With SABC1 on its second acting channel boss in a year with Thuli Nhlapo, questions swirl over what's happening with the channel's management.

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's biggest TV channel by reach, the South African public broadcaster's SABC1, is on its second acting channel head in a year with Thuli Nhlapo currently holding the reigns as acting SABC1 channel head.

There's as yet no indication of when the SABC will appoint a permanent new SABC1 channel head.

Thuli Nhlapo quietly replaced Jerry Baily as acting SABC1 channel boss, who in turn was quietly appointed as acting SABC1 channel boss to fill the gap after Phumzile Zonke quit as SABC1 channel boss a year ago.

Months before the Covid pandemic started, Phumzile Zonke in his last public appearance before South Africa's press in August 2019, told the media that SABC1 is finding itself in a precariously bad position but doing the best with the little money it has.

"Look our situation is dire but that does not mean we have to fold our arms. A lot of our viewers, whom by the way surpass most of our rivals, rely on us to produce, curate and unleash productive content," Phumzile Zonke said at the time.

"Our strategy as the whole team is to work with the little we have in our coffers but at the same time this launch, after a while, means that we're ready to engage with stakeholders."

That was the last time the media covering South Africa's TV industry heard from him. Phumzile Zonke quit as SABC1 channel boss to head up Black Swag Productions since April 2021. 

Jerry Baily took over in an acting position, after which Thuli Nhlapo took over and is currently in an acting position to steer SABC1.

Last week media were invited to a very badly organised SABC1 media event. 

Scheduled for 11:00 but by 12:00 showing no signs of starting, media who were all left waiting without any communication or told what's going on, left the amateurly run event in droves. Many are openly wondering what exactly is going on at SABC1 and what happened to the channel's management.

The SABC finally responds (without answering questions) about SABC1's latest wrong Generations content and the channel's ongoing problem to get its primetime playout right: 'Thanks for tuning in?'

by Thinus Ferreira

After more ongoing problems and mistakes with the playout of Generations on SABC1 last week, the South African public broadcaster took days to respond and belatedly just saying "the situation has been rectified".

SABC1 has ongoing problems and errors with broadcast episodes correctly, and in the correct order during primetime of its Skeem Saam and Generations soaps and last week once again messed up Generations for viewers, so much so that viewers - who didn't get any answers - couldn't make sense of what was going on.

SABC1's latest Generations mess where Phumzile Zonke is SABC1 channel head, is indicative of an ongoing issue that SABC1 and Phumzile Zonke either won't or can't fix. 

Just before the latest mistakes of Generations last week, SABC1 bungled the playout of Skeem Saam earlier in July.

TVwithThinus asked the SABC in an urgent media enquiry last week on Friday morning for an explanation as to why wrong Generations content was shown last week.

SABC1 was also asked for why it keeps happening, in light of what happened with the errors with Skeem Saam earlier this month again, and before that with both Skeem Saam and Generations again.

The SABC didn't respond with any answer.

The SABC was also asked why SABC1 is unable to fix the recurring problem and why the public broadcaster's TV channel isn't able to introduce effective measures to prevent the same problem or issue from recurring. 

Again the SABC didn't bother with any answer.

The SABC was also asked how the playout of Generations will work going forward from Friday in terms of episodes. The SABC also didn't bother to answer this question.

On Tuesday, TVwithThinus asked SABC1 again about the Generations mess.

Dichaba Phalatse, SABC video entertainment marketing manager in an emailed statement addressing none of the questions posed, said: "There was an error on our side resulting in the wrong episode being played , however the situation has been rectified and the correct episodes are now playing. Thank you for tuning in?"

ALSO READ: SABC1 viewers angry after the channel once again shows the wrong Skeem Saam episode on Monday in ongoing broadcast problem.

ALSO READ: Skeem Saam viewers confused after SABC1 once again broadcast a repeat episode during prime time without any explanation.

SABC1 viewers angry after the channel once again shows the wrong Skeem Saam episode on Monday in ongoing broadcast problem.

by Thinus Ferreira

SABC1 once again angered and frustrated viewers on Monday night when it again broadcast the wrong episode of Skeem Saam in an ongoing broadcast problem.

Phumzile Zonke, SABC1 channel head, has been unwilling, or unable to fix and put in place corrections to prevent further instances of what is clearly an ongoing systemic problem that keeps reoccuring.

Monday night's latest broadcast of the wrong Skeem Saam episode on SABC1 follows the same error just 3 months ago in mid-March this year when SABC1 also showed the wrong Skeem Saam episode.

SABC1 also makes mistakes with the broadcast of Uzalo and Generations - The Legacy episodes.

The SABC told TVwithThinus that SABC1 will "catch up with two episodes of Skeem Saam back-to-back" on Tuesday evening and that an apology to audiences was also issued as an on-screen crawler.

ALSO READ: Skeem Saam viewers confused after SABC1 once again broadcast a repeat episode during prime time without any explanation.

Farieda Metsileng cast as South Africa's Bettina in SABC1's local adaptation of Ugly Betty, Coconut Kelz to play the sassy friend.

by Thinus Ferreira

SABC1 has announced that the former MTV VJ Farieda Metsileng will portray the title role of Bettina Sikhakane in the local adaptation of Ugly Betty that will be broadcast from April in South Africa as uBettina Wethu while Coconut Kelz will portray the role of Zaza Moloi.

The co-production between the SABC that will broadcast it on SABC1 and the video streaming VIU is produced by the South African production company Known Associates Entertainment, with Tshepiso Sello as producer, with the company that has been responsible for series like Keeping Score, Hustle and Emoyeni as Fireworx Media.

uBettina Wethu that will debut on Monday 5 April at 19:30 on SABC1 with three weekly episodes from Mondays to Wednesdays, will be the first in the world to feature a black Betty along with a majority-black cast with the South African version, an adaptation of Colombia's Yo Soy Bety La Fea.

The series will follow the journey of Bettina Sikhakane as "a wholesome, intelligent, but gawky, people-pleaser with a dated, unsophisticated sense of style, who finds her self-worth and image challenged when she is employed at Nubia - a brand management company, a place where at times people value image over substance".

Farieda Metsileng is best-known for her role as Kandy in the Mzansi Magic telenovela Isithembiso that she got in 2017, and she has also been working as a voice artist, MTV VJ and a production manager at Red Pepper Pictures.

Other TV roles so far have included appearances as Hlubi in SABC1's Ses' Top La and My Perfect Family, 4Play Sex Tips for Girls, and as Polite in the 5th season of Uzalo on SABC1.

"We are very proud to call uBettina Wethu our own as SABC1; the production value is astounding and is a great fit for our growing brand and spot-on in terms of our market domination strategy," says Phumzile Zonke, SABC1 channel head.

"This first-ever simulcast with VIU is breaking new ground and we are glad to be part of broadcast history in the making."

Besides Farieda Metsileng, Zweli Dube has been cast as Dingaan Jiyane who will be Bettina's love interest; while Tsholofelo Mashishi plays Dingaan's mother and the matriarch of the family. Linda Jiyane and Lesego Tlhabi known as Coconut Kelz will play the bubbly Zaza Moloi.

The uBettina Wethu supporting cast are Michael Potter as Brandon Thomas, Elliot Makhubo as Israel Sikhakhane, Mbasa Msongeli as Mpilo Hadebe, Brighton Ngoma as T-Bang Moeketsi, Ayanda Bandla as Lakhe Amon, Mhairi Fergusson as Amanda, Motshabi Tyelele as Ethel, Jason Willemse as Wendell and Alex Sono as Reggie.

Ayanda Sithebe, the show's casting director says "We are currently experiencing an outcry of young aspiring actors-through social media discussion vehicles as #OpenTheIndustry. Young talent often does not have accessibility to the industry and an opportunity to audition."

"Considering the above, the mandate from the producers was very clear to me to find balance in casting experienced actors and also young new/fresh talent."

ALSO READ: 'Are you the "before"?' Anyone can become the world's first black Betty in the open casting call for South Africa's uBettina Wethu series adaptation of Ugly Betty.

SABC1 channel boss Phumzile Zonke admits: 'Our situation is dire but that doesn't mean we have to fold our arms'.

Phumzile Zonke, SABC1 channel head, on Wednesday night admitted that the channel as part of the broader, struggling South African public broadcaster, is finding itself it a precariously bad position but is doing the best with the little money it has.

At a glitzy press event at Katy' Palace Bar in Sandton, Johannesburg, Phumzile Zonke said that SABC1 will look at doing more programming and explore different avenues with producers in terms of advertiser-funded programming (AFPs) and trying to increase advertising revenue.

Despite the massive financial difficulty at the SABC and a lack of money to procure the annual slate of new content the broadcaster used to churn out, SABC1 remains the most watched TV channel in South Africa.

SABC1 did a media event for Johannesburg media for its new shows Makoti, Agent, Now or Never and It Takes a Village.and reality shows Emasisweni and Instapreneurs.

"Look our situation is dire but that does not mean we have to fold our arms. A lot of our viewers, whom by the way surpass most of our rivals, rely on us to produce, curate and unleash productive content," said Phumzile Zonke.

"Our strategy as the whole team is to work with the little we have in our coffers but at the same time this launch, after a while, means that we're ready to engage with stakeholders from advertising to sponsorships in an effort to increase our budget for productions".

"As a leading youth television brand in Southern Africa and South Africa's official storyteller, it gives us great joy and pride to launch these new shows and new seasons on our channel as a start of many more to come to our screen in the next few months."

Phumzile Zonke appointed as new SABC1 channel head, replacing retired Clara Nzima.

Phumzile Zonke has been appointed as the new SABC1 channel head to steer the South African public broadcaster's most watched TV channel and the most watched TV channel in the country.

Phumzile Zonke whose appointed is effective since 1 September 2018 replaces Clara Nzima who retired last month after 35 years at the SABC. Sane Zondi, SABC1's head of programming was acting SABC1 channel head until Phumzile Zonke was appointed. 

Phumzile Zonke was appointed a SABC1 continuity presenter in 2003 and in 2007 became a presenter on the SABC Eastern Cape radio station Imhlobo Wenene FM where he hosted a weekend entertainment show on Fridays and Saturdays until 2017.

Phumzile Zonke held various positions, including on-air promo producer and director, specialist on-air producer, acting network: on-air presentation manager for SABC1, and SABC TV network on-air manager since 2015.

He has a master of business administration (MBA), BA degree in media, communications and culture, a certificate in copywriting, an advanced diploma in travel and tourism studies; and is currently studying towards a masters of philosophy in international business (MPHIL in IB).

"Being appointed to the new role is an exciting opportunity that comes with great responsibility. It is an honour and a privilege that I don’t take for granted," says Phumzile Zonke about his appointment.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and I'm ready to serve the public and contribute meaningfully to the journey of making sure that SABC1 remains at the top and continue to dominate the market through quality content and exciting youthful programming."

"Phumzile is passionate about broadcasting. He has shown exceptional talent and has proven to be a dynamic and highly capable all-round broadcasting executive," says David Makubyane, the SABC's general manager for TV channels, in a statement about Phumzile Zonke's appointment.

"I have no doubt that he will take SABC1 to even greater heights, strategically positioning it within the media and entertainment industry to win over more loyal viewers to the channel. We are proud of what Phumzile has achieved and we look forward to his contribution in his new role as head of SABC1".

In his role as SABC1 channel head the SABC says Phumzile Zonke will have to "ensure that SABC1 retains its market leader position and continue to deliver a compelling public broadcast service that attracts a major share of audiences and revenue."

"The SABC management wishes Phumzile well in his new role and hopes that his wealth of broadcasting knowledge and diverse skills will add great value to the business and entrench further the values of the SABC1 brand."