New 27th season of SABC2's Afrikaans magazine show, Pasella, adds former Idols winner Sasha-Lee Davids as presenter.

SABC2's Afrikaans lifestyle magazine show Pasella will return for a 27th season on Wednesday at 19:30 adding the former Idols winner, Sasha-Lee Davids as one of the new presenters.

The SABC's longest-running Afrikaans magazine produced by Tswelopele Productions keeps Paul Rothmann and Simon Witbooi, known as HemelBesem, as presenters, and is adding fellow rapper Rumarcques Gelderbloem known as Oxijin, actress Amalia Uys, known for her role as Sanmarie on the SABC2 soap 7de Laan, as well as Sasha-Lee Davids who was the co-winner in 2009 of the 5th season of Idols on M-Net.

Pasella is the first of the longrunning SABC2 prime time shows getting a refresh and that has to lift sagging ratings.

Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, last month told parliament that the SABC is working at reversing the viewership slides at its SABC2 and SABC3 TV channels.

"SABC2 also had its own problems from 2014 coming this way - it has had 6 major schedule changes - so it has dropped some of its share and would like to see a targeted increase from a 13% share to 15%."

"We are also looking at some of the key properties that are under-performing in the prime time timeslots on SABC2 and we are also going to be reviewing those."

"From a SABC2 point of view we really want to continue to entrench the positioning of SABC2 as a family channel, which is really focused on nation-building and social cohesion," Nomsa Philiso said.

The 27th season of Pasella will showcase things in three, for instance locations, experiences and subjects that all share a common thread. The show will for instance cover three of South Africa’s most interesting train trips, will be exploring three out of the ordinary South African breakaway accommodations and visit some of South Africa’s top animal hotels.

As before, as Pasella visits various places around South Africa, it will do it with local personalities, share recipes and talk to people behind some of the most innovative and creative locations.

Some of the entertainers that will be featured in the new Pasella season include personalities like actors Frank Rautenbach and Jill Levenberg; the Idols winner Paxton Fielies, the singer Claire Johnston and radio DJ Martin Bester. 

The show will also spend some time with local sport stars like Dillyn Leyds, Jaco Coetzee, EW Viljoen and Scarra Ntubeni and this season will also include stories of some inspiring South Africans.

Simon Witbooi appointed as channel head of Afrikaans community channel OnseTV on StarSat.

Simon Witbooi also known as Hemelbesem has been appointed as channel head of the Afrikaans community channel OnseTV that recently launched on StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat satellite pay-TV platform.

Simon Witbooi, an artist, musician and poet who has also been a presenter on SABC2's Afrikaans magazine show Pasella, doesn't have any discernible broadcast management experience.

OnseTV launched on StarSat on channel 462 on 29 September.

"The management of OnseTV is very pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Witbooi to the position of channel head for OnseTV effective from November this year," says Jaco Ferreira, OnseTV CEO in a statement.

OnseTV says Simon Witbooi "posesses highly developed skill and understanding of digital content application in both the linear broadcasting as well as IP environments".

Little is known about OnseTV.

Neither StarSat nor OnseTV bothered to share with media any content plans or programming-specific line-ups or any programmatic publicity material.

Pasella returns to SABC2 on Friday 13 February at 18:00; adds new presenter Simon Witbooi 'Hemel Besem'.

The longrunning Afrikaans magazine show Pasella returns on Friday to SABC2 in a new timeslot of 18:00 with a new format and a new presenter Simon Witbooi, known as "Hemel Besem".

Pasella used to run uninterrupted all year round on SABC2 until March 2013 when the SABC decided the show will be broken into capped shorter seasons and will have to alternate with other programming on SABC2.

Pasella which has weathered multiple day and timeslot changes over 16 years is once again moving to a new day and timeslot from 13 February with a new 30-minute format.

Pasella, produced by Tswelopele Productions from Cape Town, does retain presenters like actress Crystal-Donna Roberts, model and former school teacher and Mr South Africa Dieter Voigt, former Miss South Africa Melinda Bam, Paul Rothmann, Charlene Lackay and singer Lynelle Kenned.

The magazine show will once again explore South Africa, visiting people and doing profile inserts, giving décor and DIY advice and share recipes.

Friday's first new Pasella episode explores the history of the Bainskloofpas and talks to Tim Theron, Heinz Winckler and Milan Murray from the film Mooirivier. Paul and Crystal-Donna celebrate Valentine's Day by cooking a romantic dinner, the show visits Langkloof Roses to learn about different varieties of roses and Dieter goes on the Sundays River Cruise in the Eastern Cape.