Coronavirus: South Africa starts new Covid-19 Film and Television Relief Fund to help struggling workers, Netflix donates R8.3 million as industry bodies ask more companies to contribute.

by Thinus Ferreira

A new Covid-19 Film and Television Relief Fund is being set up to help struggling workers in South Africa's film and TV industry, with Netflix donating some of its $150 million set aside to help the global film and TV industry during the Covid-19 pandemic to South Africa, and with local industry bodies asking for more companies to donate to this new fund.

Netflix has decided to donate R8.3 million to the new Covid-19 Film and Television Relief Fund that is being established by the South African Screen Federation (SASFED).

SASFED, supported by the Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) will establish this Covid-19 Film and Television Relief Fund in collaboration with Netflix to provide emergency relief to the hardest-hit workers in South Africa’s film and TV industry.

This Covid-19 Film and Television Relief Fund will be administered by Tshikululu Social Investment that will screen the applications for eligibility as well as disburse the funds to beneficiaries.

This Covid-19 Film and Television Relief Fund will provide a one-time emergency relief grant to behind-the-scenes workers such as electricians, carpenters, hair and make-up artists, drivers, costume designers and many other freelancers who are paid hourly wages and work on a project-to-project basis.

These workers will be eligible to apply online for the R15 000 one-time benefit from 3 August 2020 at Tshikululu’s website (tshikululu.org.za) or would also be able to mail in a physical application. The eligibility criteria will be posted on Tshikululu’s website on 3 August 2020 when applications open.

In March the pay-TV operator MultiChoice announced that it had decided to set aside R80 million to pay the salaries and wages of workers in the collective film and TV industry in South Africa as well as across sub-Saharan Africa. SuperSport said it would pay freelancers working on productions.

In a statement announcing the new Covid-19 Film and Television Relief Fund with funding from Netflix, Unathi Malunga, SASFED executive director, says "SASFED is delighted about the announcement that the COVID-19 Film and Television Relief Fund will provide relief for workers in the film and TV sector who are not eligible for other available relief funds".

"The South African economy has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Netflix fund supporting the local film industry brings hope to struggling industry professionals."

"We hope other potential partners will follow Netflix's example and support SASFED’s broader initiatives which offer assistance to industry professionals across the whole value chain - an initiative undertaken by industry, for the industry. SASFED applauds Netflix's support of the local industry during the global crisis."

Sisanda Henna, IPO co-chairperson, says "Following months of extreme hardship for most of our sector, the IPO is overjoyed that Netflix is providing this desperately-needed relief for those most hard hit by the pandemic – the industry’s below-the-line freelancers to whom no other relief has been available".

"This is a clear demonstration of Netflix’s commitment to the sustainability of the South African film and TV production industry, and we welcome them – with wide open arms – as a partner in our broader efforts to support the screen sector."

Dorothy Ghettuba, Netflix's Amsterdam-based boss for Netflix Originals from Africa, says "We’re proud to be working with SASDED and the IPO to support the hardest-hit workers in TV and film production".

"South African crews are vital to Netflix’s success and we want to help those freelancers who most need support in these unprecedented times."

SABC1 adds new 13-episode Sunday night Agent football drama series with Kay Sibiya and Sisanda Henna.

by Thinus Ferreira

SABC1 is adding a new local drama series, Agent, to Sunday nights from 8 March revolving around an egotistical football star and his unpredictable and volatile agent, played by Sisanda Henna and Kay Sibiya.

The 13-episode hourlong series that starts on Sunday 8 March at 21:30 on SABC was produced as a co-production between Cinebar Studios and Canal+ International and was created and written by Athos Kyriakides who also does duty director duty alongside Sean Els and Jon Rabaud.

Agent, executive produced by Danie Halgryn and Andrea Habermeyer, explores some of the wheeling and dealing that goes on behind-the-scenes in the modern-day football industrial complex.

Within this world filled with sociopathic rival agents, megalomaniac club owners, scheming professional football players and their gold-digging football wags, compromised club managers, and duplicitous witch-doctors, everyone shamelessly hustle and negotiate inside the corridors of power of the beautiful game.

Sisanda Henna portrays Lesego "Ace" Moleko, one of the biggest strikers in South Africa with an ego that knows no bounds. Lurching from one scandal to the next, he wears the number 9 shirt while his personalised number plate reads "God".

Slindile "Blaze" Magoba (Kay Sibiya) is a former professional football player whose career ended prematurely due to an injury but reinvented himself as a fierce and mercurial soccer agent who cares about his clients. He's however wrestling with a "fatal secret" that he buried 6 years ago.

Ace is Blaze's number one client but also his biggest headache.

The rest of the Agent cast includes Pamela Nomvete (Godi Zulu), Zweli Dube (Phumlani Mbebe), Tarryn Wyngaard (Nathalie Isaacs), Makgotso M (Delilah Skosana), Paballo Moganedi (Kim Moyo) and Owen Sejake in the role of Walter Mbebe.

Other cast members include Manie Malone (Nina Sankara), Thabo Malema (Vuyo Moyo), Robert Mpisi (Monte Skosana), Virgile Bramly (Jean-Pierre Yasbeck), Yannick Konan (Herve Toure), Michaella Russell (Mila Dior), Vinaya Sungkur (Jade Singh) Sarah Kozlowski (Zoe Zante) and Gabriella Cirillo (Jackie East).

Anthony Oseyemi plays the character of Christopher Kilembe, a powerful sports lawyer who is ruthless and relentless.

Set in Johannesburg and written by Athos Kyriakides, Nonzi Bogatsu, Elan Gamaker and Salah Sabiti, Agent includes a vintage 70's funk soundtrack mixed with psychedelic alternative ballads and contemporary African and South African hip hop.

All You Need Is ... Professionalism as SABC1 and Endemol South Africa replace Sisanda Henna with the kwaito star Tshepo Mosese.

SABC1 and Endemol South Africa which has unprofessionally dumped the All You Need is Love presenter Sisanda Henna after 3 episodes since reviving the tired and basically cancelled format show for a new fifth season, has now replaced him with Tshepo Mosese who is also known as the kwaito star Howza.

In an embarrassing turn of events, SABC1 and Endemol SA fired Sisanda Henna after he already appeared on-screen and without making sure that before the new All You Need is Love started, that they had the "right" person they wanted. Now Tshepo Mosese is suddenly taking over and will make his first appearance on Tuesday 19 June on SABC1.

SABC1 says All You Need is Love which basically disappeared in 2007, "requires a strong personality" - which by implication means that SABC1 is not of the opinion that Sisanda Henna has or had a personality strong enough for All You Need is Love.

Vukile Madlala, SABC1's head of publicity, says Tshepo Mosese "resonates well" with SABC1 viewers. "We believe the viewers will be very pleased with Howza," says Endemol SA, without going into any detail or explanations as to why Sisanda Henna was blatantly dismissed from the show after production on the new fifth season started.

It's not the first time All You Need Is Love became All You Need Is a New Presenter. Hlomla Dandala was the first presenter of the dating reality show who got fired after the end of the first season. Zwai Bala took over for the second season after Tumisho Masha who was offered the job first, refused it out of friendship with Hlomla Dandala which Endemol SA producers were clueless about.

Zwai Bala made way for Tshepo Mabona in the third season of All You Need Is Love. In the fourth season Aubrey Poo suddenly became the presenter. Vanessa Jansen who appeared in the first four season as a co-presenter is also not part of the fifth season.