Answers sought over SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli's R15 million office budget for 'innovation' and research projects

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African parliament's standing committee on public accounts (SCOPA) wants answers from the struggling South African public broadcaster on what its SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli wants to do with R15 million earmarked for innovation and research "initiatives" from the CEO's office.

The SABC's top executives and SABC board appeared before SCOPA, where it came to light that the technically insolvent SABC has budgeted R15 million for the SABC CEO's office to be used for "strategic initiatives".

Nomsa Chabeli told SCOPA that the R15 million is to be allocated to innovation and research projects but didn't provide any details about the specifics of what type of "innovation" and what research this would entail, or by whom.

"It is not at the CEO's discretion and goes through governance processes. In fact, I am the last person to sign off," is all Nomsa Chabeli said about the R15 million allocation to the SABC CEO's office.

Khathutshelo Ramukumba, SABC chairperson, also failed to explain what exactly the R15 million for the SABC CEO's office would be used for.

"What I can say is that the spending of any budgets across the SABC, including the CEO's office, is subject to the SABC's policies and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). The board exercises oversight over all expenditures."

Tsholofelo Katlego Bodlani, a member of parliament (MP) of the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party, asked Nomsa Chabeli about the R15 million earmarked for the SABC CEO's office.

"There is also R15-million that is going to be allocated for strategic initiatives in the CEO's office. I want to know what sort of initiatives these are. What has been the benefit of similar allocations in the past? What oversight is in place to ensure there is significant value from that lump sum sitting in the CEO's office," Tsholofelo Bodlani asked.

"What oversight is in place to ensure there is significant value from that lump sum sitting in the CEO's office? The SABC remains technically insolvent. We should be doing everything we can to support the SABC so that it can meet its mandate."

According to Colleen Makhubele, an MP from the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) political party, "There is no budget to begin with" and "In fact, the Auditor-General's report should be the starting point. It highlighted serious concerns".

"The question we ought to be asking is: Can the SABC survive on its own and fulfil its mandate? The answer is no, and the Auditor-General  (AG) has made that clear. This is despite the beautiful plans you've presented".

"If you don't have enough money to cover your expenses, your liquidity and solvency are at risk. The SABC should be telling us how it plans to cover the R1.9 billion shortfall that is glaringly obvious."

MultiChoice cleaner in Eswatini stabbed by fellow staffer in brutal knife attack

by Thinus Ferreira

Nothando Nxumalo, a cleaner at MultiChoice Eswatini's branch in Manzini, Eswatini was stabbed in a brutal knife attack by a colleague last Monday and is now in hospital with serious injuries.

According to the Eswatini Observer, a 27-year-old staffer from MultiChoice Manzini allegedly attacked Nothando Nxumalo this past Monday inside the building.

Nothando Nxumalo asked Tebenguni Nxumalo why the woman hadn't cleaned up a mess that she had made a few minutes earlier which angered Tebenguni.

An enraged Tebenguni Nxumalo then allegedly grabbed a knife and attacked Nothando Nxumalo who was brutally stabbed several times and then taken to hospital where she is currently in a stable condition but with serious injuries.

MultiChoice staffers in Manzini have been severely traumatised.

Tebenguni Nxumalo was arrested and appeared in court this past Wednesday, and was granted bail. Tebenguni Nxumalo has to appear in court again on 21 May.

MultiChoice busts import of 5 000 fake 'Dtv' chargers and power supply units at Durban harbour

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice, together with the South African Police and customs authorities, seized 5 000 fake "Dtv" chargers and power supply units that Uni Li Cell tried to import to South Africa through the Durban harbour.

On 3 June the police intercepted a shipment of 5 000 counterfeit chargers and power supply units falsely branded as "Dtv" to make them look compatible with DStv decoders.

According to MultiChoice, Uni Li Cell has "signed a formal undertaking in settlement of the civil case, agreeing to the delivery of all the infringing goods" and "a cost contribution of R40 000 has also been paid as part of the settlement".

The fake goods were destroyed and crushed manually with hammers to extract recyclable components.

MultiChoice says cables were stripped to recover copper wiring, and all cardboard packaging was collected for recycling by authorised agents. The process was carefully documented and overseen to ensure compliance with legal and environmental standards.

"This case is part of a broader enforcement effort that recently saw border police detain a further 30 600 counterfeit universal chargers bearing marks identical or confusingly similar to DStv trademarks."

According to the pay-TV operator, "In alignment with new procedures adopted by police, the Commercial Crime Unit (CCU), and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), all such detentions are now submitted for criminal prosecution, reflecting a stronger national stance against counterfeit trade".

Frikkie Jonker, Irdeto director of broadcast and cybersecurity, says "This is a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to combat the trade in counterfeit goods".

"We commend the border police, Commercial Crime Unit, and our legal partners for their collaboration and dedication in protecting South African consumers and our brand."

Former MultiChoice Nigeria general manager Chris Anaelechi Obasi abducted in traditional kingship fight

by Thinus Ferreira

Nigerian news media reports that Chris Anaelechi Obasi, a former MultiChoice Nigeria general manager, has been abducted from his home on an ongoing kingship fight in the West African country.

Chris Anaelechi Obasi, now the managing director of Zeta-Web, is a former general manager of information technology and facilities at MultiChoice Nigeria.

He was reportedly abducted on Wednesday night, 14 May, from his home in the Graceland Estate in Ajah, Lagos, by unidentified men linked to the Tiger Base unit in Owerri in the Imo State.

His abduction took place two days before a court hearing over a traditional kingship fight in the Eziama Ikeduru Autonomous Community, where Obasi is seen as the "rightful heir".

After the death of his father, Obasi as the only son, is seen as the legitimate successor but rival factions want someone else as ruler.

Netflix South Africa increases prices by up to 20% for subscribers

by Thinus Ferreira

Netflix South Africa is increasing prices of the streaming service for its South African subscribers with immediate effect by up to 20%, although its R99 per month subscription plan will remain unchanged.

Netflix issued no press statement before the price hike went into effect but in response to a media query from TVwithThinus, confirms that it is increasing subscription prices in South Africa.

Rival MultiChoice just did its annual price increase for DStv subscribers and its Showmax video streaming service from April 2025.

Netflix South Africa in response to the media query, confirms that "Netflix has increased prices in South Africa for both new and existing subscribers".

This is the second price increase for Netflix SA subscribers since the video streaming launched in South Africa and across the African continent in 2016. 

Netflix SA last increased prices in September 2021 which was its first price increase in South Africa since it launched.

Netflix says that "The new prices came into effect on 8 May for new members. For existing members, the exact timing of the change will depend on the specific member's billing cycle".

Asked why Netflix is increasing prices for its South African subscribers, the company told me that "As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will sometimes ask our members to pay more so that we can reinvest to further improve Netflix".

The price changes are as follows for South Africa:

 

Mobile	Basic	Standard	Premium
R49 → R59	R99 (no change)	R159 → R179	R199 → R229

 

Interesting to note is that Netflix is keeping the subscription fee of its Basic package unchanged at R99 per month.

Netflix is increasing its Mobile subscription by a whopping 20% from R49 to R59 per month, while the Standard fee is increased by 13% from R159 to R179 per month. The Premium subscription price is increased 15% from R199 to R229 per month.

All of Netflix SA's price hikes are far above the current South African inflation rate.

SABC silent on Muvhango background actors allegedly unpaid by Nonkululeko Ndlovu's Turning Heads Casting Agency

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster is silent on workers of its SABC2 Venda weekday soap Muvhango again allegedly not being paid - this time, various background actors who say they were booked and appeared on the show through Turning Heads Casting Agency.

The troubled show that has not been renewed for another season and is produced by the embattled Duma Ndlovu's Word of Mouth Pictures, has a very long history of not paying cast and crew, and paying late.

The Turning Heads Casting Agency is owned by Nonkululeko Ndlovu, the daughter of Duma Ndlovu. Turning Heads Casting Agency couldn't be reached for comment. 

The SABC didn't respond to a media query TVwithThinus made earlier this week.

According to background actors who have worked on Muvhango and who have been waiting for over seven months to get paid, Nonkululeko Ndlovu's email no longer accepts messages and they also allege that they have been blocked on Whatsapp from contacting her further.

Actors said they will go and do a public protest at the SABC's headquarters in Auckland Park in Johannesburg if they are not paid.

This will be similar to a public demonstration that took place in December 2024 by Muvhango background actors, also about not having been paid.

The SABC has not renewed the struggling Muvhango on SABC2 after its current 26th season which is due to run out in June.

Last year Muvhango was given another one-year contract which also only happened after the show's contract ran out and it was effectively cancelled. The SABC and Word of Mouth Productions agreed to bring it back for one more season, but done cheaper.

Muvhango is set to be replaced by something called Pimville Queens, produced by Bakwena Productions of Kagiso Modupe, Rashaka "Rush" Moufhe and Brenda Mukwevho, that has similarly had problems and not paid everyone involved with its Pound 4 Pound drama series for Paramount Africa's BET Africa (DStv 129) channel. 

ALSO READ: SABC2's Muvhango forced to stop production again after writers, cast and crew again go unpaid by Word of Mouth Pictures

ALSO READ: Rhythm World Productions tells unpaid Umkhokha cast and crew it has 'cash flow' problems as MultiChoice vows stronger checks on growing trend of payment-skipping producers

ALSO READ: Legal action starts against producer Kagiso Modupe after he fails to pay crew and cast of BET Africa's Pound 4 Pound: 'Poor show of morals'

REVIEW. MultiChoice and M-Net's absolutely awful, violence and gun-filled 11th Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards embarrasses and shames the continent's film biz

by Thinus Ferreira

Horrific is a strong word to use but that - together with unprofessional, an amateurish mess, and a gun and violence-drenched disaster - is exactly what MultiChoice and M-Net's disgusting and extremely off-putting 11th Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards on DStv was on Saturday night.

Similar to previous years, the mistake-riddled and shoddily run and made live awards show from the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos, Nigeria was a spectacular shocker in "let's play awards show" TV mimickry.

With the embarrassing display, MultiChoice and M-Net shamelessly shamed the continent's film and TV industry with what can only be called utter television trash.

It's difficult to fathom why MultiChoice and M-Net continue to televise disastrous and degrading awards show garbage like the AMVCAs when it is abundantly clear that the pay-TV company has neither the willingness, nor capacity and skill to even remotely do this as an awards show, or to broadcast it properly live across Africa on DStv.

Saturday night's 11th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards was a breathless, disgusting, unsalvageable television disaster, with MultiChoice and M-Net shrugging along as if nothing's wrong, the standard is adequate, and everything's fine. 

It's not by a longshot.

From mistake after mistake, and from egregious error to error, MultiChoice Nigeria's 11th AMVCA was a shocking TV travesty. 

Low-class crap like this doesn't belong on television and MultiChoice and M-Net should be extremely ashamed and embarrassed about staging an inept production like this and broadcasting something looking like - and being done in the way of the 11th AMVCAs - of Saturday night.

This type of trash makes Africa's television and film look like incompetent also-trys.

Purportedly an awards show there to showcase the best and prestigious skills and competencies of the continent's film fraternity, MultiChoice and M-Net once again staged the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards in such horrific fashion on DStv that it turned itself and what it is showcasing, into a decrepit laughing-stock. 

Shame on MultiChoice.

Is this "fine" because "oh, it's 'just' Africa" and "we don't know better, don't care, can't do better and nobody will see it"? 

Is this okay because "oh, it's just the best of what we're capable of, don't judge us for being inferior and not being able to maintain or have or reach basic or higher standards?"

Is that the mentality? Is that the approach? I refuse to accept that.

Why is MultiChoice Nigeria CEO John Ugbe, Busola Tejumola, MultiChoice's head of content and channels for West Africa, Victor Sanchez Aghahowa, head of production for West Africa, and Segilola Aboaba-Olunaike, senior manager for production in West Africa, all seemingly fine with this failure-grade production, or if they're not, unable to fix it?

The shockingly shoddy production values of MultiChoice and M-Net's 11th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards reeked of blustering incompetence as a TV trainwreck that just kept slamming forward from disaster to disaster, to disaster, with no semblance of professionalism.

A while into Saturday's 11th AMVCA trashcast, came the realisation: Someone decided to turn the 11th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards into a blood-soaked, nasty, downright disgusting violence, gun, murder and physical assault-filled show.

It's as if somebody decided to scan through all of the content nominated, culling the worst of the worst to then show throughout the night: Every single gunshot, murder, gender-violence scene, stabbing, blood-letting-spattering and torture scene available.

This got served up for DStv subscribers tuning in to a supposedly "dignified" and "stylish" awards show. The cognitive celluloid dissonance on tasteless display was shocking.

Once again: MultiChoice either didn't know and didn't care.

Or MultiChoice and M-Net were aware and okay'ed this, or were aware and were impotent to change anything.

For whatever reason, MultiChoice and M-Net chose a film awards show to subject DStv viewers - with only a wholly inadequate 13-age restriction - to a never-ending barrage over three hours of gruesome scenes of people getting stabbed, women strangled, people thrown from balconies, tortured in terrifying ways, shot and blood exploding from their bodies.

This made MultiChoice and M-Net's 11th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards the most violent, vile and disgusting one yet. And someone did that deliberately. These clips were chosen.

The result? Turning the 11th AMVCAs into a B-grade snuff movie and making Africa's film biz output look like low-class killer content.

These are just a few examples of what MultiChoice and M-Net showed DStv subscribers during the 11th AMVCAs - it's by no means exhaustive. 

I thought I'd go and count the AMVCA guns, knives and killings depicted - obviously a new record - in everything from hostage situations to murders and revenge killings - but it quickly became too much. There was one electric chainsaw.

 

How exactly does picking and showing lurid and disgusting scenes of violence, guns, shootings, stabbings, murder, strangling, physical assault and gender-violence against women "showcase" the best work from nominees and filmmakers?

Why the seemingly absolute obsession with showing every conceivable gun clip and characters constantly being threatened and being terrified? Is that the style, atmosphere and "image" MultiChoice and M-Net want to imbue the 11th AMVCAs with as an awards show?

For DStv subscribers to look away? For DStv subscribers to switch off or to tune away to another channel?

Is clipping violence for insertion into an awards show the best that can possibly be done, production-wise, to show "drama" or that work supposedly has "artistic" merit?

The vast majority of these clips and scenes didn't even fit with the nominee categories - so why the avalanche of inappropriate violent trash ripped from work to run as category nominee playouts?

How does an ordinary DStv subscriber - paying for this - watch three hours of this Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards trash and not be traumatised by it and the amateurish fail-after-fail knock-on presentation?

Once again it's very clear that nobody photenically briefed category presenters or sent them voicenotes on how to properly pronounce nominees and winners' names beforehand. 

Several presenters on stage looked embarrassed reading names that they clearly suspected they're mangling, and many botched names. Some indicated they didn't want to read the names. Even the voice-over announcer mangled names.

Speaking of him - a sarcastic IK Osakioduwa didn't hide his disdain from the in-auditorium audience nor his co-host David Oke this year as part of his off-putting shtick.

Meanwhile, the camera once again panned over empty seats, showed people milling about and the production was once again unable to do basic spell-checks or quality control on even the very few "wosrds" put on screen.

Clearwater was responsible for the graphics and insert creation.

Marred by sound problems throughout three hours (as usual), including stage mic and handheld mic mistakes and sound desk mute button errors, someone also had the terrible idea to add a mechanical parrot that squawked winners off stage.

The 11th AMVCAs suffered from the usual bad lighting design, a bad-looking stage with what looked like a badly done black tarp-backdrop, while the presentation of entire categories were botched and one had to be done over, while people struggled to read, together with obvious autocue and other mistakes and errors.

Incredibly, sponsors like Martell, Heineken, Indomie, Nivea, MTN and other companies that attached their names to this mediocre spectacle also either don't care, or don't ever watch and see how bad their brands look alongside shoddy content.

The credit roll of MultiChoice and M-Net's 11th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards lists Ikechi Nwauzor as event manager, Evi Odafe-Ejumedia as project manager, Boluwatife Awoyemi as sound engineer, Warren Bleksley as TV director, Tamara Downing as producer, Segilola Aboaba-Olunaike as production team lead, with Darren Hayward as showrunner.

MultiChoice and M-Net should stop doing the AMVCAs as an award show and as a live award show on DStv if it can't or isn't willing to do it right. 

This TV trash damages their brands and damages the image of what Africa's vibrant (and much better) television and film industry really is.

Documentary film OCEAN with David Attenborough coming to National Geographic and Disney+ on 13 June

Thinus Ferreira

The new documentary film OCEAN with David Attenborough will be shown on National Geographic (DStv 181) on Friday 13 June at 20:30 and will also be released on Disney+.

Released to coincide with the 99th birthday of Sir David Attenborough, OCEAN with David Attenborough just had a special 2-day showing in Ster-Kinekor cinemas across South Africa.

OCEAN with David Attenborough is a Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios co-production, in association with All3Media International, National Geographic, and Minderoo Pictures.

The film is directed by Toby Nowlan, Keith Scholey and Colin Butfield and produced by Toby Nowlan.

OCEAN with David Attenborough is National Geographic's first collaboration with Sir David Attenborough and is released a week after World Oceans Day on 8 June. 

According to National Geographic, the film "draws upon extensive marine science and was supported by a team of scientific advisors, including National Geographic Pristine Seas founder, Dr. Enric Sala".

The documentary feature "takes audiences on a cinematic journey of wonder through the planet's most spectacular undersea habitats" with Sir David Attenborough showcasing diverse marine ecosystems, from bustling giant kelp jungles and coral reefs to seamount outposts within the open ocean - all of which are revealed to be intricately connected.

Although the film exposes the greatest threats to ocean health, it also has inspirational stories from around the world.

OCEAN with David Attenborough looks at how human actions are causing ocean ecosystem collapse and the effects of destructive fishing techniques, such as dredging and bottom trawling, on entire marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and the global climate. 

 The film also shows the oceans' incredible resilience and remarkable ability to recover when protected.

"My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man," says Sir David Attenborough in a supplied statement. 

"In this film, we share those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can bounce back to life."

Tom McDonald, National Geographic executive vice president of global factual and unscripted content, in a statement, says "I'm thrilled that audiences worldwide will be able to engage with Sir David's signature storytelling and the inspirational message of this film through the power of National Geographic's global platforms".

"There is no one better to deliver this landmark film than Sir David and I'm delighted that he’s working with National Geographic for the very first time on a subject that is timely and close to his heart."

Sanktuary Films and kykNET's Afrikaans road trip movie Die Kwiksilwers does boffo box office business after Covid

Thinus Ferreira

The Afrikaans buddy road trip movie Die Kwiksilwers has become the Afrikaans film with the highest box office gross during its opening weekend since South Africa's cinemas reopened after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Die Kwiksilwers, produced by Jordy Sank and Gabriella Blumberg's Sanktuary Films, and distributed by Filmfinity, was the 5th highest-grossing film at the South African box office during its opening weekend over the first weekend of May 2025.

Die Kwiksilwers was only surpassed by the American releases of Thunderbolts, Sinners, A Minecraft Movie en The Accountant 2.

Die Kwiksilwers tells the story of four older women who go on a road trip through South Africa's Karoo region, starring Lida Botha, Susanne Beyers, June van Merch and Theresa Sedras.

Another three Afrikaans films, including one from Namibia and another one on Netflix, will still be released this year.

"Die Kwiksilwers had a terrific opening weekend - the best opening weekend for an Afrikaans film since theatres opened after Covid," Pieter Geldenhuys, Filmfinity distributor, tells me.

"After its first week in theatres, Die Kwiksilwers stood at R750 000 and attendance of 7 306. We hope it's a good sign for the road ahead."

He says "Filmfinity is positive about Afrikaans films. We have already released two this year: Som van Twee and Die Kwiksilwers and both were very well received. We hope that more are made after a relatively quiet period after Covid."

Die Kwiksilwers is a full commission from kykNET, with Sanktuary Films that pitched the idea to kykNET three years ago, after which it was approved for debut at the kykNET Silwerskermfees.

It was fully funded by kykNET and had its premiere last year at the kykNET Silwerskermfees, after which it premiered in South African theatres the first weekend of May 2025.

"KykNET remain committed to the production of Afrikaans films even with tight budgets," says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for premium channels. "It's an important vehicle to tell stories with a long shelf-life and which will be enjoyed by future generations."

Jordy Sank, director and writer of the film, tells me "It's wonderful that people immediately fell in love with Die Kwiksilwers and wanted to go on a wild road trip with these characters."

"Last year we could already see that Die Kwiksilwers was a movie that this community really, really wants to go and see."

He says it's important for South African stories to return to cinema. "It's a phenomenal time for South African storytellers and filmmakers to create and get their stories out to inspire people."

He says that behind-the-scenes during filming in the middle of the Karoo on a farm without electricity or cellphone reception, "it was incredible to just watch the performances of Lida Botha and the rest of the veteran cast with so much energy and excitement".

Veteran film critic Leon van Nierop tells me that Die Kwiksilwers was "really made with the audience in mind and the film and cinemagoers immediately found each other".

"The audience knows what it's about. They can see it's fun and upbeat and joyful. People want to relax but a lot of people want to sit inside a theatre with other Afrikaans-speaking people and for a change laugh in and about Afrikaans inside a cinema."

He says it's important to celebrate Afrikaans film.

"Afrikaans is 100 years old. A hundred years ago, it was six years before the Afrikaans film Moedertjie. We should be proud on what we are doing as an industry and we should tell our own stories in an accessible way."

"In Die Kwiksilwers we have a bunch of old ladies who are eccentric but the film makes them accessible and funny. We are used to older Afrikaans women depicted as aunties in Daar Kom Tant Alie and Tant Ralie se Losieshuis - as caricatures or stereotypes."

"In this case, the characters are real people. It shows that age is just a number. They are older but they haven't yet started to open the fridge door to cool off, they're still living past the fridge door".

According to Leon van Nierop, Die Kwiksilwers' box office performance "should serve as motivation for people to make other and more Afrikaans films to be released in cinemas".

"The industry should be daring and courageous and bold and not scared and realise that Afrkaans and Afrikaans film is relevant. There was a time when people were ashamed of Afrikaans film. That time has long passed. Don't be scared to share Afrikaans films with audiences in cinemas."

On 23 May Die Dekontruksie van Retta Blom will be released, and on 29 August the Namibian film, My F*k Marelize will have its premiere in cinemas.

Semi-Soeter from Anel Alexander and Joshua Rous will be released soon on Netflix, although a release date isn't yet known.

Netflix SA didn't respond to a media query about Semi-Soeter's release date, why the streamer decided to invest in creating this Afrikaans follow-up film to Semi-Soet, or whether Semi-Soeter might get a limited release in South African cinemas.