TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. On yet another M-Net PR failure and failed promises about Mzansi Magic's Big Brother and nothing being done to properly communicate with media trying to cover it

by Thinus Ferreira

Colour me baffled, disappointed and jaded (yet again!) by the latest just-concluded season of M-Net's Big Brother Mzansi: Bazozwa on Mzansi Magic - once again in my book a complete failure in anything resembling passable communication and proper MultiChoice PR in liaising on a bare bones, adequate way with the press trying, and supposed to, cover this show. 

After raising the issue(s) with M-Net's terrible and non-existent PR around Big Brother Mzansi directly with M-Net's PR people in 2025 - in emails, as well as in-person - nothing happened, and nothing changed for the 6th season of Big Brother Mzansi on DStv, again produced by Red Pepper Pictures.

After meeting with M-Net publicists Suzaan Keyter and Portia Hlongwane, responsible for Mzansi Magic publicity, and despite promises that all of the issues raised would be addressed and not happen again for the upcoming season, absolutely nothing - and I mean nothing changed or improved in the slightest.

Neither Portia Hlongwane, nor the Playmakers PR company, came to the party in any improved way the past few months in terms of starting to communicate in a dynamic and timeous way with media who want to, and would cover Big Brother Mzansi as a local DStv reality show. 

And that is after discussions about what is wrong and why, and after promises that there would be discussions with the PR company (which, it turns out, also apparently never happened).

Why is it so impossible, and seemingly so difficult and too high a bar, for M-Net to actually communicate with media and to build and sustain and have a media liaison relationship about a show like Big Brother Mzansi and about what is happening around it?

This is not rocket science. 

It's as easy as picking up a phone and calling someone, using Whatsapp, emailing someone, asking them if they got an email, suggesting stories and taking the few minutes to reach out and suggest collaborations in terms of articles, sending notifications about what would be happening and about talking - none of which Mzansi Magic seems capable of doing, or seems to want to do with Big Brother Mzansi with media who have been covering it for years.

Instead of griping about Canal+ Africa paying people for PR who are not doing what they're supposed to be doing - or simply doing nothing - imagine if journalists and publications did reporting and coverage and articles about Big Brother Mzansi because they actually heard from M-Net and Playmakers about what is going to happen, what is happening, about story ideas, about what media interactions would be taking place, and afterwards about what was said there?

Similar to 2023 and before when M-Net left media (myself and others included) completely out of the loop regarding Big Brother Mzansi, again did the same in 2024, and again did nothing in 2025, it all happened and played out PR-wise (despite assured promises that it wouldn't) exactly the same again in late 2025 and 2026 with the just-concluded season.

Cue the same problems and non-communication, about the exact same gripes that M-Net PR promised and promised it would rectify (and never does).

After the 6th season launch and press event in the form of a house-party reunion early December 2025 where Shirley Adonisi, channel director of general entertainment for Mzansi Magic spoke, I asked Portia Hlongwane yet again afterwards what happened, since media including myself, were not even told it would be taking place.

How to report on something you didn't even get a notification or a heads-up would happen, so as to plan possible coverage? What was said there by Shirley Adonisi and others? 

Of course, there was once again an "overnight stay" in January 2026 for some media and content creators, the season's premiere night in January, and the Big Brother Mzansi live finale and winner walk-out on Sunday with a "watch party" organised by Mzansi Magic.

The final was followed by yet another media day where some of the housemates and winner spoke. Again: No heads-up from M-Net or Playmakers about any of this at all.

What exactly do M-Net and Mzansi Magic want from media trying to cover something like Big Brother Mzansi? And what exactly are those responsible for publicity for it, doing - and not doing - to try and get these desired outcomes from media?

As if it hasn't yet been said in the past, and in-person: What is done (and not being done) isn't working.

The very easiest and most ridiculous thing that M-Net publicity people and PR agencies, tasked with and paid to Communicate about Big Brother Mzansi can do, is so preposterously simple, and yet seemingly so difficult. And it's the title of a Carly Rae Jepsen song:

Call Me. Maybe.

ALSO READ: Sweet Guluva wins as Mzansi Magic's latest Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo season on DStv ends with the same sorely deficient M-Net PR it began with

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Yet another Big Brother Mzansi. Yet another big M-Net and MultiChoice media fail

Sweet Guluva wins as Mzansi Magic's latest Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo season on DStv ends with the same sorely deficient M-Net PR it began with

by Thinus Ferreira

The latest season of Big Brother Mzansi ended on Sunday evening on MultiChoice's DStv with the 23-year-old Akhonamathemba Mbele, known as Sweet Guluva, who won the reality show but you wouldn't know it if it depended on Mzansi Magic's non-existent publicity effort.

The football player and barber from KwaZulu-Natal walked out of the camera-filled house on Sunday night as this season's R2 million winner produced by Red Pepper Pictures and sub-headlined "Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo".

By Tuesday morning there was still not even a press release about it from Mzansi Magic's publicist Portia Hlongwane or the Playmakers PR company that M-Net appointed and is paying to supposedly do PR and basic media liaison for this season of Big Brother Mzansi.

After taking the initiative to reach out and asking for a, or the, press release about the winner on Monday afternoon (since there was nothing by late Monday afternoon), there was absolutely no response from M-Net or Playmakers.

In addition, Mzansi Magic had Sweet Guluva and some other Big Brother Mzansi contestants at MultiChoice City in Randburg on Monday afternoon for a so-called "season 5 media event" and to do interviews.

Again, like just before the start of this season, and similar to the end of the previous season, once again M-Net's publicity people for Mzansi Magic and Playmakers did absolutely nothing to keep news media in the loop about it or that it would happen, apparently selecting to only communicate with a handful of people with just Twitter accounts and some other local media.

The result? Some social media postings suddenly on Monday afternoon but media left blindsided and clueless by Mzansi Media PR that something would happen, uninformed about what it entails, and unable to report about what was said. 

Besides no press release, absolutely no transcript or anything of what was said by anyone on Monday afternoon exists, or was shared with media who were not at MultiChoice City and didn't know about it in advance in order to plan coverage or arrange anything for their news diaries.

It's the same modus operandi from the previous season where MultiChoice and M-Net's apparently decided to predominantly focus on so-called influencers and Johannesburg-only press, for a show on DStv that is shown across the whole of South Africa and even sub-Saharan Africa.

Of a Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo "house-stay" with a gaggle of around 30 people, including Mzansi Magic publicists, and which took place just before the season started, the majority of invited people ended up doing nothing with barely any registered coverage.

On Thursday afternoon last week, just before the start of the long weekend, Playmakers did communicate by email and informed that there would be a Big Brother Mzansi finale "watch party" at the Maracana Restaurant in Sandton on Sunday for Johannesburg media and social media influencers, which was fine and kept media in the loop as to what would happen on Sunday.

Why M-Net and Playmakers didn't want to do any proper communication effort and failed with post-finale media liaison is unclear. It does however echo the disastrous laissez-faire PR approach of the start of this season, and the way the post-finale of the previous Big Brother Mzansi season was also handled.

The Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo season was once again marred by scandal, like all previous seasons, inflicting brand damage on M-Net's Mzansi Magic and sponsors like Lottostar and Unilever's Robertson's Spices.

DStv broadcast sexual assault victim-shaming when Ashley Ogle and Bongiwe Booi, known as Bonni Bee, made shocking comments about fellow contestant Florence Mphirime, known as KayB, after she revealed that she was herself a victim of sexual assault.

Then M-Net and production company Red Pepper Pictures were forced to remove yet another contestant from MultiChoice's scandal-riddled Big Brother Mzansi franchise when KayB herself got evicted over sexual assault.

Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo was the fifth season under the Big Brother Mzansi moniker and the 11th season overall of Big Brother South Africa done by MultiChoice and M-Net in the country according to the Banijay format.

ALSO READ: 'I felt groped': More Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo scandal as M-Net and Red Pepper Pictures are forced to evict KayB over sexual assault

ALSO READ: The Trash Starts: More brand damage for MultiChoice and M-Net, Unilever's Robertsons Spice and LottoStar as Big Brother Mzansi shows 'deeply troubling' sexual assault victim-shaming on DStv

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Yet another Big Brother Mzansi. Yet another big M-Net and MultiChoice media fail

TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. DStv needs to stop with the victim-gaming

by Thinus Ferreira

DStv deliberately exploits people who are too stupid to realise and understand what's being done to them, for the sake of television. Which is why the trash TV that's Big Brother Mzansi needs to stop.  

I want to highly recommend, dear reader, that you watch the two episodes of the documentary series Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action on Netflix.

Listen carefully to what the producers say they deliberately did to the people who appeared on the American trash talk TV show - why it happened, how they shamelessly manipulated people, plied them with liquor to get them to "react" better on TV, the damage it caused to people's personal lives (that they didn't care about), and how the low-class, uninformed people were duped and were just an element to get ratings.

Now watch five minutes of MultiChoice and M-Net's Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo on either DStv channel 198 where it runs 24/7 or a highlight programmes on M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel.

Long before Netflix's fictional Squid Game started on the video streaming service with a story where contestants are sacrificed (seemingly through full consent and in which participation is voluntary) inside a game-world set-up where you play for big money or pay with your life, M-Net apparently decided that Big Brother in Nigeria and South Africa will no longer be about watching contestants, but sacrificing housemates. 

Here is how the "game" works: MultiChoice, M-Net's Mzansi Magic executives like Shirley Adonisi, along with Big Brother Mzansi's executive producer Natalie Bleksley and a team of Red Pepper Pictures producers put people in a camera-filled house where - season after season - things inevitably go wrong, they wash their own hands of any involvement, and shift the full responsibility for what happened to the TV victims, who are then removed. 

On to the next one.

MultiChoice, M-Net and Red Pepper Pictures - like Jerry Springer's "fight, fight, fight!" TV studio stage - are the ones who create, control and stage-manage the space. 

Ultimate responsibility for what happens - including to each housemate - falls on these Randburg executives and producers who create something - in this case unvarnished trash television - expressly for ratings, and also to gain new and hold existing DStv subscribers as account holders.

Sponsors like LottoStar and Unilever's Robertson Spices are seemingly fine with going along having their logos and brand names appear alongside unsavoury and cringe-worthy content. 

The calculation seems to be: It doesn't matter that my brand appears and is associated with TV trash since the downmarket content has viewers.

Two weeks ago ... controversy! Two Big Brother Mzansi housemates victim-shamed another contestant who revealed that she was sexually assaulted. 

But deconstruct it: To MultiChoice, M-Net and Red Pepper Pictures this is just content. It's TV. It's "perfect" Jerry Springer! In fact, it's M-Net that is "victim-gaming": Another TV participant conveniently mauled in the TV Colosseum.  

"No, it doesn't have anything to do with us, surely. We told them beforehand how they should behave," the people behind-the-camera say, who then offer up "punishment" to the offenders in prime-time on DStv as a made-for-TV, dramatic moment.

Last week ... scandal! The previous week's Big Brother Mzansi victim is now last week's offender. 

It's not scripted but a beautiful narrative for any producer of the Brooke-Stephanie Bold and the Beautiful story that must always evolve.

Last week's antagonist, like a "Part Two", groped a guy and touched others inappropriately. 

Again, none of this is MultiChoice, M-Net or Red Pepper Pictures' "fault" whose only participation was to put a group of random people into a house with cameras.

Now the person who was victim-shamed inside the Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo two weeks ag, has been remade as a TV victim being shamed outside of the Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo house a week later. 

Again, the makers of this voyeuristic junk displace any blame. 

"It's KayB! It's KayB who's to blame! It's KayB who's bad! It's KayB who is guilty of sexual assault according to section 16 of the Big Brother Mzansi producers' rulebook!"

What does the 23-year-old Bloemfontein student actually really grasp of the manipulative nature of producing tabloid television for a 24/7 audience on DStv?

And again on Wednesday last week: Another nicely-created prime-time eviction announcement, for the sake of ratings, complete with a gasp-inducing flourish from the victim-shamed, turned TV sexual assault offender, turned TV victim-gamed contestant.

Bye, bye KayB! Maybe in May when it's all over M-Net marketing will make you a new Mzansi Magic brand ambassador.

MultiChoice, M-Net and the Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo producers are victim-gaming at the cost of real people's lives and it needs to stop. 

Similar to Jerry Springer guests and Moja Love's flood of tabloid content with little to no regard as to what happens to damaged people's lives in the wake of on-TV destruction, DStv is victim-gaming and sacrificing people on the altar of Trash TV for the pure sake of entertainment.

It's far over time for M-Net's Big Brother Mzansi and the victim-gaming to end.

ALSO READ: 'I felt groped': More Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo scandal as M-Net and Red Pepper Pictures are forced to evict KayB over sexual assault

ALSO READ: The Trash Starts: More brand damage for MultiChoice and M-Net, Unilever's Robertsons Spice and LottoStar as Big Brother Mzansi shows 'deeply troubling' sexual assault victim-shaming on DStv

IN IMAGES. 30 photos of the interior design of Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo

by Thinus Ferreira

Big Brother Mzansi, bannered as Big Brother: Umlilo - started on MultiChoice's DStv on Sunday evening with Red Pepper Pictures which made another redress of the camera-house-filled studio space in Johannesburg.

Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo executive produced by Natalie Bleksley is the fifth season under the Big Brother Mzansi moniker and the  11th season overall of Big Brother South Africa done by MultiChoice and M-Net in the country according to the Banijay format.

Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo will run until 23 March with a 24-hour pop-up channel on DStv channel 198, as well as highlight programmes and a weekly roundup and eviction show on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

M-Net PR this past Friday gave Johannesburg media, social media influencers, as well as actors Sana Mchunu and Ishmael Songo, access to the Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo studio house for a day but didn't bother with any publicity initiative for media elsewhere in the country.

For the press conference last month for Big Brother: Umlilo at MultiChoice City in Randburg, MultiChoice and M-Net PR, together with Playmakers, likewise couldn't bother to tell media outside of Johannesburg about it, with several Johannesburg-based press who were also kept out of the basic communication loop. 

Before Sunday night's walk-in of the new crop of "housemates" on Mzansi Magic, M-Net PR had nothing for media in terms of virtual roundtable interviews with producers or M-Net execs to preview the upcoming season or field questions.

Now DStv subscribers and media scribes are sitting back and watching for the inevitable Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo controversy that will likely follow this season (as in all previous seasons) in the Lottostar and Robertson Spices sponsored show, while housemates are plied with copious amounts of liquor, gamble and wager, and become involved in squabbling and fights on TV.

Here is a look at the interior design of the Big Brother Mzansi: Umlilo studio house:

ALSO READ: M-Net will do 'devious things' and make housemates 'as uncomfortable as possible' in 2025's Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo with new host Afrika Mdutyulwa

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Yet another Big Brother Mzansi. Yet another big M-Net and MultiChoice media fail

M-Net will do 'devious things' and make housemates 'as uncomfortable as possible' in 2025's Big Brother Mzansi Umlilo with new host Afrika Mdutyulwa

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice and M-Net will do another season of reality show Big Brother Mzansi that will start on 12 January 2025 and run until 23 March, with M-Net which says it will do "devious things" and make the contestants extremely uncomfortable.

On Thursday afternoon MultiChoice and M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel held an official media launch event at its MultiChoice City headquarters in Randburg, Johannesburg for a certain group of media and influencers which it didn't bother to tell broader media would be happening.

To those who attended and sat in MultiChoice City's cinema venue, Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, said "We're really going to make the housemates uncomfortable".

"We're experimenting with things never done before. We're determined to make them as uncomfortable as possible. We’re really pushing the envelope. We'll test their intolerance to see how much they can take without breaking any legal rules. The team has come up with devious things."

The upcoming Big Brother Mzansi season is produced and conceptualised with the theme of "Umlilo" meaning "fire" in isiZulu.

Big Brother Mzansi "Umlilo" is the fifth season of the show under this moniker but the 11th season overall of Big Brother done by M-Net in South Africa according to the Banijay format.

The upcoming Big Brother Mzansi season will once again be produced by Red Pepper Pictures.

Besides strands on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax, Big Brother Mzansi will also again run as a 24-hour linear TV channel on DStv channel 198 until the finale on 23 March 2025.

Lawrence Maleka has been replaced by Afrika Mdutyulwa, known as Smash Afrika, as the host for the fifth season. 

It's not known what he said at MultiChoice and M-Net's media launch event on Thursday and Mzansi Magic didn't share comments or a transcript or include any quotes in a press release.

In a press release quote, Christinah Mazibuko, the M-Net group of channels' head of marketing and publicity, says "We're incredibly excited to bring Big Brother Mzansi back for the fifth season".

"This season is about pushing boundaries, and with the Umlilo theme, we're sure to give our viewers a hot, unmissable experience. Working with Smash Afrika as the host takes the energy to a whole new level, and we can't wait to see how his charisma sparks more fires in the house. It's going to be an unforgettable ride."

Previous seasons of Big Brother Mzansi, including the last, have all filled with controversy with housemates evicted previously and during the last season for shocking behaviour and utterances, causing brand damage to M-Net, Mzansi Magic and sponsor LottoStar associated with it.

M-Net then contracted these people and are currently paying them to be Mzansi Magic brand ambassadors.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Yet another Big Brother Mzansi. Yet another big M-Net and MultiChoice media fail

kykNET's Die Brug and SABC2's Takalani Sesame get 2024 International Emmy Awards nods

by Thinus Ferreira

The reality show Die Brug on kykNET as well as the educational children's show Takalani Sesame both got 2024 International Emmy nominations.

It means that South Africa got two International Emmy Awards nods this year, compared to three last year and is also kykNET's first International Emmy Awards nomination ever.

The two South African shows are part of 56 International Emmy nominees across 14 categories that are competing in the 2024 International Emmy Awards taking place on 25 November in New York.

South Africa's two nominees are part of this year's nominees coming from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

"Every year the international television community competes to be recognized on the International Emmys' much-coveted global stage," says Bruce L. Paisner, International Academy president and CEO, in a statement.

"We congratulate the nominees for their outstanding programs and performances, they are once again a testament to the universal appeal of great storytelling across all genres, countries and cultures."

Die Brug, produced by Red Pepper Pictures for M-Net's kykNET (DStv 144) channel on MultiChoice's DStv has been renewed for a second season and is a nominee in the category for Best non-scripted entertainment.

Die Brug, produced by Frederick Louw and Lindi Lucouw, is also a contender in the Best International format category for this year's 18th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) organised by the National Film and Television Foundation (NFVF) taking place in October in Johannesburg.

In its International Emmy Awards category Die Brug is up against Me Caigo De Risa [Anything Goes] from TelevisaUnivision in Mexico, Restaurant Misverstand [The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes] from Roses Are Blue in Belgium, as well as The Summit from Endemol Shine Australia in Australia.

"Die Brug is a very special format and somewhat of an enigma to produce,” says Cecil Barry, CEO of Red Pepper.

"Working with kykNET on this wonderful format was indeed a great adventure and privilege. We are proud and excited about this Emmy nomination, especially because it brings international recognition to kykNET and Red Pepper."

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director of premium channels, says "When Marguerite Albrecht, one of the commissioning producers at kykNET, suggested in May 2022 that kykNET adapt the international format Die Brug for our viewers, we knew something exciting was coming".

"The end product, produced by Red Pepper, provided our viewers with immense enjoyment. To receive international recognition for an Afrikaans production filmed near the picturesque Swellendam in the Southern Cape is immensely gratifying. And the second season will be airing on kykNET next year."

Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, says "Die Brug is one of those rare reality shows that come along from time to time that turn the genre on its head".

"We’re proud to have been able to adapt a top-notch international format for our local market – and produce such an amazing local version. Congratulations to our talented crew on bringing a uniquely South African flavour to Die Brug, which stands comfortably alongside versions produced anywhere else in the world."

The first season of Die Brug is currently available on MultiChoice's Showmax streamer.

Takalani Sesame which was also a nominee in the 2023 International Emmy Awards is again a nominee in the Kids: factual category.

Takalani Sesame on the South African public broadcaster's SABC2 and produced by the Sesame Workshop and Ochre Moving Pictures, is nominated for its Takalani Sesame Big Feelings special.

In the category, Takalani Sesame competes against De Mensenbieb [Living Library] from Skyhigh TV in the Netherlands, La Vida Secreta de tu Mente [The Secret Life of Your Mind] from Warner Bros. Discovery in Mexico, as well as My Life: Eva's Having a Ball from Fresh Start Media in the United Kingdom.

M-Net pays evicted former Big Brother Mzansi contestant Yolanda Monyai to be Mzansi Magic brand ambassador who said she wants to 'f*cking molest' and 'rape' people.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has decided to appoint and pay the evicted former Big Brother Mzansi contestant Eulanda "Yolanda" Monyai to become a new Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) brand ambassador who was removed from the show in March after saying she wants to "f*cking molest" one contestant and "rape" another.

M-Net says Mzansi Magic is "proud" to have Eulanda "Yolanda" Monyai as a Mzansi Magic brand ambassador after her abhorrent behaviour and utterances that saw MultiChoice, Red Pepper Pictures and M-Net evict her from the show in mid-March.

Yolanda is one of a group of five former Big Brother Mzansi Sya' Mosha reality show contestants who M-Net is now paying to be Mzansi Magic brand ambassadors.

The decision is raising questions as to why Mzansi Magic is so apparently talent poor that it's resorting to bottom-barrel reality stars with tarnished reputations to now represent the M-Net channel on DStv.

Christinah Mazibuko, head of marketing and publicity for Mzansi Magic, says M-Net is "extremely proud" to have the group of people, including Yolanda, represent Mzansi Magic.

"We are extremely proud and happy to welcome these five amazing young people to the M-Net family. For us this means aligning with our mandate of nurturing and sustaining talent, and we hope this opportunity will result in a long-term mutually beneficial relationship."

In March, after evicting Yolanda, MultiChoice said it takes threats and threatening remarks around gender-based violence (GBV) very seriously - but now it apparently doesn't, rewarding Yolanda with money through being a brand ambassador and saying she aligns with Mzansi Magic's brand values.

In March on television the 32-year old sales consultant and model from Limpopo said she was ready to sexually assault another contestant, saying "I want to f*cking molest her". 

She also said "I am going to rape Ghost. I'm going to force myself into his bed," in reference to Sabelo "Papa Ghost Ncube, who is TV presenter Andle Ncube's brother.

TVwithThinus asked M-Net on Monday why someone who threatened other people on DStv's airwaves that she wants to molest and rape them, represents Mzansi Magic's brand and brand values.

MultiChoice in response says "Mzansi Magic is committed to the safety and well-being of all housemates on the show. In the case of Yolanda's comments, the situation was addressed while she was still a participant on Big Brother Mzansi season 4."

"Following her exit, Yolanda received remedial training, demonstrating her willingness to learn from her actions. Mzansi Magic's approach to using former housemates as brand ambassadors is to nurture, develop and sustain talent."

ALSO READ: Another Big Brother Mzansi contestant disqualified from MultiChoice's Lottostar-sponsored reality-trash show after Yolanda wanted to 'molest' another contestant.

South Africa's Stage 6 electricity blackouts too much for MultiChoice and M-Net's Big Brother Mzansi that's back on DStv after suffering 12 hour transmission break due to Eskom load shedding.

by Thinus Ferreira

After a break of almost 12 hours, the latest season of Big Brother Mzansi flickered back on TV sets on Sunday morning just after 11:00 after a transmission blackout because of South Africa's Stage 6 electricity blackouts.

Eskom's latest round of debilitating Stage 6 load shedding which hit South Africa on Saturday morning, and was downgraded to Stage 5 on Sunday afternoon, was so severe that even the backup emergency power in place for use by the Red Pepper Pictures produced show for MultiChoice and M-Net's Mzansi Magic TV channel couldn't cope anymore and failed.

The loss of electricity led to a break in transmission from the Big Brother Mzansi studio in Johannesburg which is in 4th season under the Big Brother Mzansi moniker and is the 10th season overall of Big Brother done by M-Net in South Africa according to the Banijay format.

Big Brother Mzansi went off the air on Saturday night around midnight and only managed to be restored almost 12 hours later at 11:45 on Sunday morning. 

According to insiders, despite normal precautionary measures and backup power generation, the weekend's incessant bouts of electricity cuts under Eskom's Stage 6 proved too much for the electricity demands of the camera-filled Red Pepper Pictures reality show. 

A spokesperson told TVwithThinus on Sunday that Mzansi Magic was immediately aware of the loss in transmission on DStv's channel 198.

"Due to Stage 6 load shedding, backup power generation was affected and the production team worked hard to get more backup generators for the show to resume transmission."

"We would like to assure viewers that extra security measures were put in place to ensure that housemates are safe and they remained under the watchful eye of Big Brother."

More Big Brother Mzansi uproar as contestant Liema is warned over spitting and threatening physical violence.

by Thinus Ferreira

Controversy continues to swirl around the latest season of MultiChoice and M-Net's Big Brother Mzansi reality show on DStv with another contestant who got a first warning for spitting on other contestants and threatening physical violence.

On Friday afternoon, the voice of Big Brother in the Red Pepper Pictures show told the 22-year-old Liyema Phantsi, known as Liema, that she is getting a first warning or "strike" for spitting on two other contestants, threatening violence and using offensive language.

It follows after Liema physically slapped and shoved Harriet "Mpumi" Mthimunye and then spat in Jareed's face.

DStv subscribers wanted her gone a week after a liquor-fuelled party from the producers that led to Lindokuhle Nsele known as BRavo B getting disqualified and evicted, while Tshepo Tau known as Makhekhe got a first warning following a discussion in which they decided which women in the house they wanted to rape first since the women were allegedly drunk.

The camera-filled house show, executive produced by Natalie Bleksley, is in its 4th season under the Big Brother Mzansi moniker and the 10th season overall of Big Brother done by M-Net in South Africa according to the Banijay format.

In 2008, Channel 4 and Brighter Pictures in the United Kingdom evicted contestant Dennis McHugh from the 9th season of Big Brother UK after spitting in another contestant's face and in 2017 another Big Brother UK contestant was banned for spitting.

Following the events of a week ago, MultiChoice on Friday was asked whether it believes the show is problematic or has no problem with it. 

The pay-TV operator declined to answer the question but said "Big Brother takes all the house rules seriously and if there is any unruly behaviour in the house that deviates from the rules in place, he will take the necessary disciplinary action".

Big Brother Mzansi main sponsor LottoStar didn't respond to a media query made Friday asking whether it's happy being associated with the show and the behaviour of the contestants wearing LottoStar branding.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA), similar to last week, told TVwithThinus that by Friday afternoon it hadn't received any properly articulated complaints from viewers that could be referred to MultiChoice for a response.

Before the start of the latest season Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, said that this season known as Big Brother S'ya Mosha would be "a disruption of the norm" and would be "the most memorable season for disrupting and breaking away from what is expected".

Previous seasons of Big Brother Mzansi, as well as the Nigerian version, Big Brother Naija, have been mired in multiple scandals involving incidents of physical violence including gender-based violence GBV), threats of violence and drunken brawls over the years.

ALSO READ: Season 4 of Big Brother Mzansi in early 2024 axes shower hour, adds new game mechanics.

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kykNET on Millionaire cheating claims: Game show recording only paused to fix a typo.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net's Afrikaans TV channel kykNET says no cheating - just a spelling mistake that had to be fixed - took place during the recording of an episode of the Afrikaans version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? that was broadcast last week and which forced an abrupt halt in-studio when it was recorded.

According to in-studio guests who witnessed what happened when Wednesday night's episode was recorded a while back, the recording of the episode in the studio was abruptly stopped, with a producer who then interacted with a contestant to the disbelief of the in-studio audience - after which the episode continued and with the contestant giving the correct answer.

Christiaan Boonzaier of Fish Hoek who won the kykNET reality show Saktyd a decade ago was a contestant during this past Wednesday night's episode of the third season of Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? on kykNET (DStv 144), with the local version of the Sony Pictures Television format which is produced by Red Pepper Pictures.

In an architecture question at the R30 000 level, Boonzaier was asked who designed Kensington Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and Hampton Court in England, with Le Corbusier, Christopher Wren, Herbert Baker and Andrea Palladio as possible answers. 

Boonzaier used his 50/50 helpline to eliminate Herbert Baker and Andrea Palladio as possible answers. He then used another lifeline to ask host Rian van Heerden who said he had no idea and doesn't "have a cooking clue" about which one the correct answer is.

DStv subscribers saw Christiaan Boonzaier seamlessly choose Christopher Wren which turned out to be the correct answer. 

During the recording of the episode, there was however a break when the making of the episode paused. 

According to studio audience members, a "man who wore glasses" did well "up to about halfway and then got a very difficult question about architects he didn't know and the host didn't know".

According to them "he used his lifelines and then wanted to just guess, he decided on one answer, he spoke about why he was going to pick it and then producers just ran onto the set. They said they were going to cut".

"It wasn't an ad break, the host didn't say it's an ad break - they just cut. Then the producer pointed at his screen, spoke to him softly and said cameras will roll again. When it did, he suddenly decided to change his answer to his other option without explaining why and then the host said he got it right. It was weird and felt unfair".

An audience member said: "I thought the producers helped him because the contestant won some other kykNET show a long time ago and they didn't want to embarrass kykNET, but when we walked out, a lot of the audience was talking about it".

"People who sat on the contestant's side of the audience said they thought they heard he was given an R125 000 question by mistake instead of something like R25 000."

Lindi Lucouw of Red Pepper Pictures and executive producer of the third season of the game show, in response to a media query confirmed that filming of episode 10 of Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? "was paused due to a typo on the contestant's screen".

Lucouw stressed that "The contestant did not receive a new question nor any help from the producer that followed the correct protocol for such an incident."

"The question in question, which was Who was the architect that designed the St Paul's Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace?, wasn't wrong, however, there was a typo in one of the possible answers on the screen in front of the contestant."

"Instead of Christopher Wren, which was one of the answer options, it was put forward as Christoper (without an "h") Wren."

"Despite the typo, Rian pronounced 'Christopher' correctly. The typo was picked up by the team and the game was immediately paused in order for the producer to alert the contestant. The game continued and the contestant chose the right answer having used two of his lifelines."

"During the rest of the episode the contestant advanced to question 12 but stumbled and walked away with R50 000," Locouw said. 

"The handling of the matter was ratified by an independent auditor who was on set, while it was also approved by the international format holders."

Asked how many times this has happened before, Lucouw said that "a substitute question was not given in this instance and it has never happened in the 104 episodes recorded thus far of the kykNET version of Wie word ‘n Miljoenêr?. The auditors' reports can verify this".

The show also points out that the questions to contestants are automated by a computer and are set to the specific parameters of each monetary amount.

Suzaan Keyter, senior manager for publicity for premium channels at M-Net, added that "Incidents like this rarely happen but if it does occur the guidelines, as stipulated in the international format bible, is used to manage the situation and ensure that it is resolved in a fair way".

"Game show formats often make use of on-set auditors to ensure the rules of the game are followed. It is not uncommon for a game to be paused while filming."