Moja Love cuts legal aid to murder-accused Xolani Khumalo as his foundation got ‘enriched by proceeds of crime’.

by Thinus Ferreira

After finally distancing itself on Friday from its now-notorious former vigilante justice TV presenter Xolani Khumalo who stands accused of murder and cutting off its legal aid to him, the South African tabloid television channel Moja Love (DStv 157) late on Friday night said Sizok'thola isn't cancelled but will get a new presenter while alluding that Khumalo's foundation with unknown beneficiaries allegedly benefitted from "the proceeds of crime".

After firing him, Moja Love will now no longer pay for legal support for Xolani Khumalo in his alleged torture and murder case. 

Sizok'thola is however not cancelled, with the show becoming the latest on Moja Love's schedule line-up which will be undergoing a presenter change following a real-life scandal, while the production gets retooled to "strengthen its procedures".

The latest controversy engulfing Moja Love stems from the death of an alleged drug dealer who died during the filming of an episode of Sizok'thola in Katlehong in July.

The Siyaya TV-run channel - notorious for tabloid local programming that constantly pushes the edge but that results in massive South African TV ratings - found viewership success with Sizok'thola fronted by Xolani Khumalo who became a television hero until the alleged TV torture and murder revelations shocked Moja Love executives and the viewing public. 

Xolani Khumalo is accused of murder and will appear in court in 2024 over allegations that he and a vigilante gang involved in the production of Sizok'thola tortured the man to death to elicit confessions of guilt for the show, that hunts alleged drug dealers and corrupt community citizens.

Xolani Khumalo couldn't be reached late on Friday night following Moja Love's statement but comment will be added here when received.

After saying on Friday afternoon that Moja Love had decided to dump Khumalo and will no longer work or support him - meaning that Moja Love will no longer be on his side in his upcoming murder case - Moja Love on Friday night said that it decided to split with the controversial presenter "after raising concerns and questioning him about his knowledge and involvement in the unlawful incidents that led to the possible contamination of crime scenes, failed prosecutions of known drug lords and unfortunate tragedies that followed the filming of certain episodes".

Moja Love spokesperson Nonzwakazi Cekete says the channel also demanded answers regarding the identities of the beneficiaries of his Xolani Khumalo Foundation which he launched off the back of

Sizok'thola's success "despite the blatant conflict of interest it created between him and the show".

"Moja Love has always been cautious to ensure that it abides by the strict letter of the law. To this end, the channel continues to work closely with the South African Police Service to ensure that no person enriches themselves from the proceeds of crimes which are perpetuated by greedy individuals masquerading as non-profit organisations."

Moja Love says it became clear that the channel's relationship with Xolani Khumalo "had permanently broken down when he could not provide the channel with satisfactory answers to its questions and

when further information, which the channel is not at liberty to disclose at this stage, came to light".

"The channel had been providing legal and financial support to Xolani Khumalo prior to the termination and it will continue to foster an environment of integrity, trust and respect," Moja Love says.

"Xolani Khumalo's claims that he was not formally informed of the termination are false and untruthful. He was duly informed by the channel's management but failed to respond. As a channel, we cannot turn a blind eye to reports of injuries or death during filming of any of our shows and we eagerly await the outcome of the legal case that is currently in court."

According to Moja Love, the channel "has decided not to comment any further on sensitive issues in order to have due respect to culture and to show respect to the families of those who may have been affected as we wait for the law to take its course."

"Moja Love remains steadfast in wanting to create content like Sizok'thola in order to rid our society of drug dealers roaming the streets and killing the future of our country," the TV channel says.

Moja Love says that Sizok'thola "has not been cancelled but has been paused so that the channel can strengthen its procedures and authority to avoid any further unfortunate incidents or loss of lives".

Fired Jub Jub takes Moja Love to court for R100 million after his R510 000 monthly payment ends and his debit orders bounce.

by Thinus Ferreira

After Siyaya TV axed Molemo Maarohanye known as Jub Jub over alleged unprofessional and offensive behaviour and ended his R510 000 monthly payment causing his debit orders to bounce, the controversial presenter is now taking Moja Love to court demanding almost R100 million.

Moja Love (DStv 157) effectively fired Jub Jub who has been the presenter of its tabloid trash cheaters reality show Uyajola 9/9 which has been a hit on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, surging in the ratings to become the second-most-watched show on subscription television some months.

The City Press newspaper first reported about Moja Love's axing of Jub Jub after he allegedly damaged the brand of Moja Love and the image and relationship of Moja Love's biggest funder, the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela tribal community when he allegedly caused the implosion and cancellation of the Moses Kotane Arts Festival in December 2022.

Moja Love decided to terminate their working relationship with Jub Jub, who this week went to court, demanding millions of rand from Moja Love.

On Monday Jub Jub filed an application in the Johannesburg High Court against Moja Love CEO Aubrey Tau and Siyaya TV after he had sent a letter of demand for his monthly payment of R510 000 from Moja Love.

"It is obligatory and in terms of the contract that my salary is deposited directly into my bank account on a monthly basis. To my surprise, I learnt that at the end of January to even up to 2 February 2023, I had not received my salary," the court filing states.

"All attempts to call the second respondent (Aubrey Tau) and the legal adviser of the channel never yielded any results."

"At his point in time, debit orders were being returned unpaid. I did not know the reasons for this conduct of the first respondent (Moja Love) through the second respondent." 

In addition, Jub Jub wants R2 million in damages from Moja Love for the "expected renewal" of his contract, arguing that Uyajola 9/9 is extremely popular and has high ratings on DStv, leading to the conclusion that the show would continue with him as presenter.

Jub Jub also alleges that his contract stipulated that he should be paid a performance bonus of at least R20 000, overdue for 2021 and 2022, amounting to R50 000 in total.

Furthermore, Jub Jub wants R72 million from Moja Love for using his song as the channel's soundtrack in Uthando Noxolo, the show he originally presented on Moja Love.

"I have not been compensated in a form of goodwill nor as royalties for my song, notwithstanding various agreements to do so on various occasions," Jub Jub claims.

Jub Jub further demands R10 million for the use of his image on Moja Love billboards across South Africa, and another R18 million from Moja Love from the belief that his contract would have been extended for another 5 years.

"I shall further seek relief for payment for being co-producer of the show, Uyajola 9/9. By virtue of the oral agreement between myself and the second respondent, such amount is due and payable immediately,” the filed court papers state.

Jub Jub couldn't be reached for comment.

Bokani Moyo, head of Moja Love channels, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that "Jub Jub is an independent contractor and therefore cannot be dismissed as he is not a permanent employee of the channel".

"Moja Love is also not at liberty to discuss the contents of his contract as it is confidential and of a privileged nature."

Siyaya TV and MultiChoice adding Moja 9.9 as Moja Love spin-off channel from 16 June for lower-tiered DStv subscribers, adds new youth talk show Start Somewhere.

by Thinus Ferreira

Siyaya TV and MultiChoice will be launching Moja 9.9 (DStv 158) as a spin-off repeat channel of the existing Moja Love channel on 16 June, repositioning and repeating already-seen content of the Moja Love channel for lower-tiered DStv subscribers.

Moja 9.9 will become available to DStv Access subscribers only, with Moja Love that has been available over the past 3 years for DStv Premium to DStv Family subscribers with a popular blend of conflict-driven lifestyle-reality content with a firm tabloid slant.

The name of the Moja 9.9 channel spin-off derives from the slang word "moja" meaning "everything is good" while the "9.9" means confronting truth, similar to the hugely popular Uyajola 99 cheater-tabloid reality show.

Siyaya TV says that the name of Moja 9.9 "is aligned to the content it will deliver, which mainly mirrors what is happening in our communities and resonates with the channel's target audience.  The 24-hour channel will be filled with locally produced shows and primarily targeted at women, with a spillover of male audiences".

Aubrey Tau, Siyaya TV CEO, says "Ten years ago, our team began to imagine what a channel, inspired by our vision and values, could mean to viewers across Mzansi. In an increasingly crowded landscape, Moja Love has emerged as one of the leading destinations for viewers across TV screens".

"Creating the Moja Love brand and seeing it flourish, supported by the talented team that includes the channel head, exco, executive producers, producers, editors, crews working with a group of the finest storytellers and creators in television, is one of Siyaya TV proudest achievements as a black-owned company."

"We are thrilled about the channel's success and excited about the next chapter, the launch of the second channel, Moja 9.9, in partnership with MultiChoice. We will continue to inspire our viewers with rave, real stories that are relatable and resonate with audience."

Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO of General Entertainment and Connected Video, says "Moja 9.9 adds to the already vibrant content available on DStv Access and is sure to spark conversations and debates for many viewers".

"DStv customers who are on the DStv Access package can look forward to watching some of South Africa’s most-talked about local shows that were previously on Moja Love (DStv 157). All this great content will only be available to DStv Access subscribers, allowing more South Africans to enjoy the best of local content that DStv has to offer."

Start Somewhere is a new debate show that will start on 16 June and that will be shown on both Moja Love and Moja 9.9 and that will "touch on thought-provoking topics around challenges that young people face". 

Moja Love says that young viewers "will be given sage advice from mentors and social influencers on how to pursue their ambitions".

Dr Vuyokazi Mahlati, chairperson and founding member of Siyaya TV's Moja Love channel dies just days after her 55th birthday.

by Thinus Ferreira

Dr Vuyokazi Mahlati, the executive chairperson and one of the founding members of Siyaya TV's Moja Love (DStv 157) TV channel available on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform has died. She was 55.

Dr Vuyo Mahlati, who was born on 13 September 1965, was also the president of the African Farmers Association of SA (Afasa), and was the former chairperson of the advisory land reform panel appointed by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

She died, in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a short, undisclosed illness just 6 days after her 55th birthday and leaves behind her husband Gil and her 2 children Siseko and Lilitha.

In an interview with Fair Lady magazine in 2017 she is quoted as saying "There's me as the mother, wife and daughter, and that's my centre. Around that, there are a lot of innovations, but they're basically in two areas: the policy activism work and the entrepreneurial side."

"As a child I'd grow little avocado trees from the pips, knowing that those trees would be something in the future. I've always thought of what I can do beyond the present." 

Dr Vuyokazi Mahlati was also a member of South Africa's National Planning Commission and the owner of Africa’s first indigenous wool processing plant in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape.

"It is with profound sadness that the Moja Love family received notice of the passing of our executive chairperson and one of our founder members, Dr Vuyo Mahlati. We mourn with her family and friends. Our hearts are heavy with grief," Moja Love said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

"Dr Vuyo, as she was affectionately known in the Moja Love and Siyaya TV community was a core member and driver of the team that developed the concept and business plan for the Siyaya television business and eventually the Moja Love channel," says Moja Love.

"She was the moral compass for the business that set out to speak to South Africa in a quite different voice and in the plurality of language and cultures that is our beautiful country."

"Dr Vuyo offered her brand of compassionate wisdom and guidance to the operational team on a regular basis. She was also a stern voice of reason and caution when the team would veer off course."

"Her contribution, wisdom, passion, and spirit will be deeply missed by the shareholders, board of directors, management and employees of Siyaya TV and Moja Love. Her seat at our table will remain empty but she will remain in our hearts forever," says Moja Love.

Moja Love says that Dr Vuyokazi Mahlati will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended only by family.

The family will soon thereafter arrange a memorial service where as many people as may be accommodated under South Africa's Covid-19 regulations will be able to attend, with the arrangements that will be made known in due course.

TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. So, the Moja Love channel on DStv held a content showcase event and it was basically perfect - with 2 things that were a pleasant surprise and positives for SA's TV biz.

Last week the Moja Love (DStv 157) TV channel held its first-ever content showcase - and it was ... basically perfect.

The only piece of criticism would be that the Moja Love 2019 Content Showcase started late and after the stipulated time on the invitation, which forced me to get up and leave during the actual presentation to race to the airport to catch a flight. 

It wasn't possible to hear and see everything about the Moja Love presentation until the end; I didn't get a USB with the programming material and images, couldn't grab even the slightest bite to eat, and it was impossible to do individual interviews or ask more questions than the one I managed to ask during the presentation.

Besides this single negative, the Moja Love 2019 Content Showcase set-up and execution was exactly correct, precisely how it should be done, and incorporated and had everything it should have.

It perfectly contained, by-the-book, all of the elements that a TV channel's upfront and showcase event for the media should have.

There were banners outside and inside the lounge area of the venue, as well as inside the auditorium, there were snacks and drinks and flowers, a step-and-repeat backdrop banner for on-air talent photo opportunities, and the media got press material on a USB (although I didn't get one due to being forced to leave before the end because of time).

Moja Love found and used a perfect theatre venue with a stage (the Yamaha World of Yamaha Theatre in Sandton, Johannesburg), and worked hard and put in a proper effort to get the relevant media covering television from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban to the showcase event.

Moja Love used one of its current shows' talents (Penny Lebyane) as the moderator, had Moja Love executives in attendance and on-stage to talk, had someone from MultiChoice on-stage to talk, and showed a sizzle reel played in two parts.

Moja Love had the assembled group of its on-screen talent from its various shows all beautifully dressed up and walking out on-stage to sit and answer questions. The presentation also had a break with a live performance.

While I wish that Moja Love and MultiChoice did just this and exactly this and in this way in the weeks before it launched in February 2018 - something which would have helped the media tremendously and have ensured that the press could do a lot more about Moja Love's programming line-up as it launched on DStv - I'm hugely appreciative that Moja Love did do a content showcase eventually, and did do it now.

Two things surprised me about the Moja Love 2019 Content Showcase, and both are extremely positive. It bodes well for Moja Love, as well as in general for the "future" of South Africa's TV industry and TV channels, and the development of the process of interaction with the press covering them.

Firstly: I'm wondering who knows, who knew, or who at Moja Love either themselves have attended physically an upfront or content showcase in America of a TV channel or of a studio's shows before - or who had studied up about and researched it in detail.

Moja Love, that has been broadcasting for only 14 months, got it too impossibly absolutely right.

If you haven't physically and personally experienced an upfront or showcase event of one of the American TV studios or TV channels - or a set visit - it's very difficult to understand and practically recreate so exactly what it is and what it should be.

What Moja Love did with its 2019 Content Showcase is like going to the Olympics for your first time and winning a gold medal.

It's extremely difficult if not almost impossible to focus, shut out the noise and end in first place the first time - when its a new experience and a new learning experience and where adjusting to everything around you and mastering it, has an impact on the quality of the performance.

It's really great that Siyaya TV has within it the human capital in South Africa to know how to do something like a basic content showcase for the Moja Love TV channel and to do it properly, correctly and exactly like how America's TV biz has perfected doing it, as part of its external communication system.

By saying "America" I also don't mean that Moja Love or anything in South Africa needs to be, or is "American".

What it refers to is a qualitative measure - a benchmark of "best practice" regarding something, with the American TV industry that established long ago how and what the standard for the execution of an upfront or content showcase for a TV channel or a TV studio's content slate is.

Secondly, and somewhat linking to the first, but on a different layer, is that it's surprising (a great, positive surprise!) that this is a black company and a TV channel targeting a predominantly black viewing audience, that is doing something like a content showcase and getting it right - in a much better way than a VIA or a Viu or a kykNET, Openview, TRACE or MYtv.

Many established and/or so-called "white" and/or so-called "old-school" and/or long-running companies and TV channels within the South African TV industry have never even bothered - places that think they're better or best with nothing to learn or to improve on.

By merely doing a content showcase (and then in addition in exactly the right mould), Moja Love - irrespective of audience size, its look, and what you might think of the content, or the quality of programming - is better than channels and services like Newzroom Afrika, CNBC Africa, Netflix South Africa, StarSat, Showmax, Cell C black and several others who couldn't be bothered putting its stars and shows in front of the media at a basic content showcase despite some being in operation for years.

Well done to Moja Love for doing a content showcase for the media and in a proper way.

While there wasn't one when the channel launched, it's hopefully something Moja Love sees or will see as being just as valuable as what the media regards it to be, and something that it hopefully, maybe, feels that it wants to do once a year.

Slowly other South African broadcasters, channels and operators might just awake from their slumber and start to follow in aspects like these where younger black players in South African television are showing them how, and starting to lead the way.


ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 24 photos of Moja Love's 2019 Content Showcase.
ALSO READ: The Moja Love 2019 Content showcase sizzle reel.
ALSO READ: Big revamp for second season of Show Me Love starting 3 June on Moja Love; local talk show to broadcast live, add politics, with new location, new studio, new panellists and more daring content. 
ALSO READ: With daring, boundary-pushing reality shows, the Moja Love channel on DStv says it's aspiring "to innovate, to change and challenge the South African TV landscape". 
ALSO READ: New Moja Love conflict reality show exposing cheating lovers, Uyajola 9/9, is "not for the faint-hearted" warns presenter Jub Jub. 
ALSO READ: After delays, the reality show, Zodwa Wabantu Uncensored, is starting on Moja Love on Saturday 25 May as the Vosho Queen gives viewers a glimpse of her surreal life with a "16-ish" age restriction. 
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. For a channel with 'love' in its name, Moja Love's content is built on a collection of conflict. For how long will its viewers thirst to watch the fight?

After delays, the reality show, Zodwa Wabantu Uncensored, is starting on Moja Love on Saturday 25 May as the Vosho Queen gives viewers a glimpse of her surreal life with a '16-ish' age restriction.

Touted as South Africa's "most shocking reality show yet", Zodwa Wabantu Uncensored will start on Moja Love (DStv 157) on Saturday 25 May at 20:00.

After several production and scheduling delays, the reality show following the Vosho Queen and kasi socialite, Zodwa Wabantu, will give viewers a glimpse into her surreal life with her fiancé Ntobeko Linda.

Zodwa Wabantu Uncensored will retrace the Mzansi entertainer's journey from her birth to the public Zodwa personality that people know. "People will get to see where I was born and how I grew up. My family allowed me to bring cameras," says Zodwa.

At last week's Moja Love 2019 Content Showcase, one of the producers, when asked what the age restriction will be, said the show is "uncensored" but that it won't carry an age restriction of 18. "It will be 13. It will be 16-ish," he said.


ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 24 photos of Moja Love's 2019 Content Showcase.
ALSO READ: The Moja Love 2019 Content showcase sizzle reel.
ALSO READ: Big revamp for second season of Show Me Love starting 3 June on Moja Love; local talk show to broadcast live, add politics, with new location, new studio, new panellists and more daring content.
ALSO READ: With daring, boundary-pushing reality shows, the Moja Love channel on DStv says it's aspiring "to innovate, to change and challenge the South African TV landscape".
ALSO READ: New Moja Love conflict reality show exposing cheating lovers, Uyajola 9/9, is 'not for the faint-hearted' warns presenter Jub Jub. 
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. So, the Moja Love channel on DStv held a content showcase event and it was basically perfect - with 2 things that were a pleasant surprise and positives for SA's TV biz.
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. For a channel with 'love' in its name, Moja Love's content is built on a collection of conflict. For how long will its viewers thirst to watch the fight?

IN IMAGES. 24 photos of Moja Love's 2019 Content Showcase.

Last week the Moja Love (DStv 157) channel, run by Siyaya TV, held its first-ever Moja Love Content Showcase since the channel launched in February 2018 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Held at the World of Yamaha Theatre in Sandton, Johannesburg, Penny Lebyane who is the presenter of Kukithi La on the channel, was the moderator of Moja Love's 2019 content upfront.

Bokani Moyo, Moja Love's head of unscripted content, appeared on stage and spoke, as did Nwabisa Matyumza, MultiChoice's new head of content for Southern Africa.

The channel's various on-air talent from several shows were also seated on stage to answer some questions later during the presentation that include a sizzle reel.

Moja Love's current and upcoming weekly programming slate includes shows ranging from Rea Tsotella, Uthando Noxolo, No Excuse Pay Papgeld, Show Me Love, Bheka Mina Ngedwa, Kukithi La and Traditional Wedding, to Village Girls and the new reality shows Zodwa Wabantu: Uncensored and Uyajola 9/9 with presenter Jub Jub starting in May.

ALSO READ: The Moja Love 2019 Content showcase sizzle reel.

ALSO READ: With daring, boundary-pushing reality shows, the Moja Love channel on DStv says it's aspiring "to innovate, to change and challenge the South African TV landscape".

ALSO READ: Big revamp for second season of Show Me Love starting 3 June on Moja Love; local talk show to broadcast live, add politics, with new location, new studio, new panellists and more daring content.

ALSO READ: New Moja Love conflict reality show exposing cheating lovers, Uyajola 9/9, is 'not for the faint-hearted' warns presenter Jub Jub.

ALSO READ: After delays, the reality show, Zodwa Wabantu Uncensored, is starting on Moja Love on Saturday 25 May as the Vosho Queen gives viewers a glimpse of her surreal life with a '16-ish' age restriction.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. So, the Moja Love channel on DStv held a content showcase event and it was basically perfect - with 2 things that were a pleasant surprise and positives for SA's TV biz.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. For a channel with 'love' in its name, Moja Love's content is built on a collection of conflict. For how long will its viewers thirst to watch the fight?

Siyaya TV's new Moja Love channel on DStv hopes to lure female viewers with love and relationship programming.

The new Moja Love channel aimed at a black female viewership is starting today, on Valentine's Day at 17:30 with little fanfare on MultiChoice's DStv on channel 157, hoping to make inroads in a highly competitive TV landscape where competitors like Lifetime and Discovery Networks' TLC already exist.

With the obligatory local telenovela - every channel now starts one of these serialised staples - and a flurry of talk show and self help programmes loosely modeled on popular American daytime TV formats, Moja Love, produced and packaged by Siyaya TV, will predominantly focus on women's issues and relationships.

"Moja" meaning good or alright, is packaged for MultiChoice by Siyaya TV that got a pay-TV licence from the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) but failed to start it's own service, just like eSat that ended up producing eNCA for DStv.

Siyaya TV's Moja Love is made available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers and will run 24-hours per day with repeat blocks and have 22 shows including several new local productions.

New programmes will be broadcast between 17:00 and 22:30 daily on Moja Love with the rest of the late night and daytime schedule then consisting of repeats.

"For us at MultiChoice, it's important to offer our customers a range of different entertainment options and to provide a platform for local stories to be heard," says Yolisa Phahle, CEO for general entertainment at MultiChoice.

"Moja is a slang word that means 'everything is good' and while love is a universal emotion, Moja Love shall explore love from the unique perspective of the modern South African woman using honest, reflective, hopeful and humorous storytelling," says Jacqui Setai, Moja Love channel head.

New programmes on Moja Love include a new local weekday talk show, similar to The Real in America as a panel discussion show with women talking about female issues. Show Me Love will have KG Moeketsi, Unathi Msengana, Abigail Visagie and Nontobeko Sibisi as part of the panel.

Show Me Love that has been commissioned for 260 episodes will be broadcast on Moja Love on weekdays at 17:30 with a repeat on weekday mornings at 08:00.

"These dynamic hosts meet daily to schwashwata on every topic that concerns women at one time or another. With no topic off limits, the show provides a safe place for women to air any issue, in the company of their sistas," says Moja Love.

The local telenovela Hope with 208 episodes stars Nimrod Nkosi, as Pastor Buthelezi, a well-meaning pastor of a small congregation who is about to go through challenges when a new church opens up across the street. Hope will show on weekdays at 19:00.

"It sets in motion a story of love, deceit and betrayal, which unravels in the exciting world of

churches. As brother is pit against father, church members hide dark secrets, and pastors compete

for the soul of the community, take comfort that there is always hope in a dark world," says Moja Love.

Papgeld on Saturdays at 18:30 is an investigative reality show about children and will track fathers, and in some cases mothers, who are not living up to their parental responsibilities,

A spin-off show Let’s Talk Papgeld, Saturdays at 19:00 will try to help viewers with tips and guidelines from a range of experts and service providers in the social services and child maintenance sector.

Judge Khambule on Saturdays at 18:00 is a sitcom set in a courtroom that features characters caught up in various legal issues. Judge Khambule is played by Thenjiwe Mosley.

Other shows on Moja Love include Highly Inappropriate with Phat Joe, a reality beauty makeover show Beat, the sex advice show Thrills with Dr T, presented by sexologist Dr Tlaleng on Wednesdays at 21:00, and Sofa Slahlane, with the presenter and veteran journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika on Thursdays at 17:00.

Moja Love will also broadcast Sisters in Law, Food Police, Nairobi Diaries, Direct Flight, Amagugu, Curvy Girls and Nomakanji.

MultiChoice adds Moja Love as a new DStv channel; packaged by Siyaya TV and targeting black female viewers it will launch on Valentines Day with new locally produced shows.

MultiChoice is adding a channel, Moja Love, targeting a black female viewership from 14 February to its satellite pay-TV platform on DStv channel 157.

"Moja" meaning good or alright, is packaged for MultiChoice by Siyaya TV that got a pay-TV licence from the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) but failed to start it's own service, just like eSat that ended up producing eNCA for DStv.

Siyaya TV that secured exclusive soccer rights but resold it to the SABC, is now creating Moja Love that MultiChoice will make available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers from Valentines Day on 14 February.

The Sunday tabloid newspaper Sunday World first reported the launch of Moja Love. MultiChoice didn't respond to a media enquiry made about Moja Love on Sunday afternoon.

Moja Love will run 24-hours per day with repeat blocks and have 22 shows including several new local productions.

"For us at MultiChoice, it's important to offer our customers a range of different entertainment options and to provide a platform for local stories to be heard," says Yolisa Phahle, CEO for general entertainment at MultiChoice.

"Moja is a slang word that means 'everything is good' and while love is a universal emotion, Moja Love shall explore love from the unique perspective of the modern South African woman using honest, reflective, hopeful and humorous storytelling," says Jacqui Setai, Moja Love channel head.

New programmes on Moja Love include a new local weekday talk show, similar to The View in America as a panel discussion show with women talking about female issues. Show Me Love will have KG Moeketsi, Unathi Msengana, Abigail Visagie and Nontobeko Sibisi as part of the panel.

Show Me Love will be broadcast on Moja Love on weekdays at 17:00.

Phat Joe will be the presenter of Highly Inappropriate.

Bonang Matheba's former make-up artists Muzi Zuma will present a reality beauty show entitled Beat and a new telenovela Hope that will run Mondays to Wednesdays at 19:00 will star Nimrod Nkosi and Charmaine Mtinta.

Moja Love is also trying a sitcom in the form of Judge Khambule with Thenjuwe Mosley.

The investigative journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika will be the presenter of a new show on Show Me Love entitled Sofa Slahlane.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 6 July 2015.

True TRASH TV: How rivals SuperSport and StarTimes fought behind the scenes.
- First the truly trashy Sam Keengu Nyamweya, the president of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) signed a sponsorship deal with StarTimes as new media partner, then alleging that StarTimes will now show a soccer match between Kenya and Ethiopia in Nairobi.
- The only problem was that SuperSport had the rights to show it on DStv.
- Yet StarTimes blocked SuperSport from the stadium with armed police, and the former SuperSport executive and now StarTimes sport boss Gary Rathbone blatantly lied and said StarTimes would show the match. Gary Rathbone kept lying on social media to fans. The trashy Chinese StarTimes even bought full-page newspaper ads advertising they will show the match.
- Then SportFive, the sole marketing agent, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) got involved, blatantly telling StarTimes to back off, since SuperSport has the exclusive broadcasting rights, and threatening Kenya with expulsion from CHAN.
- And finally FKF and StarTimes backed off after having lied to subscribers with a trashy apology of suddenly "the CHAN rights are held by CAF as opposed to FKF".
- Now StarTimes wants to renegotiate its contract with FKF because "the integrity of the partnership is now compromised".

Truly TV trash you can't make up.


Can Frans Matlala, the new SABC CEO, save the SABC?
- "I was a bit worried about hearing media reports of him saying 'yes, we're going to broadcast the truth but we want to balance that'. How do you balance the truth?" Listen to the whole CapeTalk interview here with Kate Skinner from the SOS Coalition.

- Interestingly, the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng is holding the hand of Frans Matlala and is accompanying him to media interviews, asserting his control, like to an interview on 702 radio. Is that really necessary?
- Hlaudi Motsoeneng continues his awkward statements at the SABC's announcement of Frans Matlala as new SABC CEO.


Botched on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) renewed.
The reality series about Hollywood plastic surgeons trying to fix horrific plastic surgery mistakes renewed fir a 3rd season.


It's 25 years since Star Trek The Next Generation's "The Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger.
A fascinating behind-the-scenes oral history of how the cliffhanger changed the show forever, and other interesting facts you never knew.
And Forbes reveals the intricate shared rights issues and complex rights problems which is keeping a new TV series of Star Trek off the air - while next year will be its 50th anniversary.


The BBC will fire more than 1 000 people.
Dramatic cuts on the cards in massive restructuring at the British public broadcaster.

The TV industry "is hideously middle-class," says British TV producer.
One of Britain's leading TV executives from Endemol Shine laments the lack of diversity.

SACP wants the scrapping of the controversial MultiChoice and SABC archives deal.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC political parties are against the "privatisation" of the "country's national archives". Also worrying signs that these political parties want to clamp down on media regulation in South Africa.

M-Net's new Zambezi Magic TV channel on DStv just South African soapies.
The new Southern African DStv channel is so far a channel "for archive South African soapies".
Africa's TV and film industry needs to stop making mediocre productions, says producer, and improve the quality.
South Africa's Connie and Shona Ferguson also went to the Zambezi Magic launch and also said producers need to up their game.


TV isn't dead. It's just evolving.
The consumer is in charge and the TV industry needs to evolve, and the pay-TV business model is changing.

Viacom is having a midlife crisis.
Bloomberg looks at why nobody wants their MTV (DStv 130) anyomore.

Some problem with MultiChoice's set-top boxes in Zambia.
Zambia's broadcasting authority is warning of "sanctions" if the problem with defective decoders isn't solved soon.

New Pay-TV player Siyaya TV and the SAFA fighting.
More sports rights drama behind the scenes as Siyaya TV and the South African Football Association (SAFA) are sparring despite a 10-year Bafana Bafana sports rights deal.

How television won the internet.
The New York Times on how television as a "tired" technology is taking over the internet and how its TV which is making people willing to pay for digital content online.

Soon you'll be able to to build your own Game of Thrones.
The fantasy drama series on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) is coming out with its own amazing construction sets - from the Iron Throne room to Attack on the Wall, and even a Mother of Dragons set.

Siyaya TV signs deal extension with South African Football Association (SAFA) to broadcast all Bafana and Banyana matches for 10 years.

The Siyaya TV pay-TV operator has signed a massive deal extension with the South African Football Association (Safa) giving it the broadcasting rights of all Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana matches for 10 years.

Last month the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who has refused to deal with Siyaya TV, apparently lied when he claimed that the SABC had secured broadcasting rights of the national soccer team games on television.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng claimed that the SABC had reached a 3-year agreement over the broadcasting rights to show all local Bafana Bafana games, Banyana Banyana, as well as the men's under-20 and under-23 games.

Pay-TV operator Siyaya TV and SAFA, in a joint statement, said the SABC is lying and that the SABC doesn't have Bafana Bafana TV rights to show any national team football games on television and that no valid contract with the SABC exists.

Now in a new statement SAFA and Siyaya TV in a further joint statement says Siyaya TV has actually extended its broadcasting rights contract to show show all Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana in a new further 10 year deal.

"Following the conclusion of the first year, both parties wish to report that the partnership remains solid and is further strengthened by the ongoing collaborations to enhance it regularly for the benefit of both parties and their brands."

"To this end, SAFA and Siyaya are proud to announce an extension of the original agreement that will now run for a total of 10 years."

"We value the commitment and support from Siyaya over the past year and we look forward to the innovations that Siyaya brings to the table in making the beautiful game accessible to the Rainbow Nation," says Dennis Mumble, SAFA CEO.

Siyaya chairperson, Dr Vuyo Mahlati, says in the statement she is "elated about recent developments which will enhance the relationship between Siyaya and SAFA".

"As a game changer, the extension affords Siyaya TV the space to advance the offering with digitalised innovation and partnerships that benefit the customer. For us football is always about people, access, quality and affordability," says Dr Vuyo Mahlati.

Suspended TV boss Leo Manne resigns as general manager for TV channels at the SABC after protracted investigation, fight to be reinstated.

The SABC's embattled and suspended TV boss Leo Manne has resigned and is gone from the SABC, following a protracted investigation and a behind-the-scenes fight to be reinstated and get his job back.

Leo Manne, previously the longtime SABC1 channel head who was then promoted to general manager for TV channels over SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 at the SABC, was suspended by the SABC on 25 September 2014, "pending investigations".

The SABC suspended Leo Manne over allegations that he was listed as a director of Siyaya TV, one of the new pay-TV operators who received a licence in 2014 from the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to start a new subscription television service.

Siyaya Free to Air TV will be a new competitor for not just MultiChoice's DStv, On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat and Platco Digital's OpenView HD (OVHD) but also terrestrial broadcasters like the SABC and e.tv.

Siyaya Free to Air TV for instance snagged the exclusive TV broadcasting and radio rights to Bafana Bafana games last year in a 6-year deal reportedly worth more than R1 billion, taking it away from the SABC which used to have it and show these soccer games on SABC1.

Leo Manne tendered his resignation to the SABC and officially left the SABC at the end of April.

According to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) records, Leo Manne was a director of Siyaya TV Consortium. Leo Manne says he declared his business interests to the SABC in 2012.

According to the CIPC, Siyaya TV Consortium shares an address and auditors with Siyaya Free To Air TV, although they are two separate business ventures.

After months of being suspended, Leo Manne took his case to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), demanding to be reinstated as the general manager for TV channels at the SABC.

Besides asking to be reinstated, Leo Manne argued that the SABC suspension process and investigation had been unfair.

In April however, the CCMA ruled in favour of the SABC. The CCMA says "in the matter between the SABC and Leonard Moeranne Manne an arbitration award was issued on 21 April 2015 with the arbitrator ruling in favour of the employer of the employer".

Leo Manne tendered his official resignation from his SABC position after the CCMA ruling, which also brings an end to the SABC's investigation which dragged along.

The SABC didn't announce the resignation and the permanent position of general manager of TV channels at the SABC remains vacant.

South African soccer TV rights sold to new Siyaya pay-TV service by Safa; live local soccer coverage gone for millions on SABC.

The soccer TV rights of live South African soccer has been sold to the new pay-TV entrant Siyaya Free to Air which is set to start Siyaya TV, and which will mean that millions of South African TV households will be cut off from access to watching live soccer matches on the SABC.

The Siyaya Free to Air consortium has already paid R25 million to the South African Football Association (Safa) in an exclusive 6 year deal that will be worth R1 billion and which will remove live TV broadcasts of Bafana Bafana games from the SABC.

The SABC last month complained in parliament and warned that the public broadcaster can no longer afford to pay for rising sports rights, and that continuing to do so would bankrupt the SABC.

The SABC's existing soccer broadcasting rights for Bafana Bafana games ends in April 2015 and the South African Football Association with its new deal with Siyaya, won't renew it.

The SABC will have to buy the soccer rights from Siyaya Free to Air, and not Safa, if the public broadcaster wants to show national soccer games - and won't be able to do so live. The SABC, if it's willing to pay up, will at most be able to show some games, and on a delayed basis.

Siyaya Free to Air is one of 5 new pay-TV entrants who were granted provisional licences by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) recently to start new subscription television services in South Africa.

Siyaya TV has talk show host Dali Thambo as one of the investment backers. Siyaya is a 100% black-owned media consortium whose major shareholder is the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela tribe in the North-West with a 40% interest, as well as shareholders like the South African Post Office chairperson Vuyo Mahlati, Transnet Freight CEO Siyabonga Gama, and Siyaya board member Aubrey Tau.

Siyaya wants to start its own local soccer league and broadcast those matches for a monthly subscription fee of R70 with a PVR. Siyaya TV has now grabbed the Bafana Bafana soccer rights as well.

According to reports, the deal between Siyaya Free to Air and the South Africa Football Association (Safa) means that all Bafana Bafana and junior national soccer games will be shown on Siyaya TV, along with Safa TV as a magazine show, and the annual Safa Awards. 

Other exclusive soccer broadcasts on Siyaya TV form part of the deal, like showing the ABC Motsepe League (First Division) and the Sasol Women's League.  

Viewers who've been watching the national soccer and Bafana Bafana on the SABC will now have to buy a decoder and pay a monthly subscription fee when Siyaya TV plans to launch from June 2015 in South Africa.

Five new possible pay-TV services for South Africa, as the broadcasting regulator hands out 5 new provisional licences to pay-TV operators.

Possible new pay-TV competition is coming to South Africa with South Africa's broadcasting regulator which has granted five provisional licences for individual commercial subscription television services.

Pay for gay television, education television, local content for the lower and middle market, and club soccer matches from Southern Africa could be coming to South African pay-TV subscribers with provisional pay-TV licences granted by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to Close-T Broadcast Networks Holdings (CloseTV), Mindset Media Enterprises, Kagiso Media (Kagiso TV), Siyaya Free to Air and Mobile TV.

It remains to be seen whether any of the companies granted licences would be able to bring a successful pay-TV service to market in South Africa's second attempt to open up the country's pay-TV sector to more players since 2007.

Out of the previous round of pay-TV licences granted by Icasa to Telkom Media, On Digital Media (ODM), e.Sat and Walking on Water TV (WowTV), only the struggling On Digital Media (ODM) actually launched the TopTV, now StarSat, service which is in business rescue.

e.tv decided not to start a service, Telkom Media which became Super 5 Media collapsed and WowTV never got off the ground. 

The five companies who got provisional licences to start subscription television services in South Africa have three months to  respond to the regulator with various documents and proof that they're able to start pay-TV services before permanent licences will be granted.

The new companies all want in on South Africa's lucrative pay-TV market dominated by MultiChoice's DStv, M-Net's analogue subscription TV service, and ODM's StarSat while TV viewers and the industry are hamstrung by the government's ongoing shambolic delay to start digital terrestrial television (DTT) and the promise of more TV channels.

Close-T Broadcasting Network wants to show South African viewers pay for gay TV content in a service its calling CloseTV which includes a pay-per-view on-demand service.

Kagiso Media wants to start Kagiso TV with around 70 TV channels for a subscription fee of R240 per month and with channels heavily focused on local content driven by entertainment and news.

Siyaya TV with talk show host Dali Thambo as one of the investment backers, want to start its own local soccer league and broadcast those matches for a monhtly subscription fee of R70 with a PVR.

Mindset Media wants to broadcast educational content to public schools around the country. Mindset wants provinces to pay TV subscription fees per school. Mobile TV wants to start eight TV channels and four radio stations for mobile devices such as cellphones and tablets.

"Although the conditions imposed are specific to each of the five applicants, they generally relate to, among others, confirmation of equity ownership; funding requirements; further research; confirmation of local content; and programming content agreements," Icasa says in a statement announcing the provisional pay-TV licences.

The provisional licences are the result of a new set of hearings which the broadcasting regulator held in July 2013, following the new invitation to apply for subscription television licences in February 2012.

In February the broadcasting regulator announced that it is launching an investigation into subscription television in South Africa and the massive failure rate of licensed companies to start successful pay-TV operations in the country.