Thandi Brewer, the prolific screenwriter-showrunner called 'South Africa's Shonda Rhimes' has died after losing her 3rd battle against cancer.

The showrunner, prolific screenwriter, film producer, director and script editor Thandi Brewer, often called "the Shonda Rhimes of South Africa" has died after losing her third battle against cancer.

The legendary and highly-respected writer-producer-director had a career in South Africa's TV and film industry spanning close to 60 years.

Her legacy stretches beyond the numerous, hugely popular TV shows she created to the vast number of people working in the local entertainment industry today who got a foot in the door and mentorship when they started out, thanks to her.

Not only did Thandi Brewer launch many careers in scriptwriting and directing behind-the-scenes as well as acting in front of the cameras in South Africa, but she also started and was the founder and first chairperson of the influential and growing Writer's Guild of South Africa (WGSA) looking out for writers' interests within the industry.

Beyond TV and film she was also a writer and director of numerous stage productions over many years.

In 2018 on Facebook Thandi Brewer wrote: "I am in the midst of the third round with cancer.".

"The breast cancer metamorphosed into bone cancer attacking the back. Remember the back pain I used to moan about? That wasn’t just 'writers back'. It was cancer which obviously loves me and wants to live with me on a permanent basis. I’ve no idea how those actresses manage to look palely interesting when playing someone with cancer because I look like hell."

The Friends of Thandi Brewer (FTB) Facebook group shared on Wednesday that Thandi Brewer died "at home on her beloved Smoke, with her daughter by her side, her river and her dogs - all she wanted. Thank you so very much to all of you who supported Thandi in her journey with her illness".

Harriet Meier, chairperson of the WGSA, told TVwithThinus on Monday that Thandi Brewer "passed away this morning at around 02:15 after a long battle with cancer. She was in tremendous pain over the last year, but fought and was our pillar of strength until the end".

"Thandi touched so many lives during her time with us, not only as an extremely talented writer, producer, director, teacher and mentor, but also as a friend. Her love embraced all who met her, and she will be greatly missed by many, many people."

"She was the founding member of the Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) and of The Pack, the first writers' cooperative in South Africa."

"While we desperately miss her, we will also celebrate her life and legacy by continuing her work and her vision. Thandi leaves behind her daughter Cody and an extended family of wordsmiths throughout the world."

Thandi Brewer who finally lost her latest battle against cancer was responsible for the film screenplays of movies like Story of an African Farm with Richard E. Grant, De Gerrie for Hugh Masakela and The Chemo Club which marked her directorial debut.

Some of the shows she created for the SABC or steered as showrunner range from Dynamite Diepkloof Dudes, 37 Honey Street, End Game, Keeping Score to Usindiso, Sticks and Stones and many more, to Bahati Close the first series produced by M-Net for East Africa where she was the headwriter and trained Kenyan and Uganda writers.

As a script editor she wrote and improved text from shows from SABC1, SABC2, to e.tv and M-Net ranging from Society, Tiger, Love Mzansi Style, Borderliners, Hillside, Glory Boys and many more and worked on scripts for international films and more than 24 documentaries.

In March the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) honoured her at the 13th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) with a special industry achievement award. 

The outpouring on Wednesday following news of Thandi Brewer's death was swift with Thabang Moleya, co-founder of Seriti Films and director of the film Happiness in a Four Letter Word, saying "A true leader and a legend. Thandi Brewer. Rest in power".

"Thandi was a writer/producer of the political drama series I directed called End Game. She wasn't afraid to write and push the story into narratives that would upset people. There was an episode the TV channel refused to air but she fought and wasn't about to listen to anybody, not even the channel that commissioned the project".

"She was someone who would believe in you and challenge you to push yourself. I salute her and the impact she has had on the industry and the people whose lives she touched."

Makhosazana Khanyile, CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in a statement says "Thandi has played a monumental role in shaping the industry with her work, breaking viewer records and creating much-needed conversation on social issues faced by South Africans on a regular basis".

"In giving back to the industry, she used her talents and expertise to empower emerging and experienced scriptwriters and producers through various NFVF initiatives."

"The NFVF is honoured to have recognised her role at the 13th Saftas where she was awarded a Special Recognition Industry Contribution Award."

"We will forever be grateful for her efforts in passing on her knowledge and paving the way for the youth and practitioners in the film and television industry. We grieve with her family, friends and industry colleagues and hope you all find comfort in this trying time."

SABC adds audio description as a trial project from September to SABC1's Zulu drama Sticks & Stones for visually impaired viewers.

As a trial project, the SABC will introduce audio description from 1 September on the repeat broadcast of the SABC1 Zulu language local drama Sticks & Stones.

It's not yet clear how ordinary terrestrial SABC1 viewers or those watching SABC1 on MultiChoice's DStv, On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat or Platco Digital's OpenView HD will be able to access and enable the option to hear the audio description on Sticks & Stones, or whether it will be a compulsory soundtrack as part of the test.

Audio description, also known as video description or visual description, is done for two reasons: firstly to enable visually impaired viewers to get an audio "reading" of what is happening or screen and written on screen, secondly being able to follow a show and therefore what is being said in another language as a translation service.

Visually impaired viewers will now be able to hear what they can't see on Sticks & Stones like production credits and descriptions of what is being shown when there are no characters or only actions or scene-setting shots.

The audio description trial won't come with other language audio tracks however and will just be in Zulu, the same as the show.

The trial project forms part of the SABC trying to gear up to provide audio description options on some programming once the government's long-delayed digital terrestrial television (DTT) finally starts in South Africa with a commercial service.

Viewers will then be able to toggle and choose the additional audio description or sound track on selected SABC programming.

Depending on funding, cost and capacity, its theoretically possible that SABC viewers in future might be able to listen to a show like Sticks & Stones in one of the other 10 official languages like Venda for instance as a service provided by the public broadcaster.

SuperSport already runs multiple commentary audio tracks in different languages for some major sport events on DStv; and TV channels like Glow TV (DStv 167 / OVHD 108) gives DStv and OpenView HD users a choice to toggle between an English or Hindi sound track. Its however different language options and not actual audio description.

Renee Williams, series commissioning editor at the SABC says the public broadcaster has empowered a blind company with this production which in turn helps with the training and development of blind audio describers through the production of Sticks & Stones.

"SABC TV is proud of the achievements of Audio Describe, not only in the training of audio description but in the successful production of this show and hopes that together with the support of stakeholders, it can broaden its development of blind viewers in the creative industry," says Renee Williams.

BREAKING. Thandi Brewer of the Writers' Guild of South Africa speaking at New York conference; will ask support for local scriptwriters.

Thandi Brewer, the chairperson of the Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) as well as WGSA administrator Thea Aboud have both left South Africa to visit New York to attend the annual general conference of the International Affiliation of Writers' Guilds that will be taking place from 21 to 23 October.

This is a major development for the WGSA, as well as for the writers' collective of South Africa's TV industry in which writers are constantly discarded, overlooked, underpaid and not given enough credit and recognition.

In South Africa TV writers are a crucial link in the value production chain of making and creating local content, yet they are generally disenfranchised in a system where those abused puppies at the SPCA actually receive better treatment. If the writers of Friends, one of the most hugely successful TV shows ever in the world said (although jokingly) that ''Often the only sunshine that comes into the room is when lunch comes through the door'', imagine what the situation is like for South African writers even lower on the production totem pole. And yet they endure.

This is the first time ever that an official South African Writers' Guild has been invited to attend the conference, which this year is hosted by the Writers' Guild of America East. The WGSA protects, promotes and try to help scriptwriters in South Africa's film and television industry.

I'm told that Thandi Brewer will deliver a report on the WGSA at the conference and has also been invited to the auspicious President's Dinner.

At the conference Thandi Brewer will lobby the WGSA's sister organisations overseas for support of the local writers in South Africa. She will also be meeting with American TV and film producers during her time in New York to encourage co-productions with South Africa and to open the doors for South Africa writers to sell their scripts overseas.

As official WGSA spokesperson for the Jameson First Shot short film competition, Thandi Brewer will also meet with actor Kevin Spacey (who will star in the winning SA short film entry) and invite him to become the second international ambassador of the WGSA.