Fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee added to Project Runway South Africa on Mzansi Magic as mentor.

Fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee has been added as mentor for the sewing reality competition Project Runway South Africa that will start in July on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), produced by Rapid Blue productions and Ndalo Pictures.

Gert-Johan Coetzee's mentorship role on the show will be to keep the contestants to their deadlines and guiding their designs and fabric choices.

"I am utterly thrilled and honoured to be part of South Africa’s first version of Project Runway," says Gert-Johan Coetzee in a statement. "This means I will be at the forefront, helping to nurture the incredible talent we have in this country".

"The design schools may give you the knowledge and the skills, but the personal attention that comes with internships and Project Runway South Africa gives you the polish. And that's when the true stars shine."

"The competition is going to be tough, the expectations are going to be high. Don't bring anything less than your A-game!"

Ndalo Pictures founder and CEO Khanyi Dhlomo says "Mentorship is not only at the very heart of Project Runway, but at the heart of Ndalo Pictures too, so it was of utmost importance that we found the perfect mentor with all the right nuances."

"There's such an alluring sincerity about Gert. He's engaging, inspiring, passionate, boldly creative and wise beyond his years. He's the perfect fit."

Lerato Kganyago leaves Live AMP on SABC1 after just 2 years as presenter - is the 'amazing shift happening in my life' a move to pay-TV as the presenter of Project Runway SA on Mzansi Magic?

Lerato Kganyago is leaving the magazine show Live AMP on SABC1 after just two years as its presenter, with rumours in South Africa's TV biz swirling that she's leaving after being she was asked to present the upcoming Project Runway South Africa on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), wasn't allowed to do the other show and decided to leave because of that at the same time as her contract simultaneously wasn't renewed.

The 35-year old Lerato Kganyago decided to ditch SABC1's Live AMP, produced by Urban Brew Studios and currently in its 22nd season, and might very well pop up in high definition next as the presenter of Project Runway SA produced by Rapid Blue productions and Ndalo Pictures for M-Net's Mzansi Magic channel and starting in July.

Lerato Kganyago's last on-air appearance on Live AMP will be on 18 May on SABC1.

Officially Lerato Kganyago who joined Live AMP in April 2016 "resigned" - which is true - but standing differently, the mirror shows more faces.

Word on the curb is that Lerato Kganyago was approached to be the presenter and host of Project Runway SA and wanted to front that reality sewing competition as well - a paying gig that would also be her first exposure to a pay-TV audience - but for whatever reason wasn't allowed to.

She had a choice to make and allegedly decided to pursue the Project Runway SA offer anyway, at roughly the same time as her Live AMP contract ran out anyway, and then wasn't renewed.

In a statement Lerato Kganyago says "co-hosting Live AMP has been the most incredible and fulfilling ride of my entertainment career thus far. However, two years in the same spot is a little too long for a Soweto girl like me who’s always looking for a new challenge."

"I will forever be indebted to SABC1 and Urban Brew for allowing me the unparalleled opportunity to showcase my talents," said Lerato Kganyago, noting that "there's an amazing shift happening in my life" - a shift says insiders to pay-television.

In the statement the SABC said "SABC1 and Urban Brew Studios announce the departure of popular Live AMP presenter Lerato Kganyago from the show. Lerato has resigned from the show to pursue other career interests after two successful years with the show".

Live AMP producer Akhumzi Jezile says "it was an absolute pleasure watching Lerato grow with the Live AMP brand. Her love and passion for entertainment kept her grounded throughout her stay. She will no doubt make a success of anything she chooses to take on".

Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC TV head publicist said "We would like to thank her for her commitment to Live AMP and SABC1 over the years".

The SABC was asked in a media enquiry about the biz talk that Lerato Kganyago was approached to present Project Runway South Africa on Mzansi Magic and was told by the SABC that she's not allowed to do both shows.

Zandile Nkonyeni said "we unfortunately cannot comment on where she is going as we do not have knowledge of it".

M-Net was also asked if Lerato Kganyago is the presenter of Project Runway SA, with Mzansi Magic that responded and told TVwithThinus that "the presenter will be announced close to broadcast. We will share the details once we have further information".

BREAKING. 'Make it work': Project Runway SA reality show coming to Mzansi Magic on DStv; produced by Ndalo Pictures and Rapid Blue for broadcast from July.

"Make it work": A South African version Project Runway is coming to Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), with episodes of the designer competition reality show that will be broadcast on the channel from July.

Project Runway South Africa is the second of two new localised titles of well-known American reality shows that South African and African viewers haven't yet seen before.

M-Net's local entertainment channels division announced that month that it will be doing a South African version of The Real Housewives of ... for the rebranded 1Magic (DStv 103).

The Project Runway format is held by the now notorious The Weinstein Company (TWC) and local licensing versions are shopped by FremantleMedia International's (FMI) FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) division.

FMI already sold several seasons of the American version of Project Runway to M-Net with seasons broadcast on the M-Net, M-Net Series, VUZU Amp and Vuzu channels along with spin-offs like Project Runway Junior and Project Runway All Stars.

“Project Runway has done well internationally. We are excited to have the local version on Mzansi Magic," says Reneilwe Sema, the director of local entertainment channels at M-Net.

"As a channel we have successfully introduced scripted content and reality formats into the market. Project Runway SA will add value and variety to our content proposition".

Project Runway SA will be produced by Ndalo Pictures, the new TV and multimedia division of Ndalo Media that secured the licensing rights from FMI for a local version, and production partner Rapid Blue that is currently producing Dancing with the Stars SA for M-Net and did a new season of Come Dine with Me South Africa for BBC Worldwide South Africa.

“South Africa has impressive design talent that is absolutely ready for an international show like this,” says Khanyi Dhlomo, owner of Ndalo Media where magazines like ELLE and Destiny are going to be used to leverage interest in the local version of the TV show.

"It’s engaging, informative, enlightening and entertaining. It’s about talent, about mentorship, opportunity, and pushing creativity past all boundaries. We’re incredibly proud to be able to bring this show to our shores.”

In Project Runway South Africa, the finalists will have to prepare for the 2019 Paris Fashion Week in February 2019 with Edgars as the clothing sponsor and TRESemmé for hair.

Project Runway South Africa will face somewhat of an uphill climb. Designing reality TV shows in South Africa cater to a small niche audience and several other attempts have suffered from a combination of lackluster viewership and low ratings as well as scandals.

From 2006's The Cut South Africa to Raw Silk on SABC1 and most recently the scandal-riddled The Intern with David Tlale on SABC3, the local shows that suffer from rushed and bad production values have struggled to capture public viewers' attention and catch on in the way overseas ones do.

Last week David Tlale and the SABC shocked when the prizes of Kuena Moshoeshoe who was announced as the winner of The Intern in October 2017, were given to runner-up Keletso Moraba who was suddenly "crowned" the new winner following ongoing acrimonious in-fighting behind the scenes.

Entries for Project Runway South Africa will open on Monday 26 February.