Baker garnered praise, over their respective red carpet fashion choices at Thursday night's E! Africa party to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the presence of the entertainment channel from NBCUniversal International Networks in South Africa and Africa.

Bonang Matheba, Lasizwe Dambusa in a white "man-tard" without pants, and Minnie Dlamini in a Marilyn Monroe inspired, head-to-toe pink look from fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, were all panned on social media for their red carpet couture choices.

#MINNIE looks like a vanish cleaner ambassador #LoveELiveE pic.twitter.com/yftejHjHMa

— 👑Dimas🐐 (@madymamadima) April 11, 2019

Minnie is dressed like a doll from Shoprite I'm not okay guys

— Orca Ninjas (@PrettyBoyMweza) April 11, 2019

5. Minenhle Jones:
I HATE THIS LOOK.
She looks like she just flew in from Minnie Mouse’s Tea Party in Disneyland. Nice shoes though. pic.twitter.com/jJpTuZIo8Y

— Ray R* Kamolane (@Ray_Kamolane) April 11, 2019

Bonang Matheba, meanwhile, in Villiotti Fashion, was criticised for looking like she was repeating an outfit and for not trying hard enough.

I have seen Bonang in that similar dress before, i expected more FASHION from her, I'm disappointed #15YearsOfE

— kgabo Shilabjwe (@kgabo_shilabjwe) April 11, 2019

Haven't we've seen this before pic.twitter.com/lb7ns5zyTV

— Chyna (@andilechyna28) April 12, 2019

The worst-dressed of the evening on the E! Africa red carpet was Lasizwe Dambuza.

Haibo what's going on this Earth? What's this? 😭😭😭😭😭😭#15YearsOfE #lasizwe pic.twitter.com/UUv3ZWMYAQ

— Reneilwe Lethabo (@NaeLoeBae) April 11, 2019

I see Lasizwe is wearing a baby romper to match his childish personality. https://t.co/GioBsNo3p1

— Sinenhlanhla 👑 (@MyLifeAsSne) April 11, 2019

Nomzamo Mbatha garnered universal praise for her E! Africa red carpet appearance, as did Aisha Baker. Nomzamo Mbatha received the E! Africa Pop Culture Award for Philanthropy while Aisha Baker received the E! Africa Pop Culture Award for Social Media.

My winner of the night of the #15YearsOfE in Africa celebration is @NomzamoMbatha. Beautifully dressed with so much poise, she was The Best and Nicest to media on our other end of the rope line BY FAR. Made time for Every media with The Best, & most eloquent answers.#LoveELiveE pic.twitter.com/CKkbppxV1i

— TVwithThinus (@TVwithThinus) April 12, 2019

@bakedonline looks amazing on the #15YearsOfE red carpet 😍😍❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/8polOLYjXX

— LORINDASWORLD™ (@LorindasWorld) April 11, 2019

ALSO READ: REVIEW. E!'s 15th birthday party in South Africa was fine and looked beautiful but with too many 'standing-room only' guests while TV execs hid away in their roped-off alcoves, it felt more college-years nightclub night than big celebration.
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. As E! marks 15 years in South Africa as a TV channel on DStv, here are 15 things that E! brought into my life that I'm thankful for. 
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. At E!'s 15th Africa anniversary party, I tried to ask ProVerb just one question - and then something happened that made me think about what's reasonable to expect from TV stars who decide to be on the red carpet. 
ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 37 photos from inside E!'s party to celebrate 15 years of the channel from NBCUniversal International Networks in South Africa and Africa on MultiChoice's DStv.
ALSO READ: MultiChoice content boss, Aletta Alberts, on 15 years of E! from NBCUniversal International Networks on DStv: 'Africans will continue to be part of the E! story'.
ALSO READ: E! unveils a new E! Africa TV commercial to celebrate its presence of 15 years on the continent; 'it was like a proper film set,' says Roxy Burger.
ALSO READ: E! in Africa announces the recipients of its first-ever E! Africa Pop Culture Awards in 2019.
ALSO READ: NBCUniversal International Networks celebrating E!'s 15th anniversary in South Africa and Africa with a celebration party and the first-ever E! Africa Pop Culture Awards.
ALSO READ: E! commissions new 10-episode show, Celebrity Game Night, produced by Rapid Blue, as its next localised African series; production starting July for broadcast in late-2019.

E! unveils a new E! Africa TV commercial to celebrate its presence of 15 years on the continent; 'it was like a proper film set,' says Roxy Burger.

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) filmed and has launched a brand-new TV promo including Bonang Matheba, Minnie Dlamini, Roxy Burger, Kat Sinivasan, beatboxer Tina Redman and Nigerian rapper D'banj as part of a marketing campaign to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the presence of the channel from NBCUniversal International Networks (NBCUIN) in South Africa and across Africa.

Lee Raftery, NBCUniversal International Networks content and marketing boss for the Africa region, unveiled and played the TV promo at the #15YearsOfE in Africa celebration party that took place on Thursday night at the Alice & Fifth underground avant-garde nightclub at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg where celebrities, TV executives and the media mingled.

The #LoveELiveE brand campaign comes after NBCUIN did the first-ever E! Africa Pop Culture Awards giving 7 E!-trophies to South African and Nigerian stars.

Besides the South African and Nigerian star, the TV promo also includes the E! News co-anchor Giuliana Rancic, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kim Kardashian and Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif from the Botched reality show.

In the new promo spot, the E! talent appear in the brand commercial that gives the smartphone a prominent and central place - the device that has propelled and forced channels like E! to adapt to the avalanche of quickly-available entertainment news content now available, but also creating a new opportunity to use and leverage the content now being generated by social media users themselves.

In a press statement quote hand-out to media, Lee Raftery, managing director for the United Kingdom and emerging markets and chief marketing and content officer at NBCUniversal International, said "As we mark our 15 year anniversary in Africa, in partnership with DStv, the #LoveELiveE brand campaign celebrates our passion for all things entertainment and celebrity – in a way that only E! Africa could do – by combining best-in-class talent from Hollywood and Africa".

"E! has a very exciting year ahead with the recent announcement of our new local commission, Celebrity Game Night, airing late-2019 with more details to follow in the coming months."

A planned NBCUI interview with Lee Raftery on Thursday didn't work out and wasn't possible.

Roxy Burger, co-host of How Do I Look? South Africa at Thursday night's E! party event told TVwithThinus that "it was absolutely incredible to be in this TV commercial for E! Africa".

"Filming this E! TV commercial was so much fun - I think the level and standard of what we did was just amazing. It was like a proper film set, you know!"

"So for me as someone coming from and working in television, I'm not used to these fancy things, so it was amazing. And to share the E! stage with people like Minnie Dlamini, Bonang Mathema and D'banj was an honour and really cool."

Kat Sinivasan, co-host of How Do I Look? South Africa and E!'s Africa correspondent, told TVwithThinus that filming the E! TV commercial was "fantastic and spectacular", done really professionally and on a large scale.

Minnie Dlamini told TVwithThinus "It was really fun, it was actually really painless. We did it super, super quick - almost like a 'one-take wonder'. It was really, really fun!"

A planned NBCUI interview with Bonang Matheba on Thursday didn't work out and wasn't possible.


ALSO READ: REVIEW. E!'s 15th birthday party in South Africa was fine and looked beautiful but with too many 'standing-room only' guests while TV execs hid away in their roped-off alcoves, it felt more college-years nightclub night than big celebration.
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. As E! marks 15 years in South Africa as a TV channel on DStv, here are 15 things that E! brought into my life that I'm thankful for. 
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. At E!'s 15th Africa anniversary party, I tried to ask ProVerb just one question - and then something happened that made me think about what's reasonable to expect from TV stars who decide to be on the red carpet. 
ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 37 photos from inside E!'s party to celebrate 15 years of the channel from NBCUniversal International Networks in South Africa and Africa on MultiChoice's DStv.ALSO READ: MultiChoice content boss, Aletta Alberts, on 15 years of E! from NBCUniversal International Networks on DStv: 'Africans will continue to be part of the E! story'.
ALSO READ: Bonang Matheba, Minnie Dlamini and Lasizwe panned over red carpet fashion choices, Nomzamo Mbatha and Aisha Baker praised for E! Africa's 15th birthday celebration.
ALSO READ: E! in Africa announces the recipients of its first-ever E! Africa Pop Culture Awards in 2019. 
ALSO READ: NBCUniversal International Networks celebrating E!'s 15th anniversary in South Africa and Africa with a celebration party and the first-ever E! Africa Pop Culture Awards.
ALSO READ: E! commissions new 10-episode show, Celebrity Game Night, produced by Rapid Blue, as its next localised African series; production starting July for broadcast in late-2019. 

Bonang Matheba producing and filming a new TV reality show, Bonang - Coming to America, chronicling her latest adventures in New York.

South Africa's Bonang Matheba is currently producing and filming another TV reality series in New York, entitled Bonang - Coming to America.

It's the second reality series following Being Bonang broadcast on M-Net's 1Magic (DStv 103) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service with later rebroadcasts on VUZU (DStv 116).

The broadcaster and channel for Bonang - Coming to America hasn't yet been announced.

Bonang Matheba who has been to New York several times now is apparently looking for a more permanent place to stay in the Big Apple.

"Bonang is currently in the city shooting a new reality TV series, Bonang – Coming to America, amongst other opportunities," says her PR team in a statement.

Bonang – Coming to America is being produced by Red Button Films, CSA.global, and Bonang Matheba Entertainment.

"I'm excited to explore my personal style and narrative in the United States as well as share projects I'm working on. While the world has become a lot smaller, Africa's place in it has got a lot bigger and it's a massive honour to be part of this growth," says Bonang Matheba.

In Bonang – Coming to America, Bonang Matheba will be seen "attending A list events; holding various new venture meetings; photo shoots with top designers & photographers; attending film festivals on her various projects – while also spending time with other African and diaspora talent who are making a name for themselves globally".

South Africa's Bonang Matheba joins National Geographic's new ad-funded, global series Activate, highlighting global efforts to change the lives of people living in extreme poverty.

South Africa's Bonang Matheba has joined National Geographic's (DStv 181 / StarSat 220 / Cell C black 261) new ad-funded, global documentary series, Activate, that will highlight global efforts to change the lives of people living in extreme poverty.

Activate, sponsored by Proctor & Gamble, is a 6-episode documentary series, co-produced by RadicalMedia that will broadcast later in 2019 on National Geographic worldwide in 172 countries and will take viewers behind-the-scenes of major advocacy campaigns across the world trying to drive change for the world's poorest people.

Film crews are already out in the field - in South Africa, the Philippines, Nigeria and Peru - to film content for Activate that will feature Bonang Matheba, Usher and Pharrell Williams, Gayle King, Hugh Jackman and others. 

Each episode of Activate will delve into a different issue connected to the root causes of extreme poverty, with episode topics that will focus on clean drinking water and sanitation, racial bias and criminalisation of poverty, girls' education, responsible sourcing, plastic waste and disaster relief.

Together with the documentary series, the National Geographic magazine's September 2019 issue will include a 12-page sponsored print section for Activate.

"At National Geographic, we want to tell stories that matter and we're excited to work with partners like P&G and Global Citizen that share our values and want to tell those stories with us," says Courteney Monroe, president, National Geographic Global Television Networks.

"Through this multiplatform partnership, we will leverage our collective influence, audience and scale to raise awareness and drive action on some of the world's toughest challenges. Each episode of Activate will serve as a rallying cry, focusing on real solutions and avenues for their implementation - a strategic attempt we hope will move audiences around the globe from 'intent' to 'action."

Jon Doran, managing director and executive producer at RadicalMedia, says "We are proud to be partners in telling the story behind the passionate work being done to better the lives of others and hope to inspire a new crop of citizens who want to join the fight".

Bonang Matheba's reality show, Being Bonang, back on 1Magic for a third season in 2019.

Bonang Matheba's reality show, Being Bonang, will be back on 1Magic (DStv 103) for a third season in 2019.

Bonang Matheba made the announcement on social media on her Twitter feed on Wednesday evening, simply posting the 3D golden-lettered title card of her show, saying "season 3. 2019".

The much-improved second season of Being Bonang in 2018 found favour with viewers and critics and also improved its performance in the ratings, while it built the public profile of Bonang Matheba's longtime assistant, Pinky Girl, who has also become a star.

Season 3. 2019. 🚀💐 pic.twitter.com/79oY65yd5o

— Bonang B* Matheba (@bonang_m) December 19, 2018

TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK: The basically perfect nominees announcement media event of Mzansi Magic's DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 gives hope that South Africa can get TV award shows right.

Tuesday's nominees announcement media event in Johannesburg, organised by Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) for its DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 set to take place on 24 November, was a normal, faultless, textbook case of near-perfection of how to do a TV award show nominees announcement.

The DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 nominees announcement was brilliant. Because it was so ... normal.

M-Net's general entertainment channels division overseen by director Reneilwe Sema got everything right, and did everything right, in terms of its nominees announcement event on Tuesday.

Why it's remarkable, and needs to be remarked upon, is because this nominees announcement event stands in massive and stark contrast to all of the other mangled nominees announcements from wannabe South African award shows foisting off trashly done events.

From the National Film and Video Foundation's South African Film & Television Awards to the majority of the rest when it comes to their award show's nominees announcements are unprofessional, awfully done and essentially time-waster trash.

While the nominees announcement last year of the inaugural DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in 2017 created some frustration with the press, Mzansi Magic did a course-correction this year and got it perfect the second time round.

Meanwhile the actual DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards last year was (already) amazing, with high-quality production values, incredible organising, superb attention to detail, and literally none of the avalanche of TV trash that derail most of South Africa's local, live broadcast award shows.

While these constantly and perennially quickly devolve into primary school concerts, Mzansi Magic showed that its DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards is a cut above the rest.

It would serve the NFVF and its Saftas organisers - as well as everyone in-between from the Royalty Soapie Awards to the litany of bad in-between like the South African Music Awards, Metro FM Music Awards and the South African Sports Awards - well to study, observe and take a page from the playbook of M-Net and Mzansi Magic on how to do a nominees announcement event, and the live broadcast awards show that follows thereafter, properly.

Tuesday's nominees announcement event for the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 was on point, short, comprehensive, inclusive, and extremely professional.

It included star-power, had an auditorium packed with media, had sponsors present, made execs and celebrities available for short Q&A sessions immediately, had multiple publicist standing by and hovering, was organised and timed to perfection and had a full, and properly prepared media pack with information and images for the press.

Mzansi Magic roped in Bonang Matheba on Tuesday who was fully-informed, knew names, knew how to pronounce them, and successfully worked the crowd.

The high-energy event stood in very sharp contrast to the NFVF's terrible nominees announcement "breakfast" for the 12th Saftas in February this year where the unprofessional Masechaba Ndlovu didn't know and didn't care to get the pronunciation of nominee names correct.

Mzansi Magic sent out a media advisory about the announcement event weeks in advance, quite different to the NFVF and other award show's shoddy and amateur attempts who don't know the media, don't care to know, don't know who to invite, and often even invite people as late as the day before.

Mzansi Magic furthermore made a point of including press from across the whole of South Africa and through that signaled not just the importance that the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 wanted them there, but also that this award show is for all of South Africa.

It also signaled to the press that they matter (enough) to be included, instead of just announcing names to the isolated Johannesburg bubble of media.

Several journalists from Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town were invited and joined Johannesburg media to cover the nominees announcement - something that instantly raised the event's stature.

It also served to underscore that this nominees announcement is important as a precursor that in turn lifts the credibility and perceived importance of the awards show.

The DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 was glamorous - unlike the dull, dreary, boring mess other nominees announcement events dish up. M-Net executives attended even though they didn't even speak, like acting M-Net CEO Nkateko Mabaso.

Their mere presence showed that they support what the M-Net channels put out and are doing. Celebrities like Somizi showed up, further underscoring the event's social calendar importance. 

The DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 nominees announcement also started on time.

Categories with their various nominees were played out on a big screen in sophisticated, slickly-done videos - all names properly read out on the few quick AV's shown.

Media were emailed the press release quickly and got electronic press packs on USB that included all of the relevant information and images.

The room was full. Mzansi Magic invited press, sponsors, TV stars, celebrities and TV executives and they arrived and collectively packed into the auditorium at Summer Place in Hyde Park.

Again it stood in stark contrast to the badly organised Saftas of the National Film and Video Foundation and other award shows' nominees announcement events where the attendance is always shockingly lacklustre, nobody really gets invited, nobody really knows about it, almost nobody cares to attend, and the event looks empty with a few disinterested people just standing around.

The DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 nominees announcement event was inspiring - not for the announcements per se, but for showing that yes, South Africa can do things like a nominees announcement right and proper.

In 18 years of covering local awards shows and their nominees announcements, the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 on Tuesday became this TV critic's best one I've ever attended.

It was a Goldilocks example of how to do a proper awards show nominees reveal event - everything was "just right".

May the rest of South Africa take note(s), learn, improve and come to the realisation that just like the Emmys, Oscars and Hollywood's other marquee-branded award shows, South Africa is fully-capable of pulling off the announcement of nominees in a proper and professional way.

Dominoes continue to fall for 21st Century Group's Women in Media Conference as 1Magic pulls out as media partner, website removes info, and Sandton's convention centre doesn't list it.

The dominoes continue to fall for 21st Century Group's now-dubious International Women in Media Conference 2018 with the event's website that has removed all information, with sources saying M-Net's 1Magic is out as as "official media partner", that Bonang Matheba definitely won't return as organisers claimed, and with the Sandton Convention Centre listing nothing for 5 and 6 September on the dates it's supposed to take place.

Meanwhile on social media 21st Century Group has now mysteriously backtracked and deleted all its tweets and posted statements it made, going back to 8 August last week.

That's when the touted conference derailed after the Hollywood actresses Taraji P. Henson and Halle Berry who were announced as part of the line-up, denied they're involved and slammed the organisers over "fake advertising" and that it's "shameful that 21st Century Group would advertise this way".

Bonang Matheba hastily withdrew and dumped the conference, with Webtickets that halted sales.

Impeccable sources told TVwithThinus that M-Net's 1Magic (DStv 103) channel that was announced as the "official media partner" and that has officially remained silent over it's involvement with 21st Century Group's conference, has now also quietly withdrew.

M-Net's general entertainment division of which 1Magic forms part, will now focus its efforts on the unit's DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 set for 24 November at the Sandton Convention Centre.

After Julie Schulte, 21st Century Group sales director, on Friday in response to a media enquiry over Bonang Matheba's withdrawal said that "we have engaged with her management and they have agreed that once we re-open the marketing strategy they will come back onboard because they support the initiative of woman empowerment", a source very closely connected to team Matheba told TVwithThinus that the star will definitely not be back.

Meanwhile 21st Century Group's website for the conference at iwim.co.za has deleted all information without any explanation, now simply stating "website being updated. Please be patient".

After organisers claimed that the International Women in Media Conference 2018 would take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 5 and 6 September and Unathi Mhlope, 21st Century Group head of marketing and communications, again confirmed it in a statement on Friday, the convention centre's public events calendar for these dates continues to list nothing related to the event.

It's not yet clear whether other local personalities likes Amanda du Pont, Connie Ferguson, Carte Blanche’s Claire Mawisa, Salamina Mosese and Thabile Ngwato are still involved with the announced conference.

21^st Century Group said that "a legal lawsuit" has been lodged against Superstar Agency and the Hollywood PR firm 42West that it called "Henson's management firm" to "be able to verify who has misled 21st Century Group in confirming that the booking was made".

42West told TVwithThinus that "There is absolutely no truth to any of the claims regarding 42West attributed to 21st Century Group. To begin with, 42West is not a management firm and we have certainly never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson."

"Moreover, we have never signed any contracts on behalf of Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson. Finally, to our knowledge, no legal action has been filed against 42West with regard to this matter."

Hollywood PR firm, 42West, denies claims from 21st Century Group that it's involved with its Women in Media Conference 2018: 'We've never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson', no legal action filed against agency.

The reputable Hollywood PR firm, 42West, denies claims from the 21st Century Group, organisers of the International Women in Media Conference 2018, that it was ever involved in the now-dubious event and says it never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson as 21st Century Group claims.

The event that was announced to take place on 5 and 6 September in the Sandton Convention Centre, derailed on Wednesday last week after stars like Taraji P. Henson and Halle Berry who were announced as being part of it, said they won't attend and are not involved with it, and slammed the organisers over "fake advertising", saying it's "shameful that 21st Century Group would advertise this way".

Bonang Matheba has also bailed on the event and Webtickets told TVwithThinus that it has halted all sales.

Taraji P. Henson, who visited South Africa previously as part of a publicity blitz in mid-2016 for Fox Networks Group UK & Africa’s FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) channel, said that she is working on Empire, isn't part of the conference, and that she wants her name and likeness removed from it.

The 21st Century Group in a statement said it is suing and starting a "legal lawsuit" against  42West, a well-known PR firm in the United States, and something called "Superstar Agency".

TVwithThinus made a media enquiry to 42West who responded with a statement saying 21st Century Group is lying, that 42West never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson, isn't a management firm but a PR agency and isn't aware of legal action filed against it as 21st Century Group claimed.

"There is absolutely no truth to any of the claims regarding 42West attributed to 21st Century Group," says a 42West spokesperson in a statement.

"To begin with, 42West is not a management firm and we have certainly never managed Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson."

"Moreover, we have never signed any contracts on behalf of Halle Berry or Taraji P. Henson. Finally, to our knowledge, no legal action has been filed against 42West with regard to this matter."

It's not clear whether 1Magic(DStv 103), one of the M-Net channels supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, remains the official media partner because M-Net has so far refused to publicly distance itself from the organisers and the event or to affirm its ongoing involvement.

It's also not yet clear whether other announced talent like the Carte Blanche presenter Claire Mawisa, the Mzansi Magic producer and actress Connie Ferguson, Amanda du Pont, actress Salamina Mosese and Thabile Ngwato are still involved. 

Webtickets halts ticket sales of the controversial International Women in Media Conference 2018, still includes Taraji P. Henson's name.

Webtickets tells TVwithThinus that it has now halted all ticket sales for the controversial International Women in Media Conference 2018 organised by the 21st Century Group that saw Bonang Matheba bail after Taraji P. Henson slammed the event that listed her inclusion as fake and false advertising, and with Halle Berry also disappearing after her initial top billing talent inclusion.

The Women in Media Conference 2018 that announced Bonang Matheba, the Empire star Taraji P. Henson, Halle Berry, Amanda du Pont, Connie Ferguson, Ashanti, Carte Blanche’s Claire Mawisa, Salamina Mosese and Thabile Ngwato as some of the headliners for the 2-day event purported to take place on 5 and 6 September at the Sandton Convention Centre, imploded on Wednesday following Taraji P. Henson's shocking revelation that she doesn't have any knowledge of the event.

Taraji P. Henson, who visited South Africa previously as part of a publicity blitz in mid-2016 for Fox Networks Group UK & Africa's FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) channel, said that she is working on Empire, isn't part of the conference, and wants her name and likeness removed from it.

Taraji P. Henson on social media said "False! I will not be there. Never heard of this event and was never invited. Please remove my name from this event because it is false," and that "I am working on Empire. It is impossible for me to be there. I hate that this organisation is misleading my fans." 

She said her "team would never agree to anything on my behalf without me knowing. That is not how I run my business."

Amidts growing public embarrassment, the organisers then removed Taraji P. Henson's name, followed by Halle Berry’s disappearance without any explanation. 

Bonang Matheba then pulled out, saying she "had been attracted by the event's apparent women's empowerment principles" but that "as there has been no official feedback or clarity from the organisers following today's allegations", she will no longer be participating.

Tickets with an eye-watering price of R1250 went on sale for the conference that said it want to help women in the business of film and TV production, the art of acting and presenting and "how to make it in Hollywood", with M-Net's 1Magic (DStv 103) channel listed as the event's official "media partner".

With the Sandton Convention Centre’s events calendar that by Thursday afternoon showed no entries on 5 and 6 September for the conference, Webtickets continued to list the event by Thursday afternoon on its website as including "international media mogul Taraji P. Henson".

 While 21^st Century Group in a statement late Wednesday night said "no tickets were sold, and no tickets will be sold, it's strictly by invitation", several people said they had already bought the expensive tickets.    

On Thursday Webtickets told TVwithThinus that "sales have been closed in the interim".

Webtickets didn't want to say how many tickets had already been sold and said "we cannot disclose this information as it is confidential between us and our client".

Asked why Webtickets continues to list and include Taraji P. Henson's name and if Webtickets is going to remove her name, Webtickets said "this will be removed upon client confirmation of the scheduled attendees and keynote speakers".

Asked what happens if someone buys a ticket and an event turns out to be a scam or if it doesn't take place, Webtickets said "our policy in the event of cancellation of the event is to provide all purchasing customers with full refunds of their tickets purchased. In the event in question, we also operate under client instruction".

M-Net's 1Magic was asked about its involvement as official media partner of the event but referred enquiries to the 21st Century Group.

On Thursday morning 21st Century Group in a statement posted on Twitter said "Superstar Agency is the agency that booked Taraji P. Henson through her management, which is 42West PR. The engagement contract was signed by Susan Bymel on behalf of Superstar Agency. We also have a contract that was signed by John on behalf of 42West (Taraji's management) confirming the booking. A deposit payment of $120 000 was paid to Superstar Agency."

21^st Century Group said that "a legal lawsuit" has now been lodged against Superstar Agency and Henson's 42West management "to be able to verify who has misled 21stst Century Group in confirming that the booking was made".

An internet search on Wednesday and Thursday couldn't find a website for Superstar Agency.

Suzan Bymel whose first name is spelled with a "z" is the co-founder of the Management 360 talent agency in the United States.