Fashioning Modern Africanism

The countdown for the premiere episode of the telenovela  Champions  has begun. Viewers across Southern Africa are just a few hours away from the big night that will kick off the first episode of the brand-new story of passion, love, power and perseverance.  Champions  premieres on channel 161 tonight at 19:00 and will be available on DStv Stream. The show’s star-studded cast as announced in early January includes Sello Maake ka-Ncube, Tumisho Masha, and Jo-anne Reyneke, Kgomotso Christopher, Kwenzo Ngcobo, Thembinkosi Mthembu, Thato Dithebe and breakout duo of Rethabile Mohapi and Minkie Malatji. Here are some of the reasons why you should be locked to your screens Monday to Friday at 19:00: Champions  “theme song” : Afro-soul musician Keabetswe “KB” Motsilanyane is the voice behind the  Champions  theme song. Casting : Former Orlando Pirates and TV presenter Brighton Mhlongo takes on the character of a retired footballer and owner of a soccer club. Youngster Ntobeko Mathebula is set

If you could ask your favourite local musician any questions about their work, what would you want to know? Well, the Mzansi Magic Music show,  Afropop Nation , has got you covered. Every Saturday evening, the show invites top musos into a picturesque and creative intimate studio setting to talk about their journey, their music and who they’re listening to right now. It’s an inside look at what makes African culture pop. Afropop Nation  covers the cultural impact of artists while taking us through the history of various subgenres. This is topped off by magnificent in-studio performances by featured artists, as they sing their most-loved and biggest hits. With Ami Faku and Blaq Diamond already having starred on the show, upcoming guests this season include  Moneoa, Berita, Una Rams, Langa Mavuso and Sino Msolo. Afropop Nation  is the one-stop shop for all things African pop culture, a platform of expression for African artists and youth celebrating the freedom to just be. Don’t miss it:

On the back of a two year hiatus due to COVID-19,   DStv and Mzansi Magic hosted the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards (DStvMVCA) at the Sun Arena in Pretoria on 25 June. The popular awards show was broadcast live for DStv subscribers. Local celebrities and delegates shined on the much loved blue carpet, dressed to the nines and ready to support their peers as they walked away with the coveted statuettes. The host, Lawrence Maleka, had a handle on the proceedings and everyone who stepped up to the mic to present an award –   the likes of Boity, Mpho Wabadimo, PH, Khutso Theledi and Presely Chweneyagae  – brought good humour and a positive attitude. Sponsored by Telkom and Kia, alongside associate sponsor - Diageo South Africa’s Tanqueray gin, the show produced musical performances by  Kamo Mphela, Tuks Senganga, Nomfundo Moh and Zakes Bantwini  who kept the audience dancing, bringing everyone into the spirit of celebrating the success of the South African entertainment industry favour

Saturday nights are about to get even better for Mzansi Magic viewers with the premiere of a new game show on 4th of June. Hosted by SuperSport’s Thato Moeng and comedian, radio personality Skhumba Hlophe, The Saturday Showdown will see five teams, captained by celebrities, battle it out for a R3.5 million grand prize. With the atmosphere and competitiveness of an arena game, and the heart and wit of a game’s night with friends, The Saturday Showdown is the boldest and biggest game show to grace screens. “We’re thrilled to premiere an epic game show like The Saturday Showdown on Mzansi Magic – something to keep our viewers entertained and engaged. It’s the kind of show that will appeal to viewers across age and interest – be they into sports or pop culture. It’s the latest in the hyper-local content strategy that we are putting out, content that is keeping up with viewers’ evolving and eclectic tastes,” says Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net. Produced b

Mjolo? It’s complicated. Especially in the age of social media fame – and when you’re a woman in her 20s, balancing finding yourself with finding Mr Right (or Mr Right-for-social-media), all the while hoping your real life keeps up with the one you’re selling online. That’s the central theme of 1Magic’s  Unmarried  season 3, which makes a return on 8 April with a new cast, new storyline and new problems for its characters to tackle. While the first two seasons dealt with women in their mid-to-late 30s navigating motherhood, romance and careers, season 3 follows three friends in their 20s trying to survive the concrete jungle and all its predators. This season explores what it means to be unmarried in your 20s in South Africa, from sexual liberation and the freedom to choose who you want to be with, to relationship statuses that range from ‘just vibing’ to polyamory. It’s a tough dating landscape, especially when relationships are put under social media scrutiny. In season 3, we meet so

Already serving an impressive lineup of reality shows, Mzansi Magic will be premiering their latest addition to the fan favorite genre in April.  Twice as Bold  is a 13-part show following Olwethu and Owami Siko – twin sisters who are so inseparable they share one soul and one baby Daddy. While twins are known to enjoy an even closer bond than the average siblings, Olwethu and Owami have taken things to the extreme, at least according to their loved ones, who want them to start living their lives as individuals rather than as a unit. Born in Vosloorus, the 31-year-old sisters’ tough childhood brought them even closer than expected- so close that they were married the same man for nine years. Now divorced and with daughters born two months apart fathered by the ex-husband, the twins are on a journey to accept their spiritual calling as prophets – and to find a new husband. “Shows centered around family trial and tribulations never get old and are always fascinating to observe – more so