1st seasons of Twende, Convict Conman, Shaka iLembe & Trompoppie; new Adulting, Wura
TWENDE S1 | Showmax Original | Five eps this Friday, 1 December
The first Showmax Original 2D animated series, Twende follows a pangolin of the same name, the slowest moving animal in the savannah. Twende’s belief that, ‘Life is about the journey, not the destination’ is constantly at odds with his job as a motorbike taxi driver.
Twende is produced by London-based Braintrust and Johannesburg-based Mind’s Eye Creative, with Greig Cameron (Seal Team, Supa Strikas) as the showrunner and an all-star writing team that includes the likes of Supa Team 4 creator Malenga Mulendema and Kizazi Moto‘s Vanessa Kanu. Junior Nyong’o voices Twende.
Twende’s pilot screened in competition at Annecy, the world’s premier animation festival. 2023 has lifted the bar for African animation but as 702 entertainment commentator Yalezo Njuguna says on his All That Yazz podcast, “Twende is genuinely my highlight of things I’ve watched within African animation. It is so funny.”
SPINNERS S1 | Showmax Original | Binge from 27 December
After becoming the first African series selected in competition at Canneseries, Spinners revved onto Showmax in November, racing to the most first-day views of any Showmax Original in Afrikaans ever. This followed a string of accolades, including three awards at Dakar Series, including Best TV Series; standing ovations from sold-out premieres in Cape Town, Cannes, and Paris; and being the opening night screening at MIP Africa. Reviews have been glowing: as The Reel Sauce with Tafadzwa put it, “There is a case to be made that it is the best South African show ever produced.”
Spinners follows Ethan, a 17-year-old driver working for a local gang. Needing to support his younger brother but increasingly disgusted with gang life, Ethan discovers a possible way out via spinning, an extreme motorsport where he can put his driving skills to better use. With a gang war looming, can he turn his life around fast enough?
A co-production between Showmax and CANAL+, Spinners‘ cast includes Arendsvlei‘s Cantona James and Chelsea Thomas in leading roles, along with Elton Landrew (Recipes for Love & Murder), Dillon Windvogel (Blood & Water), and South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) winner Brendon Daniels (Zulu, Skemerdans, Five Fingers for Marseille). The eight-part series is directed by Jaco Bouwer (SXSW and SAFTA winner Gaia).
“Fasten those seatbelts for an exhilarating ride into the criminal world of the Cape Flats,” says IOL’s Debashine Thangevelo. “I was blown away by the script, cast and the production value… If there is anything you watch this week, make sure it’s this!”
Also look out for Inside Spinners, a 28m documentary that explores the extreme South African motorsport through the eyes of the series’ cast members as well as pioneers of this cultural phenomenon, from Eddie Rasta to Yaseen Damon.
ADULTING S2 | Showmax Original | Mondays from 4 December 2023
The boys are back, including Hunk of The Year Feather Award winner Thembinkosi Mthembu (Outlaws, Shaka iLembe, The River) as Bonga, Nhlanhla Kunene (The River, Lavish) as fan-favourite Eric, Thabiso Rammusi (The Suit) as Mpho, and Luthando BU Mthembu (Big Brother Mzansi) as Vuyani, named GQ’s Best Dressed On Screen Personality earlier this year.
This season introduces SAFTA nominees and former Rhythm City castmates Samkelo Ndlovu (Umkhoka: The Curse) and Thembi Seete (Gomora, Zone 14) as Minki and Portia, as well as the likes of Nomalanga Shozi (Rhythm City, MTV Shuga and the face of BET Africa), Obakeng Kgwedi (Gomora, Kokota) and Gaisang K Noge (Naledi in The Wife).
Adulting‘s first season set a new record for the most first-day views on Showmax of any drama series, well ahead of Succession S4, The Last of Us S1 and The White Lotus S2 – the three most-nominated shows overall at the upcoming 75th Emmy Awards.
Adulting is created by Tshedza Pictures’ Phatu Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon (Outlaws, The Republic and The River, which was also nominated for an International Emmy). Gwydion says the 18LSDVN show will keep raising eyebrows in its second season. “Our research into the stuff South African men get up to keeps shocking us…”
CONVICT CONMAN | Showmax Original | Wednesdays, 6 and 13 December
In 2012, Carte Blanche journalist Sasha Wein receives a tip-off to investigate Dawie de Villiers, a Kempton Park photographer and founder of Modelling South Africa. Described in the first episode as “a sophisticated predator” and “the Kempton Park Hugh Hefner”, de Villiers is accused of fraud and of being sexually inappropriate with aspiring models, some below the age of 16.
Nine years later, in 2021, with de Villiers sentenced to life in jail, investigative journalist Jana Marx (Devilsdorp) receives a tip-off to look into Michael O’Connor. He runs a photography publication and is looking to start business and fashion magazines too. It’s during the COVID pandemic, so his staff have never met him – or even seen his face.
O’Connor claims de Villiers is a “good friend” but what else do they have in common?
A two-part Showmax Original true-crime series, Convict Conman is produced by IdeaCandy (Devilsdorp, Rosemary’s Hitlist, Steinheist) and marks the documentary series directorial debut of SAFTA-winning editor Nikki Comninos, nominated for three SAFTAs in the past two years for her work on Steinheist, Devilsdorp and Murder in Paris.
SHAKA ILEMBE S1 | Binge from 4 December
Set in the 1700s, Shaka Ilembe tells the story of the heroic rise of the iconic Zulu king, played as an adult by Lemogang Tsipa (The Republic) and a boy by newcomer Ntando Zondi.
Feather Awards Hunk of the Year Thembinkosi Mthembu is King Dingiswayo, Senzo Radebe was nominated for a Septimius Award as King Senzangakhona, and Wiseman Mncube won Best Actor in a TV Series at the 2023 National Film and TV Awards as King Zwide, with Khabonina Qubeka also nominated there as Best Actress as Queen Ntombazi and Nomzamo Mbatha for Best Supporting Actress as Queen Nandi, the revered mother of Shaka.
Produced by the Oscar-nominated team at Bomb (Yizo Yizo), Shaka ILembe was six years in the making, consulting historians, academics and family descendants, including the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and current monarch King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.
The first episode set a new record as the most-watched drama series on DStv ever, reaching over 3.6m viewers in South Africa alone. The series has already been nominated as Best Series at the National Film and TV Awards and at the Septimius Awards, where it was up against the likes of The Crown. As News24 wrote, “Shaka iLembe reaches for and represents a towering achievement in what’s possible for South African filmmaking.”
Mzansi Magic has already ordered a second season.
TROMPOPPIE S1 | Showmax Original | Thursdays from 7 December
When Luna, a talented gymnast, is awarded a bursary to a prestigious private school she could never afford, she is thrust into the cut-throat world of an elite group of drum majorettes, aka “trompoppies”. After a hazing ritual goes badly wrong, trompoppies start turning up dead and the seemingly perfect facade of the community begins to crumble.
Building on her 2023 Silwerskerm Best Actress: Drama nomination as Mart in Dinge van ‘n Kind, Melissa Myburgh stars in Trompoppie as Luna, opposite the likes of SAFTA nominee Marion Holm (Suidooster), Spinners breakout star Cantona James, SAFTA winner Frank Opperman (G.I.L., Nêrens, Noord-Kaap), Fleur du Cap winner Daneel van der Walt (Recipes for Love and Murder), Celeste Loots and Armand Aucamp from One Piece, and 14-year-old newcomer Luca Human (the daughter of beloved Afrikaans actress Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck).
Trompoppie is the first Showmax Original from SAFTA- and Silwerskerm-winning writer and director Etienne Fourie (Stiekyt, Die Windpomp, Tydelike Terminaal). Multi-award winners Homebrew Films (2023 Silwerskerm winner Magda Louw) are producing.
WURA S2 | Showmax Original | 4 episodes a week from 4 December
Scarlet Gomez is back as Wura, a role that earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, as well as the Scream All Youth Best Actress prize.
Wura is a ruthless gold mine CEO who will stop at nothing to protect her company and those she loves.
YNaija hailed the first season of the Nigerian telenovela as a “masterpiece”, while This Day praised it as “spellbinding” and #wurashowmax went viral on TikTok, with over 39 million views.
DIE ONDERONSIE (THE QUARREL) | Showmax film | Stream from Friday, 1 December
When five ex band-mates come together for their annual reunion, a dead body stirs up suspicion and violence among the friends. With tjommies like these, who needs enemies?
The debut feature film from multi-award winner Philip Nolte (2023 SAFTA winner Sex in Afrikaans, Silwerskerm award winner Vossie Vergas Homself), the dark comedy co-stars SAFTA nominee Simoné Pretorius (Hotel), Binnelanders stars Pietie Beyers and Lindsey Cele, and Getroud Met Rugby stars Adrian Steyn and former Mister World South Africa Sean van Noordwyk. Also look out for 2023 Royalty Soapie Awards nominee Tsholofelo Matshaba (Kedibone in The River) as Detective Mahlangu and David James (Colonel Koobus Venter in District 9) as Thys.
Die Onderonsie is written by rising star Morné Strydom, who also wrote and directed the wonderfully quirky short film Twintig Tone in ‘n Hangkas, which earned Pietie a Best Actor nomination at last year’s Silwerskerm Awards, among other accolades.
Die Onderonsie is produced by multi-award winners Red Pepper, the production company behind Black Reel nominee Vaya, Africa Movie Academy Awards winner Tell Me Sweet Something, and SAFTA winners Faan Se Trein and Hard To Get.
A ROYAL CHRISTMAS SURPRISE | Stream from 21 December
Having weathered the “Royal Surprise” of the first film, Riley Stephenson and Mandla Amitu have settled back into life in Los Angeles. With the holidays approaching, Riley’s Aunt Priscilla and Uncle Leon have offered to host a Christmas Eve engagement party at their beautiful home in Kentucky, which also seems like the perfect time for Riley’s family to meet Queen Nobantu and King Chidike, Mandla’s parents. While planning their engagement party, Riley and Mandla will have to navigate tension between the matriarchs of their respective families and another “Royal Surprise” that puts into question the couple’s entire future.
Thapelo Mokoena (Fatal Seduction, Trackers) and Teen Choice nominee Jennifer Freeman (You Got Served) co-star, with SAFTA nominee Sello Maake Ka-Ncube (Blood Psalms, The River) and Abena Ayivor (Black Earth Rising, Machine Gun Preacher) as the king and queen.
A Royal Christmas Surprise is directed by South African Beautie Masvaure Alt, who was nominated for the best first film African Movie Academy Award for Shaina.
MKHIZE TO MASEMOLA | Showmax film | Stream from 15 December
Makhosonke is an Umlazi taxi driver, a Zulu man whose life is turned upside down when he discovers that he’s the rightful heir to a Pedi kingdom. As he reluctantly accepts what seems like the biggest call to adventure of his life, he has to question who he is and what he truly wants.
SAFTA nominee Thulane Shange (The Wife, Is’thunzi) stars as Makhosonke, opposite the likes of SAFTA winners Harriet Manamela (Skeem Saam, Life, Above All), Meme Ditshego (Ga re Dumele), and Seputla Sebogodi (The Republic); Sello Sebotsane (Abomkhulu, Rockville); Nozuko Ntshangase (DiepCity); Nhlanhla Masiya (The River); and former Miss South Africa Ntandoyenkosi Mthethwa.
Mkhize to Masemola is directed by Star Mphahlele and produced by Pula Bakgaga Media (AboMkhulu).