Bonang Matheba's reality show, Being Bonang, back on 1Magic for a third season in 2019.

Bonang Matheba's reality show, Being Bonang, will be back on 1Magic (DStv 103) for a third season in 2019.

Bonang Matheba made the announcement on social media on her Twitter feed on Wednesday evening, simply posting the 3D golden-lettered title card of her show, saying "season 3. 2019".

The much-improved second season of Being Bonang in 2018 found favour with viewers and critics and also improved its performance in the ratings, while it built the public profile of Bonang Matheba's longtime assistant, Pinky Girl, who has also become a star.

Season 3. 2019. 🚀💐 pic.twitter.com/79oY65yd5o

— Bonang B* Matheba (@bonang_m) December 19, 2018

Designing duo, Team R&K - Rekopile Belebesi and Koketso Marole - wins the 5th season of Win a Home on SABC3.

Photo: Günther Schubert

Team R&K with Rekopile Belebesi and Koketso Marole were announced the winners of the 5th season of Win a Home on SABC3, while the jobless viewer Yvette Blignaut in a lucky draw won an apartment and became an instant millionaire in the housing estate where the teams were competing to decorate three different places.

Yvette Blignaut from Edenvale won her own apartment at Balwin Properties' luxurious Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate worth R3 million in the live season finale that was broadcast on SABC3 and produced by Cardova Productions.

She was one of 6 finalists randomly drawn from across South Africa after entering the competition.

Over the past 12 weeks the Win a Home design duos, Rekopile Belebesi and Koketso Marole (Team R&K), Team Contrast Control with Kehumile Mate and Nicholas Smit, and Melissa Oosthuizen and Sinead Turner as Team Perma Peeps, transformed 3 white-box apartments at the complex in Somerset West into designer homes.

Team R&K won the judges choice prize of R100 000 and brought a clean, industrial look to their space while maintaining a warm African feel.

"This duo has grown the most as designers through this series," the judges said. "Their sense of style and glamour shines through in their work. While they were not always the most organised team, they brought a sophisticated culture to their spaces."

"They took risks with beautiful art pieces and unique design elements while still maintaining a practical liveability."

Photo: Günther Schubert

Koketso Marole says "design is a way of life and winning has proven to be just that, a truly humbling experience". Teammate Rekopile Belebesi says "for me design has always been about the balance between aesthetics and functionality. I think we were able to achieve that, and we are so grateful for the recognition."

Team Contrast Control won the viewers choice competition by getting the most viewer votes and won R20 000.

Last Thursday evening TVwithThinus went to attend the fun-filled live finale broadcast and afterparty of Win a Home in Cape Town to sit in as an audience member in the studio using a redress of the set used for Afternoon Express.

BREAKING. Bongani Bingwa gone from SABC News as he exits as Full View anchor 9 months since joining the public broadcaster, SABC says 'there was no dispute over money'.

Bongani Bingwa has been taken off of the SABC's SABC News (DStv 404) TV channel and has left the prime time TV slot he had been anchoring with his exit coming just 9 months after he left M-Net's Carte Blanche for the plum spot on the South African public broadcaster's news channel.

It comes after an apparent falling out over working hours at the SABC's TV news division.

On Twitter Bongani Bingwa on Wednesday said "I am no longer a presenter of the SABC's Full View" but added that "I haven't left the SABC and remain excited about the progress we are making".

He said "I have decided to focus on my radio show but will still do special projects periodically".

Bongani Bingwa is also the presenter of a radio show on Radio 702. When he joined the SABC earlier this year, people wondered how the presenter would be able to juggle a daily weekday radio stint as well as a weekday multi-hour evening anchoring job.

Arabile Gumede is now the new co-anchor next to Francis Herd during SABC News prime time.

Bongani Bingwa joined the SABC in March 2018 when Peter Ndoro was moved to an afternoon timeslot on SABC News following prime time fatigue and on-air mistakes.

According to sources Bongani Bingwa, one of the highest paid on-air talent on SABC News, requested reduced work hours, with the SABC that in turn said it would come with a reduction in remuneration, leading to a stalemate.

Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson says Bongani Bingwa has parted ways with Full View.

"The SABC can confirm that Bongani Bingwa is no longer scheduled on SABC News due to the parties reaching an amicable agreement to part ways. The SABC would like to put on record that there was no dispute over money. Bongani Bingwa requested to be released from his contract for personal reasons."

SABC apologises, restores TV transmission after breaks following broadcast ‘challenges’.

The SABC says it has restored the break in the broadcasting of the South African public broadcaster's TV channels after "recent challenges" and is apologising to viewers.

The SABC hasn't explained what let to Tuesday evening's transmission breaks.

The SABC says it "would like to apologise to the public for any inconvenience caused in their television viewing last night due to intermittent breaks in the transmission of broadcasts".

The SABC says "our engineers have identified,isolated and addressed the root cause of the issue that led to recent challenges we experienced with our broadcasts. All television programming is now back to normal".

Minki van der Westhuizen to do an Afrikaans TV talk show, Minki, on VIA from January.

In the ongoing proliferation of local talk shows on South African television, Minki van der Westhuizen is the next presenter who will be trying her hand at doing her own one when her Afrikaans TV talk show, Minki, starts on VIA (DStv 147) in January.

The former presenter of Pasella on SABC2 and the Afrikaans, farmer dating reality series, Boer Soek 'n Vrou on kykNET (DStv 144) will interview interesting people from all walks of life, starting Wednesday, 16 January at 20:00 and episodes repeating on Saturdays at 18:30.

Minki will invite people to her couch who inspire her, and sometimes surprise them with another special guest.

Minki is her first TV job since her two season stint as Boer Soek 'n Vrou presenter that she left early this year since she decided that due to the birth of her third child with husband Ernst Joubert in March that she won't be available when the 11th season had to start filming in April.

Elementary cancelled after 7 seasons, will end in 2019 with a final 13 episodes as Holmes and Watson return to New York.

The drama series Elementary with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu has been cancelled with the upcoming 7th season in 2019 that will be its last.

The 7th season of the show produced by CBS Television Studios wrapped production on Friday last week and will have 13 episodes to wrap up the series.

Elementary has been seen in South Africa and across Africa initially on M-Net and then moved to M-Net City (DStv 115).

"A lot of parties came together and talked about their positions on the show — both in terms of business and in terms of creative — and we all decided that this was an opportune time to say goodbye to a show that has been very, very good to us," says Kelly Kahl, CBS Entertainment president.

The 6th season of Elementary ended with Holmes and Watson moving from New York to London and Sherlock Holmes' iconic 221B Baker Street address to work with Scotland Yard, but they will return to New York in the 7th season.

Elementary producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe on Twitter in a statement said "Once again, just wanted to say what an incredible honor it was to work on this show".

"From creator Rob Doherty and his partner-in-crime Carl Beverly, to my fellow writers, our amazing cast and crew, our top notch editors, Elementary was a 1st class group in every way."

Viacom Africa adds a new local reality show with a social media influencer, Lasizwe Dambuza, to MTV for early-2019.

Viacom Africa is adding a new local reality show, @Lasizwe: Fake It till You Make It to MTV (DStv 130), starting Monday 21 January at 22:00 following the life of a 20-year old social media influencer Lasizwe Dambuza, known as Babes Wamaleyvels.

Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) decided to place @Lasizwe: Fake It till You Make It on MTV instead of MTV Base where it will be the first local reality show on that version of the MTV channel seen in South Africa and Africa.

The 6 half hour episodes of @Lasizwe: Fake It till You Make It will show Lasizwe Dambuza, who has close to 1.2 million social media followers, and his life in Soweto, his life in Sandton where he lives and his families' township home in KwaZulu-Natal as he parties with celebrities and seek his traditional Zulu family's acceptance and understanding of his sexuality.

Characters in the show will include radio personality Ayanda MVP; best friend Ofentse Keswa; his brother Lungile Mcunu, and actor Cedric Fourie will be making "cameo" appearances.

"I am tremendously excited to be working with MTV and VIMN Africa for the second time," says Lasizwe Dambuza in a statement.

"The first time I worked with the brand was with You Got Got which was the biggest highlight of my whole career because that is when MTV gave brand 'Lasizwe the internet sensation' a shot. I am grateful again to MTV for choosing me, my show and for giving their viewers an insight on my personal life which will see the audience sharing a lot of laughter, tears and mixed emotions."

Monde Twala, vice-president for youth, music and BET at VIMN Africa says "MTV is all about entertaining the youth and serves as the cultural home of the millennial generation. We are excited to be working with Lasizwe".

"This is in line with our commitment to produce content that appeals to local tastes and popular culture. His story and multiple personalities resonate deeply with many young South Africans online."

BREAKING. Chicken Licken 'Big John' TV commercial banned for 'trivialising' colonialism as Advertising Regulatory Board orders offensive TV ad off the air.

South Africa's Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has banned a Chicken Licken TV commercial found to be offensive advertising, ordering the company to remove its "Big John" TV advert immediately for trivialising colonialism that is "triggering and upsetting for many South African people".

Chicken Licken did a "Big John" TV advert for one of its meals that the Advertising Regulatory Board - that two months ago replaced the shuttered Advertising Standards Authority - has now found offensive.

In Chicken Licken's "Big John" TV advert, a modern-day Chicken Licken customer relates the story of a young black South African, John Mjohnana or "Big John", who in 1650 undertook a fantastical journey and eventually finding and "colonising" Europe.

After a complaint, in its ruling the Advertising Regulatory Board found that Chicken Licken's "Big John" TV commercial amounts to offensive advertising and banned the TV advert, ordering Chicken Licken to immediately withdraw it from South Africa's TV airwaves, saying it's unsuitable for South African viewers.

"The fact that the commercial is far-fetched and over-the-top does not nullify the potential offense," the ARB ruled.

"Atrocities suffered by Africans under colonialism are well documented and the legacy thereof continues to exist to date. This experience can never be rewritten differently and cannot be trivialised in any manner."

The ARB said colonialism in Africa was traumatic and "not not open for humorous exploitation".

Complainant Sandile Cele said Chicken Licken's TV commercial makes "a mockery of the struggles of the African people against the colonisation by the Europeans in general, and the persecutions suffered at the hands of the Dutch in particular."

Chicken Licken argued that the TV commercial shows how "South Africans can conquer the world".

Chicken Licken said that its Big John commercial "shows South Africans that Chicken Licken believes this country has all the potential to conquer the world and rewrite history from an African perspective".

"Its tongue-in-cheek sense of humour is a tone that consumers have come to expect, but its communication's underlying purpose is to create a sense of pride and patriotism amongst South Africans."

Chicken Licken's offensive Big John TV commercial was produced by Joe Public United and Grant de Sousa of They Shoot Films, with Grant de Sousa as director, Darren Gordon as executive producer and actor Lusindiso Zondani in the lead role.

 

TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK. Outfoxed: How Fox Africa surprised South Africa's TV biz as it surged to first place with the best TV party of the year in mid-December and Empire's Taraji P. Henson.

How did this happen? Seriously. How did this happen?

Not a single one of the carefully chosen and invited 143 people who attended Fox Africa's utterly spectacular "A Night with Taraji" dinner event Friday evening inside what looks like an aircraft hangar called "The Shed" at Steyn City in Fourways, Johannesburg can honestly say that they knew that they would be getting a seat at the table of the South African TV industry's best party of the year for 2018.

Only the fantastic media launch dinner events over 2 consecutive nights that M-Net (DStv 101) held in April in Limpopo for The Wedding Bashers and Survivor SA: Philippines rival what Fox Networks Group Africa did on Friday night with its extremely exclusive dinner event for Empire's Taraji P. Henson as a 3-way first place tie.

The mid-December doldrums for South Africa's TV industry and the press covering it, is usually more convincingly dead than the zombie extras in The Walking Dead, with the year that used to end with a last big party and the best annual upfront of the year in South Africa - the one of Discovery Inc. EMEA - until Discovery Networks International abruptly stopped doing an upfront.

Like a team suddenly scoring a last second goal out of left-field before the final whistle, cue the utter surprise and shock when FNG Africa suddenly mounted and executed with awe and perfection a year-ending media event for the FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) channel in South Africa around the press tour of Empire's Taraji P. Henson so bewildering amazing that it wasn't just the last TV party of the year, but also its best.

Only if you've ever had the opportunity to attend a real and proper Hollywood red carpet event for a TV show and how it's done there in the United States, would you have been able to recognise the basically faultless "Hollywood-level" effort and standard that Fox Africa put in and succeeded in "recreating" in Africa for its "A Night with Taraji" event.

It's not easy due to various issues involving money and budget, logistics, availability of people with actual know-how, skills and experience, the availability of event organisers, diaries and talent - and yet Fox Africa managed to successfully pull off a miracle with "A Night with Taraji" - and in mid-December no less.

In a year in which SuperSport could have gone big with something like a proper party for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and its redone Studio 6, a year in which eMedia Investments' news channel eNCA (DStv 403) turned 10 years old and deserved a big celebration but got nothing, and the seemingly passé Isidingo on SABC3 turned 20 in July but couldn't bother, Fox Africa ended outfoxing everyone by making a 2018 last-second splash with "A Night with Taraji" - winning the year for best South African TV industry party.

Honourable mentions must go to M-Net's wonderful party to properly celebrate Carte Blanche's 30th anniversary in August, Turner doing it's first-ever Turner Upfront Africa event in Johannesburg in November, and Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) terrific 2018 DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards nominees announcement press event.

More honourable mentions for great TV parties this year go to both of BBC Studios Africa's extremely well-done winter and summer upfront events, and MultiChoice Africa's terrific launch event party of its Southern Africa MultiChoice Talent Factory film academy in October in Lusaka, Zambia.

(Who knows where Viacom Africa's BET Global Good Dinner in August would have fit or what happened there since Viacom International Media Networks Africa couldn't bother to invite or give a heads-up to actual working press beforehand about it, nor communicate anything afterwards about it.)

Hopefully the Afrikaans channel kykNET (DStv 144) remembers that it's turning 20 years old in October 2019 and has some kind of proper "opskop" celebration marking this big milestone.

But back to Fox Africa and "A Night with Taraji".

If you want to get a sense of what TV channels are truly blue-chip, premium-positioned offerings - besides simply watching and judging their on-air content - the "activations" and "eventing" they do actually give a very good idea of their market status.

While M-Net and BBC Studios Africa maintain their perennially premium status with high-class, excellent, beautifully done (and constantly evolving) press events, Fox Africa in 2018 definitely joined the premium party brigade.

Is it any wonder that it also happened to also be the exact same three - BBC Studios Africa, M-Net and FOX Africa - who this year intentionally spearheaded getting rid of plastic straws at their media events?

If you're a TV channel or broadcaster planning to do a media event or party in 2019 and want to be considered part of the best, these three TV brands are definitely the ones you have to beat.


ALSO READ: Taraji P. Henson at Fox Africa's 'A Night with Taraji' dinner event talks embracing change, Hollywood pay disparity, looking for solutions - and playing Cookie on Empire with 'the why'.
ALSO READ: IN PHOTOS: The exclusive, invite-only, golden delicious - and absolutely beautiful - 'A Night with Taraji P. Henson' dinner event of Fox Networks Group Africa. 
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK. A Tale of Two Press Tours: Taraji P. Henson and Fox Africa, compared with Katherine Kelly Lang and the SABC - and the very striking difference between them.
ALSO READ: THE EMPIRE COMES BACK: Empire's Cookie, Taraji P. Henson is jetting back to South Africa for her second week-long visit.