Filming starts on final season 3 of Zulu Showmax Original The Wife set to debut in November, first season linear TV showing set for Mzansi Magic from 12 September.

by Thinus Ferreira

Filming has started on the third and final season of the Zulu telenovela The Wife which will make its debut in November on MultiChoice's streaming service Showmax, while the Stained Glass TV production will start its linear TV windowing on M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel from 12 September.

The third season of The Wife, based on the Hlomu the Wife novels by Dudu Busani-Dube, will revolve around the romance of the Tswana doctor Naledi Montsho (Gaisang K. Noge) and the Zulu taxi driver Qhawe (Kwenzo Ngcobo). 

The returning The Wife cast includes Mbalenhle Mavimbela as Hlomu, Zikhona Sodlaka as Mandisa, Khanyi Mbau as Zandile and Mondli Makhoba as Nkosana, with Linda Majola returning as Langa. 

The only cast replacement is Wiseman Mncube stepping on for Bonko Khoza as Mqhele.

"With Naledi missing and the Zulu brothers’ crimes now front page news, the third and final season of The Wife is going to be explosive," says Busisiwe Ntintili, head writer. "The Zulu brothers may have finally met their match in Naledi's family."

The third season of The Wife expands beyond the Johannesburg taxi industry to Royal Thabeng and the North West, introducing new cast members like Sello Motloung as Naledi's father, Kgosi; Stoan Seate as Sefako, Qhawe's rival for Naledi; Ncebakazi Pilingane as Xoli, Sambulo's love interest; Mo Setumo as Tshidi, Naledi's elder sister; Terrence Ngwila as Detective Baloyi; and Mathews Rantsoma as Tsietsi. 

Sipho Ndlovu, Thulane Shange and Swelihle Luthuli as the Zulu brothers Sambulo, Mqoqi and Ntsika will also have bigger roles.

The first season of The Wife starts a three-episodes per week linear TV showing on Mzansi Magic from Monday 12 September at 21:30, making the series accessible to lower-tiered DStv Compact subscribers.

"Having seen its impressive and record-breaking performance on Showmax, we have decided to bring The Wife to our DStv Compact subscribers so that they can get in on the action," says Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels.

"We know that our viewers will fall in love with the story and its characters. It's a show that has resonated deeply with many, and we're glad to bring all of our subscribers into this phenomenal world."

MultiChoice Studios to distribute more local African content internationally, Showmax's The Wife to dubbed in French for Canal+ distribution.

by Thinus Ferreira 

MultiChoice Studios, the content sales and distribution arm of the MultiChoice Group, will be distributing a new and wider selection of African continent from the pay-TV operator to the rest of the world in 2022, including dubbing Showmax's isiZulu telenovela The Wife into French for Canal+ distribution.

MultiChoice produces films and series in South Africa as well as across the rest of sub-Saharan Africa through its M-Net Original and Showmax Original banners for its various linear M-Net packaged channels on its DStv pay-TV service, as well as its Showmax video streaming service.

Established in 2013, MultiChoice Studios now offers roughly 65 000 hours of content in a range of different formats and genres.

"The MultiChoice Group is the largest producer of original television content on the continent and our extensive catalogue features titles that appeal to a wide range of audiences," says Mauro Black, MultiChoice Studios director of content sales and distribution.

"All of our co-produced and commissioned titles are in high demand and in 2021 we saw incredible growth in that demand."

"We licensed 7 times more series and movies than we did during the previous year, placing us firmly on the world stage as a leading television content provider."

The Wife, produced by Stained Glass TV for Showmax and filmed in isiZulu, will now be dubbed into French for distribution to intercontinental and international markets through Canal+ that has steadily increased its shareholding in MultiChoice.

"The licensing of The Wife also highlights a developing trend among many buyers, who are requesting bundled packages that contain both evergreen dramas and new releases," says Mauro Black.

"This is testament to the quality of the productions on offer and also to the fact that they meet all technical requirements for dubbing into other languages."

Additional titles in MultiChoice's catalogue of series include the romantic comedy-drama, Entangled, and the drama series Lioness, Reyka, and The Republic.

"As a leading and credible source of the African narrative, MultiChoice is not only showcasing and advancing filmmaking in Africa, it is also showcasing African talent on the global stage." 

South Africa's Film and Publication Board launches review of Showmax’s 16 VSNL rating after The Wife’s lurid sex scene between Khanyi Mbau and Mondli Makhoba shocks viewers.

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's Film and Publication Board (FPB) is using the country's new Film and Publications Amendment Act, known as the "Internet Censorship Act", to launch a review of the 16 VSNL content classification of Showmax's local telenovela The Wife after "online public concerns" following last week's lurid sex scene between Khanyi Mbau and Mondli Makhoba that shocked viewers.

Showmax subscribers were quick to record the graphic sex scene on their mobile phones and to make screengrabs which were then posted across social media like Twitter and Facebook, and shared on Whatsapp.

President Cyril Ramaphosa made the FPB's controversial Film and Publications Amendment Act, dubbed the "Internet Censorship Bill" and "Internet Censorship Act" law on 1 March this year. 

The new law gives expanded powers to the FPB to clamp down on online content in South Africa and expanding the scope of the FPB far beyond classifying and regulating TV and film content but also to act as a regulator of almost all online content - including social media - published in South Africa.

The FPB says that as a "preliminary step" and following "online public concerns regarding an episode of the Showmax series The Wife" it brought it to MultiChoice's attention that it's reviewing the compliance of its video streaming service with the FPB's ratings system, with MultiChoice that has the "opportunity to respond to these in writing in 7 days".

Showmax self-classified The Wife as 16 VSNL which it is allowed to but the FPB says it has the power through the Act, to to regularly audit the distributor's compliance with its rating system and hear and/or adjudicate public complaints regarding classified material".

"The 16 VSNL assigned by Showmax to The Wife will be compliance checked against the justification given by Showmax in the classification report that all distributors with online distributor agreements to self-classify need to complete," the FPB says.

"Should the review of the classification rating of the episode be found to incorrect, the FPB has the powers in terms of section 18J of the FP Amendment Act to reclassify any material that was previously classified in terms of the Act."

Dr Mashilo Boloka, FPB acting CEO, says that the FPB is "worried about the distribution and wider circulation of this clip by members of the public via social media".

"These clips have the potential to cause harm if accessed by children on unregulated online platforms."

"The Films and Publications Amendment Act does not in any way limit the sharing of content by members of the public as long as the content is not harmful, illegal and/or prohibited by the Act. We will in due course publish guidelines relating to the sharing of content via digital platforms to the members of the public so that they know what is permissible within the new law," Mashilo Boloka says.

"The spread of this material on social media platforms underlines the need for vigilance by the FPB to curb the illegal distribution of harmful and prohibited materials so as to protect the public, including children."

"We are putting in systems to monitor non-compliance with the new act, including the Online Rapid Response Team and the Enforcement Committee."

Laura Cooke, Showmax head of publicity, told TVwithThinus on Tuesday morning in response to a media query that "Showmax has noted the media statement of the Film and Publication Board regarding The Wife".

"All our shows are rated according to the FPB classification guidelines. We will provide the FPB our response within the required time-frame."

'Utter rubbish': MultiChoice and Showmax has launch event for second season of its The Wife telenovela with scant press involvement as disappointed subscribers complain about 'bastardising Dudu's work'.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice and Showmax on Sunday afternoon did a launch event and screening in Johannesburg for the upcoming second season of the video streamer's local telenovela The Wife for which the pay-TV operator and streamer again shut out South Africa's national media who were not invited, nor told about it happening beforehand, or given any information about what was said there.

At Sunday's event Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO of general entertainment and connected video spoke about MultiChoice and Showmax's investment in content. None of Yolisa Phahle's remarks was shared with media.

Nomsa Philiso, the MultiChoice Group's executive head of programming, also attended the event but neither MultiChoice nor Showmax's corporate or publicity teams bothered to share anything she said.

Pepsi Pokane, Stained Glass executive producer, also attended Sunday's The Wife event in Sandton and spoke, likewise with nothing of what he said that MultiChoice or Showmax wanted to share with media in a transcript, readout press release or video recording.

MultiChoice and Showmax's exclusion of national media for the event for The Wife's second season who were not shown the courtesy of being informed beforehand that Sunday's event would take place, is in line with the streamer's laissez faire publicity approach for the first season of The Wife.

For that Showmax publicity also cut out national media with the show that had a small Johannesburg in-person so-called "launch screening", as well as for the second season of The Real Housewives of Durban for which Showmax had a Durban-only in-person event and a virtual Facebook event - none of which the media knew of beforehand to plan coverage, or were invited to or welcome at.

An adaptation of the books of Dudu Busani-Dube, Showmax commissioned three seasons of 40 episodes each of books Hlomu: The Wife, Zandile: The Resolute and Naledi: His Love, but has done little to nothing to promote the series under South Africa's broader media contingent either before its start or during its run, with no virtual or in-person group media roundtables, or any apparent cohesive publicity push to try and garner media attention for the telenovela.  

After the first season of The Wife made its debut it, weekly episodes were followed by buzz on social media that eventually started to sour as Showmax subscribers turned on the show.

Disappointed and angry Showmax subscribers have been slamming Showmax and The Wife over the erratic first season, saying "I hope this mess goes on production break" and that "The writers of the show did not read the book shame. This is not even inspired by Hlomu the wife, this is something else".

Viewers say " 'inspired by' didn't have to bastardise Dudu's work in this manner and used her audience to watch their narrative. What level of disrespect is this to us, her readers?" and that "maybe this wasn't supposed to be on screen from the get go".

"If you're going to do this nonsense in the next season ngcono niyeke nyabheda, shame you've messed up this series" said another The Wife viewer, with the show that was also criticised by Showmax subscribers for being "utter rubbish".

The Wife produced by Stained Glass TV as the first Showmax telenovela will debut with 3 weekly episodes from 11 November.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax has commissioned its first South African telenovela with The Wife that will start on Thursday 11 November with 3 episodes that will be made available every Thursday.

Produced by Stained Glass TV, also responsible for Uzalo on SABC1, The Wife is inspired by the novel Hlomu the Wife written by Dudu Busani-Dube.

Showmax ordered 40 episodes each of Dudu Busani-Dube's books Hlomu the Wife, Zandile the Resolute, and Naledi His Love. 

The books follow the lives of 8 Zulu brothers, a formidable crime family, through the eyes of the various wives they marry. 

According to Showmax, the series won't be a direct screen adaptation of the books but will bring viewers some "new experiences and surprises on screen".

The cast of The Wife includes Bonko Khoza as Mqhele, with Kwenzo Ngcobo as Qhawe, Sipho Ndlovu as Sambulo, Abdul Khoza as Nqoba; Mondli Makhoba as Nkosana; Thulane Nkululeko Shange as Mqoqi, Ishmauel Songo as Mpande, and Swelihle Luthuli as Ntsika. 

The Wife is the eighth South African Showmax Original released in 2021.