Zozibini Tunzi joins as Top Billing presenter

by Thinus Ferreira

It's more than fitting: TVwithThinus can reveal that the former Miss South Africa and former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi is joining as a new Top Billing presenter when the magazine show returns from 30 April to SABC3.

Top Billing, produced by Cardova Productions, will return on Thursday 30 April to SABC3 at 19:00 with new weekly episodes, with a repeat on SABC3 on Sundays at 19:00, and another repeat on SABC1 on Tuesdays at 21:30.

The SABC ended Top Billing in October 2019 after 27 years on air but the show has thankfully, finally, been revived after a six-year absence.

Besides a group of former Top Billing presenters who are back on screen as part of the aspirational TV series - including Basetsana Kumalo, Michael Mol, Jonathan Boynton-Lee, Ryle DeMorny, Fezile Mkhize and others - a few new presenters will also join, including Zozibini Tunzi.

The former Miss South Africa and Miss Universe 2019 is a perfect fit for the return of the glamorous lifestyle magazine show and is destined to become "the new Bonang", following in the steps of Bonang Matheba who joined as a Top Billing presenter in 2012.

Zozibini Tunzi is perfectly suited and has a custom-made pedigree through experience as well as a sought-after profile for the iconic "walk and talk" Top Billing format - both she and the show will jointly elevate each other with her addition as a Top Billing presenter, representing "the best of the good life".

Zozibini Tunzi's role as a Top Billing presenter will fit Top Billing like a fine white beauty pageant glove, and in turn the show will add to her allure, soft power and influence as a media personality.

With her natural glamour and grace and her history-making reign as Miss Universe 2019 and Miss South Africa 2019, Zozibini Tunzi brings a global level of sophistication and poise that perfectly matches and will add to Top Billing's inspirational and aspirational, high-end aesthetic for South African viewers.

With a Bachelor of Technology in public relations management, she also has the professional foundation for the communication, hosting and interviewing demands of the programme.

She also has a long-standing brand connection already with Top Billing: Her history with the show runs deep with Top Billing that famously toured her luxury Sandton apartment during her Miss SA reign, and she even auditioned for the Top Billing Presenter Search earlier in her career.

Furthermore, Zozibini Tundi as a model and a black model and a black female model is the epitome of empowerment and female empowerment in South Africa. 

Joining as a Top Billing presenter perfectly aligns with Top Billing's "modern evolution" of the show for SABC3, focusing on authenticity and empowerment alongside traditional luxury.

Not only will Zozi interview and hobnob with the rich and famous - she herself is who viewers want to see and "be" with.

Besides covering high-profile people and events, she has zeitgeist cache and public interest power as a current "it-girl", underscored by things like the interest in her personal milestones, like her wedding in March 2025 to Luthando Bolowana, which underscores the exact type of cultural "magic" that she represents and will add to Top Billing.

"We are incredibly excited to bring Top Billing back to South African screens," says Patience Stevens, managing director at Cardova Productions and executive producer of Top Billing.

"This show has always been about celebrating what's possible. Bringing it back now, at a time when inspiring local stories matter more than ever, feels incredibly special. We're honouring the legacy while creating something that feels fresh, relevant and deeply connected to today's audience."

Bradley Van Den Berg, chief operating officer at Cardova Productions and executive producer of Top Billing, says "Top Billing has always stood for excellence, aspiration and storytelling at the highest level".

"This new chapter is about evolving that legacy for a modern audience, keeping the heart of what made the show iconic, while introducing a sharper, more dynamic take on the good life that resonates with South Africans today."

Dichaba Phalatse, SABC video entertainment marketing manager, says "The return of Top Billing marks a defining moment for SABC3 as we continue to position the channel as a home of iconic South African storytelling, reimagined for today's audience".

"This is not just about a comeback - it's a cultural rest where legacy meets a new generation of viewers who are shaping what aspiration looks like now. Top Billing remains a powerful expression of possibility, and we are excited to bring that energy back in a way that feels unapologetically South African."

UPDATE Tuesday 21 April 2026 09:00:

Also joining as new presenters are Bryoni Govender, the Miss South Africa 2023 runner-up, the actor Arno Greeff, as well as Sine Mpulu as this new season's dedicated social media presenter.

"We are incredibly excited to bring Top Billing back with this dynamic mix of returning favourites and fresh new talent," says Patience Stevens, in a statement.

"Each presenter brings their own unique energy and perspective. Together, they will continue Top Billing's proud legacy of celebrating the very best of our country while delivering the aspirational, feel-good content viewers have missed and new audiences are eager to discover."

Bradley Van den Berg says "Bringing together a mix of iconic Top Billing presenters and exciting new talent was a very intentional decision".

"This season is about honouring the legacy that audiences know and love, while evolving the show to reflect the energy, diversity and ambition of modern South Africa. Each presenter brings a unique perspective, and together they create a dynamic storytelling experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly new."

SABC revives Top Billing with Cardova produced lifestyle magazine show back from March 2026 with former faces, adding a shorts format, looking at doing TikTok presenter search

Thinus Ferreira

The iconic weekly South African lifestyle magazine show Top Billing will return to SABC3 from March 2026 with several of the former famous presenters, six years after it was cancelled in October 2019. 

Returning within a social saturated TV era, Top Billing also plans to do a TikTok Top Billing Presenter Search to find new presenters and will interact and engage viewers by adding a Top Billing shorts format as a second-screen experience.

Talking about experiences, besides the weekly TV show, Top Billing also plans to branch out into finely-curated "Top Billing Experiences" where viewers, fans and VIP guests will be able to physically get together in unique locales and settings, together with the presenters, around certain experiences and curated lifestyle celebrations with sponsors.

The Top Billing announcement was made on Tuesday evening at the Chefs Warehouse restaurant at the Tintswalo Atlantic hotel near Chapmanspeak in Cape Town, where an exclusive gathering of 90 people, including several former Top Billing presenters, feasted on a specially curated 7-course dinner, in true "Top Billing"-style.

The SABC issued no press release about the Top Billing revival.

Also in attendance at the event were Patience Stevens and Batsetsana Kumalo, the original executive producers who steered Top Billing under the Tswelopele Productions banner, and who will once again run the show, this time as a Cardova Productions show, together with Bradley BalsamoVan Den Berg.

Top Billing will kick off with a special Top Billing reunion episode on Thursday 27 November on SABC3 with several of the former presenters back to do a special episode, after which the regular season will start from March 2026 on the channel.

In attendance on Tuesday night were various producers, influencers, SABC executives, Patience Stevens and Basetsana Kumalo, along with the SABC's head of local productions Lala Tuku.

Former Top Billing presenters also attended, including like Michael Mol, Janez Vermeiren, Jonathan Boyton-Lee, Fezile Mkhize, Ryle de Mornay, and Harmony Katulondi.

The embattled former morning show presenter Katlego Maboe is not returning to SABC3's Expresso.

by Thinus Ferreira

Katlego Maboe won't be back on Expresso with SABC3 saying that claims circulating on social media about the return of the channel's former presenter who is mired in scandal, are all unfounded rumours.

Katlego Maboe was arrested on 2 January for contempt of court and appeared in court on 6 January in the Goodwood Magistrate's Court in Cape Town.

It's part of an ongoing court case after the acrimonious and highly-publicised split in late-2020 between Katlego Maboe and his former lover and mother of his child, Monique Muller.

In a sensational video, Katlego Maboe, dressed in a gown, sheepishly confessed to Monique about an extra-marital affair and sex with another woman, with Monique who said that that Katlego gave her a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) and damaged her womb, affecting the chances of her having another child.

In another video Monique said that Katlego Maboe allegedly physically abused her as well, saying that "When the first physical attack happened I got a protection order against him".

In a statement, Katlego Maboe said that "I was unfaithful to my partner during a very important time of our lives - an act I regret to this day. We are currently undergoing an unfortunate and painful separation which is being resolved through legal proceedings".

Earlier this month a "Home of Celebs" page on Facebook created a false rumour, claiming that "Katlego Maboe got a second chance. Yes, Kat is back on Expresso. After a massive fight and petitions to bring him back with gender-based violence (GBV) allegations, Mr Maboe can breathe a sigh of relief as Expresso morning show renewed his contract."

This is completely false. Cardova Productions that produces the morning show for SABC3 from its studio in Tokai has not renewed any contract with Katlego Maboe. He will definitely not be back on Expresso soon and his contract has not been renewed.

In response to a media enquiry to SABC3, Patience Stevens, owner of Cardova Productions says "the rumours circulating on social media is fake news".

Patience Stevens said that the statement that Cardova issued on 23 October 2020 still applies.

In that strongly-worded statement, Cardova Productions said that the SABC3 morning show "condemns any acts of violence and mistreatment, especially against women and children and take such allegations very seriously".

"Certain serious allegations have been posted on social media about Katlego Maboe and, last night, a video was leaked showing Katlego Maboe seemingly admitting to cheating on his partner. We have been informed that a legal process relating to the allegations is currently sub-judice."

"We condemn any acts of violence and mistreatment, especially against women and children, and therefore take such allegations very seriously. Until such time as the matter has been fully investigated, and pending the outcome, Katlego Maboe will not be appearing on The Expresso Morning Show."

ALSO READ: Katlego Maboe arrested.

ALSO READ: SABC3's Expresso presenter and Outsurance star Katlego Maboe admits to cheating on partner who allegedly got a sexually-transmitted disease: 'I was unfaithful.'

ALSO READ: Monique Muller does sit-down interview over Katlego Maboe: 'When the first physical attack happened I got a protection order against him'.

ALSO READ: Insider says SABC3's cheater Expresso presenter Katlego Maboe is not the man he appears to be on TV, allegedly kissed Lay's Chips competition winner in Ukraine that led to hotel sex.

After Leigh-Anne Williams leaves her daily Expresso post Cardova says the presenter will be back as the production company is 'keen to pursue new and existing shows and roles with her in 2020'.

by Thinus Ferreira

After Leigh-Anne Williams quietly left her early morning perch as one of SABC3's Expresso presenters some week ago, the Cape Town based production company behind the show says that she will be back in December although it's not clear whether it would again be in a daily role or in what capacity.

On Tuesday TVwithThinus reported that Leigh-Anne Williams quietly exited SABC3's weekday morning show with her name that was removed from the end-credits roll of Expresso.

Prior to Tuesday's reporting, multiple media enquiries were made over weeks with neither SABC3 nor Cardova Productions that responded to questions around Leigh-Anne Williams' exit and sudden absence from the show.

Leigh-Anne Williams' unexplained exit at the beginning of November came after Ewan Strydom left in April for Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144), followed by Zoë Brown, who was not an original presenter, who left Expresso in July after 4 years without an on-air farewell or explanation.

Expresso added Jamie-Lee Domburg from Plumstead and Kuhle Adams as the show's two new presenters after they won the Presenter Search on 3: The Expresso Edition at the end of October and which made use of Leigh-Anne Williams as the presenter of that prime time reality search programme.

Expresso, which made its debut in October 2010 and was produced from The Equinox Building in Sea Point, Cape Town as SABC3's breakfast show, moved to a new studio complex in Westlake in June.

It's much further away that the picturesque highrise the show had been done from for almost nine years before the move. According to insiders both Zoë Brown and Leigh-Anne Williams had issues with the move with the longer daily travel distance that was problematic and contributed to their decisions to leave.

On Friday morning producer Patience Stevens from Cardova Productions in a statement through SABC3 said that although Leigh-Anne Williams stepped away from her daily Expresso presenting work that Cardova will continue to work with her in the future and in 2020 in existing and new shows.

"Leigh-Anne has been a very important part of the Expresso journey for the past eight years and is a valued member of the Cardova family," said Patience Stevens.

"While Leigh-Anne has been taking a step back from her daily presenting role on Expresso to pursue other career opportunities, this does not mean the end of our relationship with her. Leigh Anne will be back on Expresso in December, and we are keen to pursue new and existing shows and roles with her in 2020."

"While we have missed Leigh-Anne's positive energy every morning for the past couple of weeks, Cardova’s mission statement is to identify, nurture and grow new talent."

"We have recently welcomed two fresh new faces to Expresso, namely the winners of the Presenter Search on 3: Expresso Edition, Kuhle Adams and Jamie-Lee Domburg, who have been adding their own unique dynamic and personality to the show."

"Expresso is a brand which always evolving. We have grown new talent like Leigh-Anne Williams and Zoë Brown over the years and we hope to continue doing so for years to come."

Plumstead single mom Jamie-Lee Domburg and Kuhle Adams win SABC3's Expresso presenter search.

SABC3's weekday morning show Expresso will add Jamie-Lee Domburg and Kuhle Adams as the show's two new presenters after they won the Presenter Search on 3: The Expresso Edition on Wednesday night.

Jamie-Lee Domburg, a single mom from Plumstead, and Kuhle Adams from Port Elizabeth who now lives in Johannesburg, will replace Ewan Strydom and Zoe Brown who exited the morning programme earlier this year.

The winners who took part in the latest edition of the Presenter Search on 3 talent reality show were announced in the final episode at Cape Town's Mount Nelson hotel last night.

Both will start on Expresso, produced by Cardova Productions, on Monday 4 November.

"We've been warned about the hard work that is ahead, about the early mornings and the late nights but we are so ready," says Kuhle who will have to move from Johannesburg to Tokai in Cape Town where the Expresso studios are now located.

"This is not television – this is dreams come true," says Jamie-Lee.

For their final challenge, the remaining four finalists - Nathaneal Davids, Jamie-Lee, Deen Woodman and Kuhle - had to conduct an interview with a high-profile guest in the Expresso studio.

"All four of them are so talented – they all have the potential to do the job – and after spending so much time watching them grow, and take notes, and improve from one episode to the next, it was really hard to have to make that final choice," said Presenter Search on 3 judge Thando Thabethe.

In the end the judges were unanimous in their final decision. "It was a really tough call, but I feel confident that we made the right decision here tonight," said judge Roger Goode.

Patience Stevens, executive producer, said "Congratulations to Kuhle and Jamie – I am extremely excited to welcome them on to Expresso and can’t wait to see them develop as they grow in confidence and experience".

"But I know that we have not seen the last of Deen and Nathaneal either and look forward to seeing how they take the exposure they had with this show and make that work for them in their future careers."

SABC cans Top Billing after 23 years as broke public broadcaster can no longer afford to keep one of its last top legacy brands on the air.

Saturday will see the abrupt end of another of the SABC's last remaining top legacy brands with Top Billing on SABC3 that has been cancelled after 23 years with the South African public broadcaster that can no longer afford to pay for it.

As yet there's been no official statement from the SABC or its SABC3 channel, or Tswelopele Productions who saw its longrunning contract for the aspirational show with the SABC axed because of the broadcaster's ongoing financial problems.

It's not clear why the SABC didn't make an announcement sooner about Top Billing's demise but its axing will come as a shock to generations of South African viewers who grew up with it and emulated the styles it lifestyle trends it showed.

The SABC was asked for comment about why the SABC cancelled Top Billing and whether it is because the broadcaster can’t afford it anymore, as well as why the SABC didn’t announce the show’s ending sooner to viewers when the contract wasn’t renewed. 

Vuyo Mthembu, SABC spokesperson, said “we will be releasing a statement”.

Saturday's final Top Billing episode at 18:00 will include no nostalgic lookback, although the show's one former host and co-executive producer Basetsana Kumalo, will appear in an insert reflecting on her "25 year journey".

The iconic show that has adapted over the years since it was started by Patience Stevens, always showing "the best of the good life", has made name stars of multiple walk-and-talk presenters who found fame after being hand-picked to front the glamorous lifestyle magazine show that has been a weekly staple on the SABC schedule for decades.

The show became such a permeating force in South African popular culture that people started referring to mega-mansions as "A Top Billing house" or lavish weddings as a "Top Billing wedding" - referencing the weekly mansion and over-the-top wedding day profile inserts.

Meanwhile its walk-and-talk signature presenting style became often-imitated, widely seen as the pinnacle of what would-be presenting on local television should be.

The iconic show that moved between SABC2 and SABC3 and that weathered multiple day and timeslot changes over decades managed to keep its audience as it kept up with the times, constantly evolving and adapting to changing styles.

With high production values, including overseas travel inserts and Hollywood interviews, Top Billing kept courting a high LSM viewership as one of the last remaining legacy shows on public television that managed to bring affluent viewers, highly coveted by advertisers, to the SABC.


ALSO READ: This is why the SABC decided to cancel Top Billing on SABC3 after 27 years - and why it decided to keep the axing secret.

Top Billing on SABC3 celebrates its 25th silver anniversary with a special nostalgic look-back episode with Michael Mol and Basetsana Kumalo back as presenters.

Tonight South Africa’s longest-running, uninterrupted lifestyle magazine TV show will celebrate its 25th anniversary on South African television with Top Billing doing a special, nostalgia-laden look-back episode as current and former presenters, and the show's executive producers, do revealing and personal oral histories of their time working on the show.

Former presenters – a now greying fox Michael Mol, and ever-youthful Basetsana Kumalo are back as tonight's special presenting duo.

Top Billing's silver anniversary is a phenomenal feat for not just the show but also for the South African public broadcaster where the now iconic programme, as TV arbiter of the "good life" on SABC3 has managed to captivate audiences for two and a half decades of weekly episodes telling and showing inspiring South African success stories with a revolving roster of glambod presenters over the years, widely admired and often imitated.

Keeping up appearances for 25 years in South Africa's TV industry, Top Billing, has managed to pull off an incredible production record, only equaled by M-Net's long-running investigative magazine show, Carte Blanche that will turn 30 in 2018 – both shows bravely travelling internationally, working unrelentingly at getting exclusive interviews and access to eye-popping visual stories.

Now iconic for its hobnobbing with the rich and famous locally and abroad, exotic travelogues, fashion and movie junket inserts, jaw-dropping mansion features and presenters walking (and talking!) in designer evening wear, the Tswelopele Productions show has spawned colloquial phrases like "that's definitely a Top Billing house", "it's a Top Billing wedding" and its sign-off "goodnight and God bless!" that has become synonymous with this South Africa TV royalty institution.

More than any other local South African TV show, Top Billing has successfully spawned a bevy of presenter beauties – people South African viewers don't just love to see, but want to be.

Over the years, their names have inextricably become linked with any event – anything – "top billing" since 1992: from Neil McCarthy, Ursula Chikane, Janez Vermeiren, Jeannie D, Simba Mhere and Jo-Ann Strauss to Bonang Matheba, Nico Panagio and lately names like Jade Hubner and Chris Jaftha.

While viewers drink in the beautiful and carefully curated "Vanity Fair on television" type content weekly – sometimes criticised as empty calorie glam-TV – they're oblivious to the immeasurable production focus, energy, man hours and stressful navigation of often-impossible inserts behind the scenes and the gargantuan achievement of Top Billing that has kept it up for 25 years.

In fact, it's not just Top Billing's longevity of 25 years on the cash-strapped and often-erratic SABC (the show that started on TV1, moved to SABC2, then SABC3 and saw an untold number of day and timeslot changes) where programmes are subjected to the whims and vagaries of an ever-changing echelon of TV executives that is extremely impressive, but that it has been able to establish and keep up very high production values week after week after week, unequaled by any other local show on South African television.

What viewers don't see on Top Billing are producers constantly pushing forward and navigating through the byzantine maze of difficult publicists and gatekeepers for access to A-list stars from the worlds of entertainment, sport, business, music, film, and news - the rushed editors working late, insane global travel logistic arrangements often changing last minute and exasperated cameramen valiantly trying to still frame stars looking their best even though someone like Kim Kardashian would refuse to put down her cellphone and look up during an exclusive one-on-one interview.

Still aspirational

As fleeting styles, fashions and viewer interest all blossom and fade, Top Billing has smartly managed to adapt, change and constantly evolve over the more than two decades not just with its audience but staying carefully always just slightly ahead of them. 

Nothing is more tragic than anything old in pop culture that's lost its relevance, attraction and reason for being – yet Top Billing with agile pop culture agility, remains ahead of the pack.

Viewers keep tuning in because Top Billing, even after 25 years, remains inspiring. 

Viewers don't just want to see the spectacular house – the show makes them dream that they can maybe one day have it too. 

Viewers don't just tune in for the celebrities – they watch the interviews, although sometimes too sweet, that are carefully orchestrated to make famous folk come across as accessible, ordinary and relatable.

The glitz, glamour, décor, design, exotic cuisine and luxury travel appearing on Top Billing are at heart not show-off pieces; viewers keep watching because they see things and people they want to emulate.

For 25 years, Top Billing has continued to give South Africans on public television – in a country pummelled by a barrage of negative and disturbing news headlines – an escapist out: a passport saying that it is okay, even if just for an hour a week, to have a dream.     

Thursday night’s must-watch episode at 20:30 on SABC3 will look back with Michelle Garforth-Venter, one of the original presenters, now living in Atlanta in America, reminiscing with her family about her Top Billing years. 

Current presenter Jonathan Boynton-Lee will relive the Top Billing Presenter Search reality show that he won, while Michael Mol’s family will look back on their life over the years with Top Billing.

The one wearing the Top Billing tiara in real life is Patience Stevens who started Top Billing for the SABC 25 years ago with a dream and a lot of guts in one small editing suite, and who is still the executive producer of this glamarama TV train steaming ahead a quarter of a century later.

In another insert on Thursday the show charts the friendship between this indefatigable uber-producer who noticed and roped in Basetsana Kumalo years ago – first as a presenter and then as a production partner – and their incredible producing partnership and friendship working on Top Billing all these years.

Josh Gloak the winner of the first season of SABC3's Win a Home competition and Steyn City apartment; Donald Nxumalo wins as best designer.

Josh Gloak (23) is the winner of Win a Home on SABC3 after picking the right safe to open in the reality competition show from Tswelopele Productions which was spin-out into its own TV show this year following the successful insert it was on Top Billing.

Josh Gloak from Morningside chose the charcoal safe after 12 weeks and won the keys to the luxury apartment at Steyn City.

"When I opened the safe, it took me a few seconds to realise what I'd actually won and what was actually in the safe."

"But when I did, it was an unreal feeling, absolutely incredible. My first home. I think that's something special."

In an interesting twist Win a Home combined an interesting reality TV aspect into the show, adding an interior design competition.

Four aspiring designers – Jason Sandows, Jonathan Avnon, Donald Nxumalo and Liza Scholtz - were paired with four established designers – Stephen Falcke, Ditau Interiors' Nthabi Taukobong, Head Interiors' Abilene Brodie, and Design Collective's Amanda Elliott - who acted act as mentors.

Each week, the aspiring designers were given a room décor challenge on a budget determined by their mentor.

At the end of each four-day décor challenge Donald Nxumalo (26) was announced as the winner, getting the opportunity to become one of Steyn City's "preferred" interior designers, as well as receiving a three-month internship with Kim Hutton of Kim H Interiors, who designed the prize apartment.

"We are very proud of this first series of Win a Home and very thankful to our sponsors for their enormous contributions and for Steyn City for hosting us, as well as to SABC3 for giving us the platform to broadcast," says Patience Stevens, executive producer.

"A huge congratulations to Josh. I'm sure he will enjoy the beautiful apartment at Steyn City and all that the lifestyle estate has to offer."

SABC3's Top Billing and Janez Vermeiren not at loggerheads as TV presenter starts his own production company.

SABC3's magazine show Top Billing and its one presenter Janez Vermeiren are not at loggerheads, with Janez Vermeiren who will continue to work and appear on South Africa's premier weekly entertainment magazine show, although he has started his own TV production company.

Janez Vermeiren will continue to appear in inserts on the longrunning and popular magazine show produced by Tswelopele Productions, but the presenter - often appearing shirtless and once again snagging the title of sexiest male TV presenter in South Africa - has started his own production company, CheekyMedia in which he is a co-owner, following his existing Full Circle Model Management company.

"Everyone is free to grow - this is his choice as a growth path - and we as Tswelopele wish him everything of the best with his new venture," Patience Stevens, who started Tswelopele Productions with Basetsana Kumalo and who is also co-executive producer of Top Billing tells TV with Thinus.

"Janez has started his own production company and is working on his new shows. This does not affect his position as a presenter on Top Billing," Patience Stevens tells me.

"Janez has worked on Top Billing for many years,and got his big break as a presenter on Top Billing because Basetsana and myself recognised his talent and potential - and motivated for him to become a part of the show".

"We have a very good relationship - and are still booking him as often as we can to work on Top Billing, but he does not have as much time as he had before, because he is focusing on his own business," says Patience Stevens.

"I've got huge respect for Patience Stevens as a TV producer," Janez Vermeiren tells TV with Thinus.

"I have started a production company, CheekyMedia, working on shows - I'm not going to say how many because it is a competitive industry," Janez Vermeiren tells me.

"Shows will be launching from my own production company that I've started in conjunction with Yusuf Stevens, he used to be a production manager on Top Billing, and we've got another business partner from Johannesburg."

Janez Vermeiren says he decided to start his own production company "because I've built up so many connections within the industry and because I'm passionate about the TV industry".

"I've learnt a lot from Patience Stevens. I've learnt a lot from a lot of people".

"Also, I was given a lot of freedom to express myself through Top Billing and Top Travel. I'm a business man, I've started my own modelling agency, built it into a success, and now I want to do the same with this TV production company".

"We've got many shows - all non-compete with Top Billing - so it's got nothing to do with Top Billing".

"It's all fresh, new concepts which have never been seen on South African television, they're creative concepts that we've came up with and we're basically producing them," says Janez Vermeiren.

About the show where he started out appearing in do-it-yourself inserts and quickly flourished to become one of the most-liked faces on South African television and a mainstay on the local celebrity circuit, Janez Vermeiren says "as long as Patience Stevens still wants me on Top Billing, I'm more than willing to do it".

"Obviously I can't do it as much as I would like to do it, because there is only so many hours in a day, but I'd like to continue doing it".

"At the end of the day its just me, growing as an individual I guess. I'm just growing myself," says Janez Vermeiren.

BREAKING. Jo-Anne Strauss starts own TV talker; moves from Top Billing on SABC3 to Glambition on e.tv starting on 8 April at 20:30.

You're reading it here first. 

Jo-Ann Strauss is moving from Top Billing on SABC3 to e.tv and her new talk show Glambition which will start on e.tv on Monday 8 April at 20:30.

Jo-Ann Strauss who's been a very recognised face for years on SABC3's weekly glam lifestyle magazine show, is now going to be seen on e.tv for the 13 week duration of Glambition and will no longer be on Top Billing as she talks about various facets "of being a woman in today's competitive business world" in her new local show.

Glambition - an amalgam of glamour and ambition - got a primetime spot on e.tv's schedule where Jo-Ann Strauss, besides being the presenter, is also producing the half hour weekly talk show together with Gerry Jennings who she's worked with for years at Top Billing.

Glambition and the former Miss South Africa will cover topics over the coming 13 weeks ranging from competitive beauty, beauty and power, hair, being photographed naked, cultural beauty, weddings, plastic surgery, ageing beautifully, metrosexual men, fitness freaks and the latest fitness trends, fame and celebrity power couples.

Because of the switch to a new channel and a new TV show, Jo-Ann Strauss will not be involved with Top Billing while she's doing Glambition on e.tv and which is currently in production. It's to be seen whether Jo-Ann Strauss would be returning to Top Billing in the future.

"We will not be using Jo-Ann on Top Billing for the duration of her show on e.tv and Jo-Ann is aware of this," says Patience Stevens of Tswelopele Productions, executive producer of Top Billing.

"We have enjoyed a very long and happy working relationship with Jo-Ann - so are wishing her all the best with this venture into production, and will be regrouping to discuss Top Billing with Jo-Ann in July."

PATIENCE STEVENS SAYS: 'Top Billing is a business, television is a business and we need people to be part of a team.'

Patience Stevens, executive producer of SABC3's Top Billing, the record holder of longest running uninterrupted local TV show on South Africa television and a judge in the My Top Billing Dream reality show had some extremely true words about the TV industry for a contestant who got the boot after she forgot her ID when it was time to check-in for a flight at the airport.

Contestant Kerusha got booted for other reasons but also because she forgot her ID - discovered when the contestants and production team had to check in at the airport. Her driver's licence had to be rushed from the hotel.

Patience Stevens explained why it's such a massive mistake - and how and why it impacts the actual making of television, which is something a lot of viewers never realize or think about.

"A pageant winner knows the importance of travel documents. When we heard that you had left your ID book behind, we thought it was a joke," said Patience Stevens. We thought it was you doing the comedy bit. And then we discovered it was serious. It was real and we had to sort out the problem."

"Now it wastes time, money and resources sorting out unnecessary problems. Top Billing is a business, television is a business and we need people to be part of a team who functions efficiently and where we don't  need to pick up unneccesary errors, because it costs money - and that's the reality."

BREAKING. Exclusive first reaction after Simba Mhere wins Top Billing Presenter Search: ''He was just better than everyone else.''

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''Top Billing allows people to dream. Dream about things they could never have. And this is something I never ever dreamed I could have. ''I'm just looking forward to saying, 'Good evening . . . and welcome to Top Billing.'' These are the very first words of Simba Mhere just after being announced the winner of  the Top Billing Presenter Search (Read more RIGHT HERE.) and who will now be joining the weekly magazine show on SABC3.

I have the first exclusive reaction from Patience Stevens, executive producer of Top Billing about Simba Mhere winning a new Top Billing presenter role on her show. I chatted to her specifically about the winner and wanted to know what she thinks of Simba Mhere. ''When you go on a shoot its really, really hard work,'' she says. ''You need somebody who's going to work with the team. So you need a worker. You need somebody who - when the kit needs to be packed up - doesn't walk away and do the prima donna act and disappear when the real hard work starts. You need somebody who's going to be in there with you and help. Simba Mhere did this without being asked.''

''Simba Mhere got sick in that final crucial week of the Top Billing Presenter Search,'' Patience Stevens reveals. ''Simba did not reveal that he was sick, did - in spite of the fact that he was sick - went on and did the job. It's about showbiz. The curtain has to go up. You have to be the star of the show and you have to be there. Simba Mhere proved his ability to do that. Simba has staying power, he has courage.''

''The other thing that Simba Mhere has is charm,'' Patience Stevens tells me. ''He's someone whom we hope everybody will just love. He will hopefully be like your teddybear - someone you will just love and who you'll be able to relate to and feel can be your best friend.''

''The winner had to be someone who's lovable and who you feel is going to share and bring you into that experience. Simba Mhere has that. He grew. Everytime he got input of you should do this, you shouldn't do that he used it and ran with it. He kept raising his performance until he was just better than anybody else,'' she says. ''He was a sponge. Simba Mhere was a sponge with the information given and grew from that.''

ALSO READ: Simba Mhere wins the Top Billing Presenter Search; joins Top Billing permanently.
ALSO READ: Why the Top Billing Presenter Search could be - and should become - its own stand-alone spin-off reality show.

BREAKING. New SABC3 morning show lifts viewership as energetic Expresso proves to be a caffeine ratings shot for the broadcaster.

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SABC3 has a bona fide winner in its perky new lifestyle morning show Expresso done live from Cape Town on weekdays which has immediately double the viewership in the early morning timeslot for the channel.

''From our analysis when we took over that slot, the minimum viewership was 30 000 and we've got it up to about 60 000 viewers. Expresso has now reached peaks of 300 000 and even 350 000 but it depends on the content,'' Patience Stevens, director of Tswelopele Productions and executive producer of Expresso tells me when I asked her and SABC3 how the show is performing compared to what it replaced.

''Now what we're working out is what's the most popular days for viewers tuning into Expresso, what's the most popular kind of content viewers love to see,'' Patience Stevens says. ''We want to try and see if we can consistently reach that higher viewership levels. We had the Miss South Africa finalists on, and we suddenly got this massive viewership of between 300 000 and 350 000 viewers. That is absolutely massive for that time of the early morning. Basically what we're doing now is tweaking. There is a big growth in that slot on weekdays.''

''We're also getting a great response from people like advertisers who want to advertise,'' Risuna Mayimele, SABC3's marketing manager tells me. ''Expresso is doing very well. If you think about it, in the morning at that time on television, nobody is catering for the Afrikaans market. Also, not everyone wants to see news in the morning. There definitely was the gap for a lifestyle show - people want to know what to wear, what's the weather going to be like, the traffic . . . so ja. We've had a good response.''

BREAKING. Top Billing adds the MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WORLD as their new presenter. Meet Lyndall Jarvis!

You're reading it here first. Top Billing has added the blond and lovely Lyndall Jarvis to the glam SABC3 show's presenter posse.

That means Lyndall isn't just beautiful but that she can walk WHILE she talks.

With the absence of Nico Panagio as new Survivor SA host on M-Net (filming starts next week), Top Billing has added Lyndall as one of the new presenters.

The Capetonian Lyndall is of course the FHM Sexiest Women in the World 2009.

''I couldn't believe it when they phoned me to tell me the good news!'' says Lyndall. ''I'm absolutely thrilled. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can't wait to get started.''

Patience Stevens, Top Billing's executve producer says Lyndall has ''all the right attributes'' as a presenter. ''It's not easy finding a presenter who has all the right attributes to appeal to our viewers, and who can match the very high standards set by our presenting team.''

BREAKING. Is Nico Panagio gone from Top Billing? I have the answer . . .

You're reading it here first. With the news that Nico Panagio is the new presenter of Survivor SA, is he being booted from Top Billing on SABC3 as a presenter like what happened to Colin Moss a few years ago when he took the job as Idols presenter (SABC3 didn't want an M-Net personality on their channel)?

I just spoke to Patience Stevens, executive producer of Top Billing and the answer is YES and NO.

Nico Panagio WILL DISAPPEAR from Top Billing, but just during the period of November and December while he's filming Survivor SA.

His disappearance from Top Billing is temporary at the moment and the plan is for him to return to his presenting work on Top Billing once Survivor SA is done.

SABC3 released a statement JUST AFTER M-Net on Nico Panagio.

''We are so pleased Nico has got this job due to the experience and exposure he has gained on SABC3 and Top Billing, and wish him much success with this new project,'' says SABC3 channel head, Mathe Mosito-Okaba.


Meanwhile Top Billing is also starting a new presenter search looking for a NEW MALE PRESENTER. ''It will be extensive auditions that will be carried out countrywide to find the ideal candidate to compliment the Top Billing team in Nico’s absence,'' says Patience.

BREAKING. What is REALLY going on at Top Billing

You're reading it here first. So this really badly researched story appeared in The Times yesterday about Tswelopele Productions who produces Top Billing and Pasella. Another case in my judgement of lazy journalism for a quick buck.

Only one anonymous source quoted (you really shouldn't have or use anonymous sources unless in highly exceptional cases they teach you in journalism school) which then suddenly turns into plurar with the use of ''employees''.

There's also no second or third sources on the record with names noted, pertaining to specifically Tswelopele Productions in the story. It was written by Gabisile Ndebele (who's made mistakes in TV stories before and spell names incorrectly) and Lauren Cohen (who has moved over from The Sunday Times to the Times and is usually better with these things - my guess is she had to help Gabisile out with this one, being based in Cape Town where Tswelopele is located).

The story also seemlessly links cost cutting and one late payment by Tswelopele Productions to the SABC's ongoing problems, giving the false impression that the SABC's local production cut woes are to blame. Not so.

Patience Stevens who is producing Pasella and Top Billing (the show with the record as longest running ongoing TV series in South Africa) and soon the second season of Top Travel wants to set the record straight on the late payment and also the reduction of salaries they hope they can reinstate in the future.

Here is what you should have, but wouldn't have read in the story, for the full context of what actually happened and is going on. I went and got and answer straight from Patience:

NUMBER ONE

''The late payment of salaries for August 2009 was occasioned by a technical glitch which, as we understand, occurred as a result of the SABC changing accounting and pay roll systems. Payment to Tswelopele from the SABC was accordingly received a few days late which impacted on the company's ability to pay its staff. We are assured by the SABC that the problem was a once off occurrence and has since been resolved.

Tswelopele apologizes to its employees for any inconvenience or hardship which may have been caused as a result of the late payment of salaries.''

NUMBER TWO

''Tswelopele having lost a number of programme slots during 2009, due mainly to the live broadcasts of the 20/20 World Cup cricket, and the FIFA Confederations Cup soccer (for which slots Tswelopele does not receive any remuneration in terms of its contract with the SABC,) forced the company to implement a number of cost-cutting measures including the reduction of its wage bill.''

''Rather than implementing a formal retrenchment process, and motivated by the desire to retain all of its employees, Tswelopele proposed to its staff towards the end of August 2009 that they agree to a 10% reduction of their monthly salaries, effective 1 September 2009 until 1 April 2010 when the SABC contract comes up for renewal.''

''Should the contract with the SABC be renewed, Tswelopele shall re-pay to its employees over the following 7 months the 10% remuneration it deducted during the previous 7 months.''