eNCA and e.tv's current affairs programme, Checkpoint, nominated for 2 awards for 2019's 13th South African Film and Television Awards; nominations affirm the team's work says executive producer.

The weekly current affair programme Checkpoint on eNCA (DStv 403) and broadcast on e.tv has been nominated for two awards in the Best current affairs programme category for 2019's upcoming 13th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) with the show's executive producer saying the nominations affirm the work done by the team.

2019's Saftas are set to take place on 2 March at Sun City.

Checkpoint that started in April 2014 was nominated for the insert "Isikebhe" and "Dr Sello of Ikageng".

"IsiKebhe" investigated an anti-stock theft organisation that had gone rogue and that had become a feared vigilante group, doling out brutal community punishment in rural parts of the KwaZulu-Natal province.

The "Dr Sello of Ikageng" insert uncovered horrific abuses at the hands of a medical practitioner near Potchefstroom.

"We don't do our work for awards but being acknowledged by the industry always highlights the dedication of the Checkpoint team," says Nkepile Mabuse, Checkpoint executive producer.

"It is most gratifying when those who work tirelessly behind-the-scenes also get to bask in the glory of achievement.

New episodes of Checkpoint are broadcast on Tuesdays on eNCA at 20:30 with repeats on Sundays at 19:00.

Check Point on eNCA and e.tv set to expose alleged elephant cruelty after obtaining hidden camera footage of cruel training methods.

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The new investigative news magazine show Check Point on eNCA (DStv 403) is set to expose elephant cruelty tonight (Tuesday) at 20:30 on eNCA and 21:30 on e.tv after obtaining hidden camera footage of alleged torturous elephant training methods being used.

e.tv and eNCA's publicity department didn't respond with answers to media enquiries first made last week seeking further programming information about tonight's Check Point episode with Nkepile Mabuse, what will be shown, and who were interviewed.

Televised investigative stories regarding animal abuse often stir up huge reaction from viewers; the famous "Tuli elephants" expose on M-Net's Carte Blanche investigative magazine show in May 1999 created a massive public uproar.

Elephants in South African remain big tourism business but Check Point plans to expose the cruel training methods allegedly used to force these big animals to obey on command. Check Point plans to show viewers the footage obtained and confronted the people responsible.

e.tv and eNCA was asked how long the magazine show worked to obtain the video for tonight's episode, why Check Point decided to do the story and more details around the investigation but didn't provide answers.

BREAKING. eNCA launching its new weekly current affairs show, Check Point, anchored by Nkepile Mabuse on Tuesday 8 April at 20:30.

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Nkepile Mabuse will be the anchor of Check Point on eNCA (DStv 403) - a brand-new weekly current affairs show starting on Tuesday at 20:30.

It appears that Check Point is eNCA's new attempt at a weekly half hour investigative magazine show after the sudden demise of Debora Patta's 3rd Degree in 2013. eNCA's new current affairs show was promised to start at the end of 2013 but the starting date was pushed to 2014.

There's been no word or communication from e.tv and eNCA's publicity department about Check Point which is starting a week from today.

Word is however that Nkepile Mabuse, formerly from CNN International (DStv 401) and who returned to the eNCA fold in July last year, will lead a team of TV producers and investigative journalists tackling investigative magazine stories for the show across South Africa.

CNN International's Nkepile Mabuse leaves to rejoin e.tv's news division as executive producer for a new current affairs show on eNCA.

Nkepile Mabuse is leaving CNN International (DStv 401) after her very unusual stint doing Outside Eye for the eNCA (DStv 403) earlier this year and joining the eNCA.

Nkepile Mabuse did Outside Eye for the eNCA while she was still also with CNN International and will now become the new executive producer of a new current affairs show for the eNCA which will start later this year.

She started with eNews in 2000, left for CNN International in February 2008 just before the eNews Channel launched and will now be working for that 24-hour news channel.

With the SABC's new 24-hour news channel starting on 1 August and with the ANN7 24-hour news channel also launching very soon, the eNCA is looking to add a new flagship current affairs show after 3rd Degree was abruptly ended two months ago and which was shown on e.tv and the eNCA.

Nkepile Mabuse will be the executive producer of this new current affairs show for the eNCA which the channel is looking to launch by the end of 2013.

Neither e.tv nor the eNCA has any current affairs or news magazine on the air. The SABC has Special Assignment and M-Net's groundbreaking Carte Blanche is celebrating its 25th anniversary at the end of August.

"Africa is on the rise and the world is hungry for African content and context," says Nkepile Mabuse in a statement. "I believe the eNCA is perfectly positioned to become the future platform of choice on Africa. The skills I've acquired at CNN should enable me to make a positive contribution towards eNCA's rise," she says.

Patrick Conroy, eNCA head of news says Nkepile Mabuse returns "with invaluable experiences, insights and knowledge. She is a great addition to our team and best placed to take investigative television journalism forward in this country."

Isha Sesay on CNN International jets to Soweto, South Africa, as anxiety and TV news coverage ramps up over ailing Nelson Mandela.

Isha Sesay of CNN International (DStv 401), the presenter of NewsCenter jetted into South Africa and Soweto to cover from there the deteriorating health of Nelson Mandela.

All the 24-hour TV news channels and TV news crews are ramping up their coverage around the ailing South African statesman who remains in critical condition in a Pretoria hospital as the world waits on edge for any updates.

Nkepile Mabuse continues with her media vigil outside the Pretoria hospital together with dozens of foreign media and reporters, their cameras and satellite trucks aimed at the hospital where Nelson Mandela remains in critical condition.

Nkepile Mabuse did live crossings again on Tuesday from the hospital and Isha Sesay was also in South Africa and filed from Soweto.

The eNCA had reporter Xoli Mngambi in the Eastern Cape filing reports from Qunu covering the two family meetings today of the Mandela clan who met to "discuss delicate matters" - a traditional type of meeting held in Xhosa culture to talk about any kind of "significant family event".

BREAKING. Outside Eye on eNCA on Wednesday to look at Oscar Pistorius and the international media attention on South Africa.

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Outside Eye, the brand-new weekly current affairs show on eNCA (DStv 403) which will start on Wednesday at 20:45 with Nkepile Mabuse who will now be working for the eNCA while she remains with CNN International is set to make a splash with the first episode. Topic? Oscar Pistorius who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

In the new weekly current affairs series Nkepile Mabuse will look at how the rest of the world is covering South Africa or reporting on certain issues in the country and reflecting this nation.

The first episode of Outside Eye will look at the maelstrom of massive media attention around Oscar Pistorius now charged with premeditated murder as hundreds of foreign journalists have descended on South Africa to report on the twists and turns of his spectacular fall from grace.

Outside Eye on Wednesday will look at how Oscar Pistorius first boosted South Africa's image on the international stage and what impact the murder charge against him is now having on South Africa and how the country is being covered by the international media and now being perceived.

Outside Eye will have weekly rebroadcasts on eNCA on Thursdays at 07:45 and 15:45, Fridays at 15:45, Saturdays at 12:45 and on Sundays at 19:45.

BREAKING. Nkepile Mabuse rejoins eNCA for her own show, Outside Eye, while she remains with CNN International.

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TV reporter and correspondent Nkepile Mabuse is rejoining the eNCA (DStv 403) getting her own show, Outside Eye on eNCA which will debut on Wednesday 20 February at 20:45.

Nkepile Mabuse, based in Johannesburg, was a producer, researcher and reporter for e.tv and eNews prior to joining CNN International as a correspondent in 2008.

Now Nkepile Mabuse is back to working for the eNCA, her previous stomping grounds but this time with her own show, Outside Eye, while she also remains with CNN International (DStv 401) - a highly unusual arrangement.

"We are delighted to have Nkepile back in the fold," says Debbie Meyer, the executive producer of current affairs at eNCA. "She is a well-respected journalist and will bring a fresh perspective to our news by interrogating how the rest of the world is reporting on South Africa."


ALSO READ: First episode of Outside Eye on eNCA to look at Oscar Pistorius at the massive international media attention.

UPDATE: Tuesday 19 February 2013 13:00 - This story has been updated. Where previously I wrote that Nkepile Mabuse has ditched CNN International, she is in fact still with CNN International and will keep working for that 24-hour news channel and appear on it, as she will be appearing on the eNCA from now on as well in Outside Eye.

CNN International tells me that "Nkepile remains with CNN International, whilst we're delighted to be lending her back to our valued affiliate, eNCA."

I asked the eNCA in a specific media enquiry on Monday "what day did Nkepile Mabuse start working for the eNCA, she was still working for CNN International this past Thursday and now eNCA says its glad to have her back?" I did not get a response.

'MTV always had an intention of going to Africa,' says Alex Okosi from VIMN Africa, talking about establishing MTV Base on DStv.

"MTV always had an intention of going to Africa. The challenge was trying to find someone that can create a plan that made sense. For me, and for the business, and I think it was the right approach, it wasn't creating an African outpost just to have one - it had to be a real business; a profitable business."

"So with the London team I worked as part of our strategy team internationally, which is where I crafted a business plan, hitting it around the business, and eventually got it approved, and eventually launched our first MTV service in Africa, MTV Base (DStv 322) in 2005."

So says Alex Okosi, the senior vice president and managing director for Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) who was interviewed by Nkepile Mabuse on African Voices on CNN International (DStv 401).

Today more than 90 million people have access to the content of MTV Base. which was established as a new TV channel on the continent on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform.

"We knew that a music video channel like MTV could work. It's always difficult when you're sitting behind a desk trying to find data on Africa. It doesn't work," said Alex Okosi about trying to build the business plan of trying to establish MTV Base.

"South Africa was of course much easier to get data on regarding the ad market. Once it was done and I started presenting it to the business it made sense from a creative standpoint, from a financial standpoint, and just a growth standpoint and why we just needed to be in this great continent," said Alex Okosi.

He also talked about the challenge of quality content.

"Quality is tough. In South Africa for instance, taking music clips, you had decent music videos. "The rest of the continent it was awful quite frankly. And we did research, because it was important to us to understand. You don't just put together a business plan."

"You need to do research to understand what kind of content would work. And we found a young viewer would watch something but it had to be of quality - otherwise they would spend time giggling and laughing at the quality, versus appreciating what they see on the screen."

"We had to create a benchmark for quality and put people on the ground in these different [African] markets that we deemed to be our key markets to train, to work with the producers and the artists in terms of how to create better music videos. It wasn't really the cost of it; it was just that people didn't really know how to do it," said Alex Okosi.

"To make it work, to make it a showcase for not just something for people who have the ability to have pay-television, but to the masses, we created partnerships with terrestrial players."

"So for instance with the SABC in South Africa, for instance in Tanzania, in Nigeria we created random blocks of MTV Base that we aired content within that block in access the mass audience to be able to get a taste of what we have to offer," said Alex Okosi.

BREAKING. South African CNN correspondent David McKenzie jets back into South Africa to cover Lonmin mine massacre.

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The South African correspondent David McKenzie has jetted back to South Africa to report for CNN International (DStv 401) on the aftermath of this past Thursday's Lonmin mine massacre.

The experienced (and very tall in real-life) David McKenzie is actually based in Nairobi, Kenya but is back on home soil as he reported from Rustenburg, South Africa and the third largest platinum mine in the world.

His lead in gives a clue as to why: "Just days after the deadliest day of protest here in South Africa since the end of apartheid and which really shocked this nation ..."

Meanwhile Nkepile Mabuse, CNN International's correspondent based in Johannesburg, South Africa and who has been covering the Lonmin masssacre since this weekend tried to speak to the axed ANC youth leader Julius Malema live on CNN International before he addressed the miners. His bodyguard slapped her in the face.

BREAKING. CNN International will have eight correspondents in South Africa to cover the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

CNN International (DStv 401) will have a team of eight correspondents based in South Africa for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup.

CNN International tells me that Pedro Pinto, Alex Thomas, Michael Holmes, Isha Sesay, Diego Bustos and the South African CNN reporters Robyn Curnow, Nkepile Mabuse as well as David McKenzie (who's actually CNN International's de facto correspondent in Nairobi, Kenia) will all be here for comprehensive coverage of match results as well as to do a wide variety of 2010 World Cup stories.

David McKenzie will spend the entire month traveling around South Africa in a Winnebago and taking the pulse of South Africa from Cape Town to Graaff Reinet and from Qunu to Soweto. David McKenzie will travel more than 3 000km and viewers will be able to track his journey with the help of an interactive map on CNN.com as well. Meanwhile Aaron Mokoena, Bafana Bafana captain will be filing video diaries for CNN and also contribute as a World Cup analyst.