With its Trackers drama series, M-Net is doing something schedule-wise that the pay-TV broadcaster hasn't done in over 3 decades - here's why.

For the first time in over 30 years M-Net is doing something it has never done since the pay-TV broadcaster started: It's touching its sacrosanct Sunday night movie slot in the M-Net playout studios and swopping it for 5 weeks from when it premieres the new drama series Trackers on Sunday, 27 October at 20:00 on M-Net (DStv 101).

M-Net is turning its iconic no-commercials Sunday night movie slot at 20:00 over to the Trackers drama series based on the Deon Meyer novel - something it hasn't done in decades, with its weekly investigative and current affairs magazine show, Carte Blanche, serving as the lead-in to the action spy drama.

"One of the biggest shifts and changes on the M-Net schedule in terms of local content is with Trackers. Because we believe so much in this show we decided to give it the best possible slot on the M-Net schedule which is 8pm on a Sunday night," says Kaye-Ann Williams, the head of local content and independent films for M-Net channels.

"The first episode of Trackers is basically feature-length and will be about 90 minutes long and thereafter we will have 4 more episodes. Trackers is very action-driven, the plot's twists and turns are amazing and we have a great cast as part of Trackers as well."

While M-Net will show Trackers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan African on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, ZDF will show it in Germany while Cinemax gets the remaining worldwide rights for the United States and areas beyond Africa and Germany.

Trackers, produced by Three River Studios in the United Kingdom and Studio 23, will also be available on MultiChoice's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, Showmax.

The action-thriller revolves around an international terrorist plot in Cape Town, South Africa and an extended conspiracy involving organized crime, smuggled diamonds, state security, Black Rhinos, and the CIA.

The British writer Robert Thorogood is the showrunner with Deon Meyer as supervising screenwriter and co-producer. Jyri Kähönen is the director of all Trackers episodes with Ivan Strasburg as director of photography.

The team of South African writers on Trackers includes the screenwriter and director Amy Jephta as well as writer-directors Kelsey Egen and Jozua Malherbe. The cast includes Ed Stoppard, Rolanda Marais, James Alexander, Thapelo Mokoena and James Gracie, among others.

KB Motsilanye replaces Kelly Khumalo as title star in BET's Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story bio-series.

Actress KB Motsilanyane has replaced Kelly Khumalo who exited for as-yet-unknown reasons as the title star of BET's (DStv 129) Dream: The Lebo Matosha Story that will start airing on the channel and Showmax from Wednesday 6 November at 21:30.

After a public casting call earlier this year the Ochre Moving Pictures production settled initially roped in Kelly Khumalo, as well as the reality star Bahumi Madisakwane, but after Khumalo dropped out, producers scrambled to replace her with KB Motsilanyane to portray the legendary singer.

The two will depict different stages of the kwaito star's meteoric life that ended in tragedy.

KB Motsilanyane will portray the adult Lebo as she experiences the highs and lows of the music industry, which placed her as a music icon on a global stage, while Bahumi Madisakwane will depict the youthful Mathosa as she traverses the journey of finding her feet and realising her dream.

"It’s not an easy journey to play this character because it’s beyond imagination, larger than life and every single thing is a new experience. Walking in Lebo’s shoes is definitely one of the greatest things I have ever done,” said KB Motsilanyane in a supplied statement from Viacom Africa on Tuesday.

Bahumi Madisakwane said "The fondest memory I have of Lebo Mathosa was from when I was five or six and we went to the Rand Easter Show, a show where she and my father were performing.  I remember she was this amazing powerhouse on stage… and was always so maternal and protective over me and I think that is why I really want to tell her sincere, humble and emotional side.”

Dream: The Lebo Matosha Story is a co-production between BET Africa and Ochre Moving Pictures. and the  project is co-funded by the department of trade and industry, the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC)  and Showmax, supported by The Lebo Mathosa Foundation.

After Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story premieres on Wednesday, 6 November on BET Africa episodes will become available on MultiChoice's video streaming service, Showmax, the following day.

TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Over the past week M-Net rolled out 7 new local shows across its M-Net, Mzansi Magic and kykNET channels on DStv. Here's how many it bothered to show the media: 1 - and why it's a big problem.

It was a case of finding the One: Over the past week M-Net rolled out 7 noteworthy and brand-new local series and new seasons of existing shows across its M-Net (DStv 101), Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and kykNET (DStv 144) channels on MultiChoice's DStv, then stood back and waited for DStv subscribers and the media to magically know about it, engage with it, watch it, and buzz about it.

Out of iThemba (1Magic) and Abobaba (Mzansi Wethu), Ifalakhe (Mzansi Magic), Okuhle Media's Finding the One and The Odyssey (M-Net) as well as Liefde Sonder Grense and Moebius Films' Fynskrif II (kykNET) that all started broadcasting this past week, the Randburg-based pay-TV broadcaster only bothered to do one - one (and a feeble attempt at that): A screening of Ifalakhe, and just for some Johannesburg-based media.

Neither M-Net, Mzansi Magic nor kykNET could be bothered to issue digital screeners, which takes the form of either an online site where a watermarked-protected version of an episode can be streamed, or an emailed link directing TV critics and press to a site where they can watch or download an episode for review purposes.

There were no set visits while any of these shows were in production in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, nor invitations from any of the channels' publicity divisions to interview anybody prior to the linear broadcast debut date of any of these shows.

For Ifalakhe, an new African period drama from Stained Glass Productions filmed in Durban, Mzansi Magic did a so-so media event to screen an episode in Johannesburg it couldn't bother to tell any national media outside of the city about, with no digital screeners for media not there or who couldn't attend.

From just before each of these shows made their individual debut on the various M-Net channels across DStv, as well as over the subsequent days after broadcast this past week, print media and online have of course been burning up with many reviews, stories about these shows, articles and interviews, and a flurry of coverage telling viewers what these shows are about and whether they're worth watching.

Unfortunately, sadly, not.

In fact, the opposite is true, with hardy any articles or exposure for any of these shows that cost money and that took months to make.

Even when a channel like Mzansi Magic was asked - please! - help with a way or screeners to see your new shows all starting at the same time, the response from Mzansi Magic was a tepid "we'll get back to you". (Which didn't happen anyway).

While journalists and TV critics covering television and the TV industry in South Africa are more and more inundated by digital screeners from companies, channels and streaming services ranging from HBO, Discovery, the BBC, National Geographic, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video for their shows, South Africa's own TV biz shockingly keeps falling further and further behind when it comes to properly showcasing, pushing and promoting its own so-called, valued "local content".

How really "valued" are these local content TV lemmings, all rushing down a cliff in an impossible-to-catch cascade, if broadcasters make it very clear and show that they can't be bothered to show it and promote it through previews to the press?

The 168 hours in a week remain finite.

When journalists and TV critics in South Africa get to preview and watch BBC Studios' Serengeti or Amazon Prime Video's Carnival Row or HBO's Los Espookys ahead of time, that's one hour or more less available to watch something local on the SABC, M-Net, Mzansi Magic, e.tv or any of the local flurry of TV channels.

These local channels - even places like Viacom Africa producing more more local shows - don't seem interested and have absolutely no standardised system in place to provide screeners to, or to do, screenings of their new content for the media.

While the rest of the world's broadcasters have moved on, the majority of South Africa's TV channels are largely in the dark as to how the concept of media previews in terms of content screeners have evolved and the technology, services, sites and press portals being used. Even worse is that they don't bother to try and find out.

MultiChoice and M-Net keeps churning out local content, oblivious to the fact that the majority of the media are not watching it because of a lack of screeners, and that rivals like Netflix, Amazon and international channels are increasingly monopolising journalists and reviewers' available time and attention by sending them easy-to-access screeners.

When journalists and professional reviewers of TV content (whose job it is to watch and try and make sense about it for the consuming public) are struggling and can't get through all of the shows rolled out at almost the same time by local broadcasters, what chance does a casual viewer stand of not just watching it all, but in terms of content discovery even knowing what's on and what's actually worth seeing?

How difficult is it really in a digital age to screen or send a watermarked-protected screener to trusted media to view on a specialised site or service like MediaSilo used by places like Amazon Prime Video, BBC Studios and even National Geographic, or to upload a watermarked episode as unlisted content to YouTube for a limited number of days with a specific link to it sent to media?

MultiChoice complains that Netflix is stealing DStv subscribers but hasn't woken up to the fact yet that the M-Net, Mzansi Magic and kykNET channels have fallen far behind what the best practice standard is these days when it comes to media screeners and previewing content to the press.

It's not just that DStv subscribers are being lured away by international players.

It's that MultiChoice hasn't yet grasped the extent to which the pay-TV service itself is impeding the coverage it could get for shows in the media as it relates to previews.

MultiChoice and its M-Net channels haven't yet realised the exposure it could get when it sets up and standardises a system to get the media to see the content it makes ahead of time for review purposes - or why it's important.

While MultiChoice and M-Net does Finding the One, South Africa's media covering TV is missing the screener.

A+E Networks goes into hiding after MultiChoice axes its channels; petition grows to over 5 000 signatures from angry DStv subscribers as MultiChoice posts Channel Termination notices on the DStv EPG.

A+E Networks has gone into hiding as MultiChoice has now posted Channel Termination notices across its DStv electronic programme guide (EPG), with A+E Networks Africa refusing to talk to the media after channel carriage negotiations with the Randburg-based pay-TV operator broke down that will see its channel set of History, Crime+Investigation Network and Lifetime get dumped from DStv at the end of October.

After an ugly breakdown in the partnership when the commercial relationship between MultiChoice and A+E Networks UK turned sour over what A+E Networks demanded in channel carriage fees for a contract renewal and what MultiChoice was willing to pay, DStv subscribers will now lose access to History (DStv 186), Lifetime (DStv 131) and Crime+Investigation Network (DStv 170) on 31 October.

With A+E Networks calling the channels that it supplies to MultiChoice its "core business", dark clouds are now hanging over not just the uncertain future of A+E Networks Africa - the Johannesburg-based office of A+E Networks' Europe, Middle East and Africa region employing a staff of 12 - but also over the just-announced local South African content slate that could very likely all be axed since nobody will get to see it if produced.

MultiChoice has now added "Channel Termination" notifications to all three of A+E Networks' channels.

MultiChoice is telling DStv subscribers that channels will be ending and sending them to competing channels' alternative, for instance saying "The History channel will stop airing on 1 November 2019. Find similar content on Discovery Channel (121), Discovery Family (136) and National Geographic (181)."

A petition from angry and disappointed DStv subscribers, started a week ago on Change.org and that continues to grow, has now surpassed over 5 000 signatures with comments from MultiChoice customers demanding that the set of A+E Networks channels remain on DStv.

Meanwhile there's been nothing but silence from A+E Networks Africa who isn't willing to talk to the media.

A+E Networks has decided to refrain from giving insight to consumers or South Africa's TV industry and doesn't want to talk to the media to clear up massive uncertainty about the turmoil the channel supplier is finding itself in, its operational future, or whether and what of its announced local content plans including shows like Don't Tell the Bride SA, Crime Stories SA and Loved Like Crazy will go ahead.

For a week and a half and counting since 1 October, A+E Networks Africa - through its publicists - hasn't responded to any ongoing media enquiries, requests for comment, and enquiries seeking clarity on a number of issues.

A short while before, Dean Possenniskie, the managing director of A+E Networks for the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, spoke at A+E Networks Africa's content showcase upfront on 19 September in Johannesburg and touted the ongoing, increasing production spending going to the creation of local South African programming on its set of channels.

Dean Possenniskie described it's channels supplied to MultiChoice as its "core business" and part of a long-standing partnership with DStv, and that A+E Networks had already invested R30 million in creating local content in South Africa in 2019.

"We're proud to say that in the last 5 years we have invested in excess of R50 million into local productions which I think is very important for the local production community and which is something I believe that we will absolutely go on and do more of in the future."

While he mentioned that a slate of "exciting new local productions are coming your way in 2020 for our subscribers and viewers" all of that is now apparently under threat of never being produced - or not to be seen.

At A+E Networks Africa's upfront event, Fatime Kaba, A+E Networks Africa's head of programming and scheduling, said that "There are more announcements to come in the next few months as we continue to close deals and invest in these channels that we all love and also invest in our local creators and industry".

MultiChoice in response to a media enquiry about why the A+E Networks channels have been dropped said that it "needs to consider the costs for the channel, the terms which may apply and whether we can get better value elsewhere".

"In some instances decisions will be made due to channels not performing up to expectations, particularly given the costs concerned, but the world over its not unusual for channels to be changed if parties cannot agree on terms, for whatever reason."


ALSO READ: MultiChoice dumps History, Lifetime and Crime+Investigation from DStv in South Africa and across Africa after channel carriage renewal negotiations break down with A+E Networks.

ALSO READ: Loss of a Lifetime sees thousands of livid DStv subscribers sign petition demanding that MultiChoice keeps the History, Crime+Investigation and Lifetime channels. 

ALSO READ: MultiChoice on axing the A+E Networks channels from DStv after a bitter carriage fee fight: 'Unfortunately, some deals don’t go as intended'.

ALSO READ: Knowing there's no channel carriage renewal deal in place, MultiChoice warned A+E Networks not to go ahead with its 2019 upfront and content showcase event - but A+E Networks Africa did it anyway. Then came the shocking revelation.

ALSO READ: Local plans in peril: Cancellation threat hangs over A+E Networks Africa's entire local content slate after MultiChoice dumps its channels from DStv.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. In the ugly divorce between dad and mom MultiChoice and A+E Networks the biggest loser is the kids - viewers - who will bear the brunt of TV parents who now dislike each other.

After production and casting delays filming starts on Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story for BET Africa; Kelly Khumalo out; 6-episode biopic-series now set for broadcast in November.

After a production and casting delay filming has now started in and around South Africa's Gauteng province on Viacom Africa's Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story, now set to air on BET (DStv 129) in November, with Kelly Khumalo that is gone and no longer attached to the project.

Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story is the first in a new format of African star biographical TV retellings that Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) is trying to do for the South African and sub-Saharan African market, closely following the established mold of what A+E Networks has been doing with biopics for its Lifetime channel about American pop culture stars.

Originally set for broadcast in September, production and casting delays behind-the-scenes since April has seen the 6-episode Ochre Media produced Viacom-project pushed back to November 2019.

VIMN Africa isn't announcing the cast yet but Kelly Khumalo is no longer attached or involved with the project. It's not clear whether Kelly Khumalo was fired or decided to quit the production. It's unclear if she was replaced and by whom, or whether her role needed to be replaced.

Kelly Khumalo's manager in a statement says "When she is ready she will tell her side of the story".

Fatima Beckman, VIMN Africa spokesperson, was asked why Kelly Khumalo is no longer involved and why she decided to leave and told TVwithThinus that Viacom Africa has no comment beyond announcing that filming has started.

A set visit is taking place for some media on Monday, 14 October, in Johannesburg.

Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story will recreate the rise to fame and untimely death of the bisexual kwaito singer, nicknamed "Madonna of the Townships" whose meteoric rise was cut short when she died aged 29 in a car crash in October 2006 when her vehicle hit a tree.

The artist who tried acting in-between a personal life and career filled with alcohol, drugs, partying and scandalous tabloid gossip, made appearances in South African TV soaps in guest roles ranging from Muvhango and Generations to Backstage.

The Lebo Mathosa Story will take viewers on a journey to the 1990s at the beginning of the South African kwaito revolution from the start of her fame as a member of the kwaito group, Boom Shaka, before pursuing a solo career, with various different-aged actresses portraying her through different stages of her life.

"BET Africa can confirm that the cast for Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story has now been finalised and production, which is on schedule, has commenced across story relevant locations in and around Gauteng," says Monde Twala, the vice president for MTV, MTV Base and BET at VIMN Africa.

"This new biopic format for BET Africa is a celebration of black excellence which proudly portrays an authentic South African legacy story of African female talent."

After 2 years of animosity a thaw in the broadcast divorce as SABC signs a new 4-year deal with the South African Football Association (SAFA) to return the showing of national soccer teams matches to the public broadcaster.

After an acrimonious split since October 2017 due to SABC non-payment and not keeping to contract stipulations as well as conflict over price, the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the SABC has signed a new 4-year agreement to broadcast matches of South Africa's national male and female soccer teams, starting with today's Bafana Bafana match against Mali in Port Elizabeth that will be broadcast on SABC1 at 15:00.

The SABC didn't want to disclose how much the new deal is worth and what the SABC will be paying for the contract.

The previous and now-expired deal between SAFA and the SABC was R110, with SAFA that made a new offer of R200 million. The SABC however, pleading poverty initially offered R150 million but then dropped its offer to only R10 million which led to the breakdown in the relationship between the sports body and the broadcaster.

The new 4-year agreement between the SABC and SAFA comes after a tumultuous and ugly contractual divorce between South Africa's public broadcaster and SAFA - one of several sports bodies the struggling and cash-strapped SABC severed ties with over the past 3 years.

SAFA blamed the SABC for the failure to conclude a broadcasting rights agreement in October 2018, saying the SABC made a "discourteous offer" regarding what the SABC is willing to pay for the broadcasting rights to international football matches that Bafana Bafana is playing in inside South Africa.

"It is interesting to note that even the apartheid-run SABC of old made a better offer to the association for their rights in this country," Safa said at the time.

The new deal between the SABC and SAFA will include the broadcast of 6 Bafana Bafana matches per year, including 3 home AFCON qualifiers; 2 international friendlies and the Nelson Mandela Challenge); 5 Banyana Banyana home friendly matches, inclusive of the Winnie Mandela Challenge; as well as domestic competitions.

These will include the U/19 Women’s National Championship Final, Burger King U/20 National Championships Final, U/23 Men’s National Championships FINALS, ABC Motsepe National Play Offs Final, KAY Motsepe Schools Final, Futsal and Beach Football National Championships FINALS as well as the SASOL Womens League Finals and various SAFA National Womens League matches.

As part of the deal the SABC will once again do a weekly SAFA-centred magazine sports show and broadcast the annual South African Football Association awards.

"In negotiating this deal with SAFA, the SABC needed to find a balance between fulfilling its public mandate and entering into an agreement which was commercially viable," says Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO, in a statement released on Sunday morning.

"We understand the role we play in promoting sports of national interest, and inspiring the next generation of sports stars."

Dr. Danny Jordaan, SAFA president said that "As SAFA, we are pleased to have finally come to an agreement with the public broadcaster which is in the public interest and the good of the game".

"After protracted negotiations, it is great that the public will once again get to watch Bafana Bafana, Banyana Banyana and other national teams matches on SABC, in addition to various other important football development programmes, that has seen SAFA make a major impact on football on the continent."

SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe says South Africa's public broadcaster 'has not been able to invest in local content for many years' but is adamant to pay local producers the millions they're owed in order to get a new batch of programming.

The struggling South African public broadcaster says that it hasn't been able to invest in local content in years and that the lack of original new programming for its TV channels has negatively impacted its viewership ratings but that the SABC is adamant to pay local producers the outstanding millions of rand they're owed in order to get a new batch of local content from them.

Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO, in an interview with the Sunday Times, said that the broadcaster is  is determined to pay local production companies the millions they're owed for their content so that the SABC can get more and new content.

Although the broadcaster has been offering TV viewers less content and less new content, he also said that the SABC wants to hike SABC TV licence fees to R278 from the current R265 per year to try and increase revenue.

Meanwhile more South Africans than ever before don't feel like paying their TV Licence fee with a continuing downward trend in the fifth of South African TV households who still bother to pay theirs.

Of the 9.6 million SABC TV Licence fee holders on the SABC's database, only 2.2 million (22%) bothered to pay their licence fee last year. There are also millions more potential South African TV households watching television who don't have a TV licence and that the broadcaster isn't aware of.

The SABC that is in severe financial distress continues to be plagued by internal turmoil, board and top management in-fighting, corruption investigations, a stale content offering and struggling to broadcast content like soccer, rugby and other sport tournaments as it did in the past.

Madoda Mxakwe told the Sunday Times that the SABC that just got another government bailout this week - R2.1 billion of the R3.2 billion it requested - wants to invest in new broadcast technology and renegotiate and acquire sports rights. The SABC last got a government bailout of R1.473 billion a decade ago in 2009.

The SABC will get the rest of the R1.1 billion of its latest bailout allocation when it adheres to outstanding requirements set by South Africa's National Treasury.

The SABC owes its various service providers over R1.6 billion in total, including R183 million owed to numerous production companies who have been and continue to supply content to the broadcaster.

In 2019 the SABC spend R500 million less on content than in the previous year, leading to a debilitating impact on the local South African TV industry already struggling with late and non-SABC payments and a massive reduction in local content commissioning by the SABC in previous years.

"We have not been able to invest in local content for many years, and this has affected our audience ratings and indirectly affected our revenue. We are in the business of driving eyeballs to our platforms, and the only way you can do that is to ensure you have compelling content," says Madoda Mxakwe.

"We have to break even in the next 12 to 18 months, that's the parth towards profitability.

Madoda Mxakwe said that "we are going to have to clear the debt owed to content providers because as the SABC we need exciting and compelling content which will help us drive audience and also help us from a revenue generation point of view."

"From a competitive intensity point of view, you have seen the mushrooming of new players and they are bringing content that is more compelling and the SABC has not been able to do that. Another priority it to invest in content and make sure we get good local content, particularly South African stories."

M-Net adds The Odyssey from adventurer Riaan Manser putting 10 finalists through a grueling 'ocean boot camp' to find a winning partner for his North Atlantic rowing quest.

The South African adventurer Riaan Manser has turned his search for a rowing partner to join him on a 5 500 km journey across the North Atlantic, into a reality search - The Odyssey - that will start this Sunday, 13 October on M-Net (DStv 101) at 17:00 as 10 finalists compete in a gruelling ocean boot camp to be the chosen one.

The explorer, once again tackling a daunting quest - this time rowing the 5 500 km stretch across the Atlantic Ocean from The Canary Islands to Barbados - is putting 10 finalists through a 5-day "ocean boot camp" to see who has enough guts, drive and sheer determination to survive the strenuous undertaking with him.

M-Net didn't commission but acquired The Odyssey, which will show 10 finalists from out of 15 000 who applied, taking part in extreme challenges created to reveal the power of the ocean and to push them to their limits physically, emotionally and mentally.

The winner gets chosen by a panel of judges including Sizwe Ndlovu (Olympic gold medalist), Nicole Badenhorst (psychologist), Chris Roberts (ocean expert) and the experienced ocean rower Vasti Manser who is Riaan's wife.

"You can't buy what we're going to. You can't buy it," says Riaan Manser.

The winner will join Riaan Manster in a tiny boat as they row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean and during the final two episodes of The Odyssey the show follows their trials and tribulations on their life-threatening attempt to cross the second largest ocean on the planet.

Vodacom says 'free' Bold that's back in SA is only beautiful on its restricted Video Play service with a Vodacom number.

Vodacom that announced that The Bold and the Beautiful is back and free to watch for viewers in South Africa on its Video Play streaming service, now says that the American weekday soap is restricted to customers who must have a Vodacom number.

A growing number of disappointed viewers and fans of The Bold and the Beautiful who tried to register on Vodacom Video Play to watch the soap that made its return on Wednesday after the struggling SABC dropped it in March this year, couldn't understand why they're not able to register and sign up for Video Play and getting a "register error".

It turns out that Vodacom only allows viewers to watch Video Play if they have paid to be a Vodacom customer.

In its initial statement issued by the WE South Africa PR company, Vodacom said that it has "secured the rights to stream the beloved TV show on its video-on-demand platform, Video Play. Now South African consumers will be able to stream the soap on their mobile devices, such as their smartphones, tablets and laptops". 

Vodacom said that "consumers don't need to subscribe to any packages" because The Bold and the Beautiful, produced by Bell-Phillip Television Productions, "is FREE".

Vodacom made no mention that people who want to watch The Bold and the Beautiful must buy a Vodacom SIM card and have a valid Vodacom number in order to register on Video Play.

TVwithThinus asked Vinnie Santu, Vodacom spokesperson for comment about South African consumers saying that they can't register or watch The Bold and the Beautiful because they don't have Vodacom numbers. She said that "Video Play is exclusive to Vodacom customers".

Asked why this was not specified in the announcement, Vinnie Santu said "Video Play is Vodacom's entertainment platform, exclusive to Vodacom customers". 

Rival Cell C doesn't restrict access to its struggling Cell C black streaming service to just Cell C customers, and neither does VIU, or any of the other major video streaming services available in South Africa like MultiChoice's Showmax, Netflix South Africa or Amazon Prime Video. 

ALSO READ: Brooke's back! The Bold and the Beautiful returns to South Africa - this time on Vodacom's Video Play streaming service.

ALSO READ: INTERVIEW. Katherine Kelly Lang on why Bold - now back in South Africa on Vodacom Video Play - remains beautiful: 'The times and moods and the technology all change and showrunner Brad Bell has done that very well'.