Media24's lifestyle TV channel VIA expands into scripted genre producing a new Afrikaans streaming soap Die Testament for Netwerk24.

Netwerk24 is adding a new video streaming soap in Afrikaans, Die Testament (The Will), with the 65-episodes that will run for 5 minutes each and that will be released, one per day, from Monday 2 September.

Die Testament, produced by Wolf Baby Productions, is primarily being filmed at Maison Noir in Hout Bay, Cape Town, with production oversight by Media24's Afrikaans lifestyle channel VIA (DStv 147) as executive producer.

Die Testament was created by Nicole Bailey, Gerhard Mostert (director) and Alex Burger, with Alex Burger as head writer.

The story revolves around a wealthy family shocked by the death of the patriarch. An ambitious older brother, a peacemaker sister and a rebel brother come together with their dad's young lover for the reading of the will - and a flurry of unexpected surprises await.

Die Testament will run for three months until 29 November behind Netwerk24's paywall with the cast including Nico Panagio (as "perfect" son Bastian Weyers), Rolanda Marais (sister Annchen Weyers) and Andahr Cotton (younger musician brother Jacques Weyers), Amrain Ismail-Essop (the patriarch's lover Sandra Maritz), including appearances by actors like Sandra Prinsloo as the loan-shark Natasja Ludick.

A new episode will be released at 08:00 on weekdays, with users who will be able to binge-watch or catch up over weekends.

"Out of all of our projects this one excites me most," says Henriëtte Loubser, Netwerk24 editor. 

"More people are streaming TV entertainment and it just makes sense that we also offer it as part of our package - in a flash format of 5 minutes per episode in order for people to fit it into their day and can watch it in any place on their computer or smartphone".

"I couldn't put the script of Die Testament down when I started reading it. Our partner VIA, together with the production company, is ensuring a first-class product."

Henriëtte Loubser says "Digital platforms offer so much more opportunities than just the written word. Worldwide digital news services are using these opportunities to talk to their audiences through audio, video and the like".

"Netwerk24 is a platform for breaking news, but it is also an Afrikaans destination site - showcasing the content of popular Afrikaans magazines in digital format. We are not only about news, we are also about lifestyle and entertainment."

"It made sense to use the expertise available within Media24’s Afrikaans TV channel, VIA, to broaden our offer to include TV-like entertainment in the form of a soapie, a genre that is very popular among Afrikaans audiences."

"The soapie is produced specifically for Netwerk24, taking into account our audience’s preferences and habits, and the episodes of 5 minutes each is ideal for a digital platform, making it easy for people to watch anywhere and anytime, on any device."

Izelle Venter, VIA channel head, says "because VIA is limited to content in the lifestyle genre, we thought of a plan to spread our wings in the wonderful world of scripted television".

"Week after week TV ratings show how people love soaps. We created this online soap to fit in with the fast world of digital content. With Netwerk24 as one of our media sisters if was unavoidable synergy."

"The enormous amount of television and video content available online make viewer choice almost more difficult. We want to make it easier and more enjoyable for Afrikaans audiences - here is a fun story of 5 minutes every weekday that you can watch while you're waiting for the water in the kettle to boil or waiting for the kids at rugby practice," says Izelle Venter.

HBO's Cinemax has joined the Cape Town filmed co-production of Deon Meyer's Trackers drama series done by M-Net and Germany's ZDF.

HBO's Cinemax TV channel has also joined South Africa's M-Net and Germany's ZDF in their co-production of the Cape Town filmed drama series based on Deon Meyer's crime-and-spy book Trackers.

M-Net announced Trackers in February 2018, based on Deon Meyer's 7th book.

While M-Net will show Trackers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan African on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, ZDF will show it in Germany while Cinemax gets the remaining worldwide rights for the United States and areas beyond Africa and Germany.

The 6-episode Trackers, produced by Three River Studios in the United Kingdom and Studio 23, will start on M-Net (DStv 101) in October 2019 and will also be available on MultiChoice's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, Showmax.

Trackers as an action-thriller revolves around an international terrorist plot in Cape Town, South Africa and an extended conspiracy involving organized crime, smuggled diamonds, state security, Black Rhinos, and the CIA.

The British writer Robert Thorogood is the showrunner with Deon Meyer as supervising screenwriter and co-producer. Jyri Kähönen is the director of all Trackers episodes with Ivan Strasburg as director of photography.

The team of South African writers on Trackers includes the screenwriter and director Amy Jephta as well as writer-directors Kelsey Egen and Jozua Malherbe.

The Trackers cast includes Ed Stoppard, Rolanda Marais, James Alexander, Thapelo Mokoena and James Gracie, among others.

James Alexander plays the character of Lemmer, a man seeking revenge while rebuilding his life in a small town after his career was destroyed during an operation for the Presidential Bureau of Intelligence (PBI).

Rolanda Marais is the "unlikely heroine" Milla Strachan, an abused Cape Town housewife who becomes a data analyst for the PBI and finds herself at the centre of the conspiracy.

Ed Stoppard is Lukas Becker, an alleged CIA operative.

"The trailblazing and massively exciting co-production of Trackers illustrates M–Net's vision and commitment to shine the spotlight on the African film and television industry and provide fresh, proudly African narratives to our viewers as well as global audiences," says Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO of general entertainment.

"It is also taking our longstanding relationship with Cinemax to the next level, allowing local and international talent to combine their world-class story-telling and production skills."

"Trackers is an unprecedented scripted television venture and MultiChoice and M-Net are proud to chart out new territory with all the game-changing players involved in this co-production."

Len Amato, president of HBO films, miniseries and Cinemax, says "Cinemax is delighted to partner with M-Net and ZDF in bringing Deon Meyer's unforgettable characters and storytelling - all so richly rooted in the people and spectacular geography of South Africa - to screens around the world".

Besides Cape Town, M-Net says filming for Trackers has already started in "exotic locations" across South Africa and that M-Net, ZDF and Cinemax have been working together on all aspects of production – from developing and casting, to assembling the crew and approving the final content.

BREAKING. Reynardt Hugo, Rolanda Marais, Ramsey Short and Hykie Berg all leaving the kykNET soap Binneland.

Hykie Berg, Reynardt Hugo, Ramsey Short and Rolanda Marais are all gonners from the soap Binneland on kykNET (DStv 111) the production tells me - which looked to keep the news quiet for a while longer.

All four actors - all of them part of the show since the beginning except for Hykie Berg who joined the Stark Productions Afrikaans soap later - are gonners. Viewers will see all four leave the show within the next two months.

Binneland tells me Ramsay Short is going to Canada for America's annual TV pilot season. He got a work permit for Canada and the USA. I don't know what Hykie Berg is up to.

Rolanda Marais is after seven years tired of the role (after appearing in the movie Wolwedans in die Skemer). Reynardt Hugo is currently shooting the musical Pretville and for the rest of the year the actor who's also a musician wants to concentrate on this growing music career as part of the band Adam (which was nominated for 3 Ghoema awards).

''It's the nature of the biz that actors search greener pastures,'' quips another show insider at the soap to me. ''They want to spread their wings and see what else is out there.''