“Growing up in Tembisa, no one actually believed I was on K-TV!” Presenter turned filmmaker Thabang Moleya
Where are my 90s kids at? Today’s generation has TikTok and Reels, but back in the day, we had K-TV – a live, interactive playground of cartoons, games, competitions, and cool kids just like us on screen every afternoon. If we were lucky, Candice Hillebrand might even pop up on Simba Surprise to wake us up.
K-TV presenter Thabang Moleya, who went on to direct Gomora
Launched on M-Net in 1990, K-TV was more than a kids’ programming block – it was a cultural phenomenon that united children across South Africa. By the time DStv launched in 1995, the K-TV presenters were celebrities, its Playback segment introduced us to the latest music, and international stars often dropped by the studio. From its Randburg home, K-TV ruled the airwaves, until signing off in 2011.
As DStv celebrates turning 30 by bringing back Open Time for this weekend only, we caught up with former K-TV presenter Thabang Moleya. Like his fellow K-TV presenter Tristan Holmes (Student Oscar winner Elalini, SAFTA winner The Fragile King), Thabang moved into directing as he got older. Now 43, he is a creative force: co-founder of Seriti Films, director of the box office hit Happiness Is A Four-Letter Word, and Professionals, starring Oscar winner Brendan Fraser. He’s also executive producer of Mzansi Magic hits like Gomora, The Herd and Code 13.
“Without K-TV, there would be no… Gomora or Happiness is a Four-Letter Word.”
That's what K-TV kid turned filmmaker Thabang Moleya told Xabiso Ngqabe in the Q&A below, which reads like a trip down memory lane.
Do you still remember your audition and how you got the K-TV gig?
I remember the audition process clearly. There was a big open audition and we were shortlisted from thousands of kids. I went through at least six different callbacks before they finally told me I’d been selected as a K-TV presenter.
What was so interesting about that journey was that, at home, we couldn’t afford a decoder, so we only had Open Time. So growing up in Tembisa, no one actually believed I was on K-TV! Only the families who had M-Net could see me on TV.
Who have you kept in touch with from the K-TV days?
Since we’re in the same industry, I’ve kept in touch with Wandile Molebatsi from Coal Stove Pictures [who executive produced The Wife and starred as tracker Blessing Dlamini in The Wild, among other roles]. We’ve even tried to collaborate and work together through our companies.
On Facebook, I’m in touch with this big K-TV community, and I’ve reconnected with Heather McKenzie, Rebecca Solomons, and Jena Dover.
How did K-TV impact your career?
K-TV was instrumental in opening my eyes to the industry. I think what shaped my creative ambition was the environment of being at MultiChoice, the people I was working with, and the other presenters. As a township boy from Tembisa, it was my first real exposure to the world and to endless possibilities. That experience sparked my creative direction in the arts.
Being at K-TV definitely played a huge role in shaping who I am today and in my directorial voice. The blessing was that I got to work with people – and the more you work with people, the more you care for people. We got to travel and meet K-TV fans in different parts of Africa, which was such an amazing experience.
What I took from that, as the director I am today, is the ability to capture the authentic voices of people. My stories now reflect the authenticity of the South African narrative. I think K-TV also influenced how I shoot people with a more gentle and intentional lens.
What does your K-TV experience mean to you today?
Without K-TV, there would be no Thabang Moleya, no Seriti Films, and no Gomora or Happiness is a Four-Letter Word.
MultiChoice will always have a special place in my heart because not only was I a breakout star on their platform, but our first breakout telenovela as Seriti Films was also with them.
It feels like MultiChoice has always marked major milestones in my life. For that, I’ll always be grateful.