Gab Post SA

The Road production team and some of it's cast took the four awards. PICTURES: Jurgen Marx JUST because the production has the highest viewership numbers or trends on social media every time they are broadcast, this doesn’t guarantee them awards. And this weekend, this theory was proved at the 11th South African Film and Television Awards where some of the local favourite shows were left empty handed when 181 judging panelists opted for "quality over quantity”. According to legendary actor and playwright Dr John Kani, who is one of the overall head judges of the awards alongside actor Jerry Mofokeng and film producer Firdoze Bulbulia, said when picking the nominees for this year’s awards they dealt with “honesty in pursuit of excellence”. “It’s very difficult for us to pick who will be the deserving winner so we had to leave it to the auditors. The process was honest, creative and these judges had a passion for the industry of South Africa ,” said Kani. And the ...

WHEN the first guitar chords of the mbaqanga ballad Wangala strummed during the opening sequence of Mzansi Magic’s telenovela turned soapie, Isibaya , South African television was transformed forever.  Five years later, the lovelorn melody, Wangala has become synonymous with one of the best television soapie to ever come out of the country. And t his year, it celebrates 1000 episodes and countless moments of action, family feuds, rivalry, love, murder and magic. Managing Director at The Bomb Shelter,  Desiree Markgraaff said,  w hen they launched Isibaya five years ago, they were "very excited about creating a show for Mzansi Magic viewers that had juicy villains, beautiful people, the rolling hills of Thukela and an inspiring hero whose enemies constantly schemed his downfall". "In the middle of this, there were two young lovers fated to be together. We wanted to bring a world full of drama, colourful characters, vicious battles over taxi routes...

LOCAL content channel Mzansi Magic is serious about raking in more audiences this year. This comes after the channel yesterday launched news of getting three more new local reality shows, a remedy that has seen the channel raking in thousands of viewers each month. They've also revealed that some of their hit dramas such as Lockdown , Igazi and Isithunzi will be returning for second seasons. Next month wills see the return of Igazi , a drama based on a Xhosa royal family in conflict over the throne produced by Ferguson Films, after ending in a cliffhanger in July last year.   In May, the channel will be serving love in the form of new relationship and dating reality show under the working title of Kheth'omthandayo (Choose the one you love). The sequence of the show will take one bachelor or bachelorette, add four suitors who match their requirements and eliminate the unwanted love matches so the contestant will remain with two suitors that they'd choose...

IT IS safe to say local reality shows The Ranakas and Papa Penny Ahee are successful. Apart from their proven good ratings from The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa that has seen both shows sit in eighth and ninth spot of viewership figures, popular channel Mzansi Magic has commissioned them for a second season. The news came after the channel held a showcase of their upcoming shows at the DSTV showcase taking place at the Mount Grace Hotel and Spa in Magaliesburg - where they announced that both shows would be returning in October for their second seasons. The Ranaka's which is based on the family of Generations actress Manaka Ranaka after it was commissioned as the spin-off to radio personality Dineo Ranaka's own show Dineo's Diary - which ran for five seasons. The show first aired in January this year and has seen it grow in viewership figures currently sitting at the eighth most watched DStv show with 531802 viewers. Tsonga musician Pap...

Minenhle Dlamini to grace Kick Off cover. PICTURE:Twitter/Sbu_Fundraiser TELEVISION personality Minenhle Dlamini will make history as she becomes the first female to feature on Kick Off Magazine’s cover next month. According to the magazine’s editor SbusisoMjikeliso , the personality who announced her engagement to television producer Quinton Jones last December, is said to have “one heck of a story to tell”.  Earlier this month the 26-year-old was announced as host of an all-new lifestyle and entertainment show on Mzansi Magic, to be co-produced by SuperSport.  She will also work on other sport properties on SuperSport, including Love PSL and Super Diski presentation. The magazine will be out in stores tomorrow. 

All Access Mzansi returns tonight with new hosts Thato Molamu and Momalanga Shozi joining reccuring presenter Mbali Nkosi in the show's second season. PICTURE: SUPPLIED LIFESTYLE show  All Access Mzansi , is back for a second season tonight with new faces backing it's their fist season presenter Mbali Nkosi .   All dressed up and ready to mingle are the new hosts, former Generations actor Thato Molamu and actress Nomalanga Shozi, will make up this season’s trendy trio. Molamu is well-known as a talented actor who has been an integral cast member in many of the country’s popular soapies and drama series. Shozi is also a familiar face to TV viewers as an actress, but her talents expand beyond that.  The Media Studies graduate also dabbles as a radio presenter. Nkosi, who is coming back as a presenter after the last season, got her big break from Big Brother Mzansi: Double Trouble . “ The second season of   All Access Mzansi   promises to delive...

And these are the 26 beauties hoping to be crowned as the fairest in the land in  the Miss South Africa 2017 beauty pageant to be held in March next year in Sun City. PICTURE: SUPPLIED The Top 26 Miss South Africa semi-finalists – who are vying for the title of Miss South Africa 2017 – have been revealed. And among them are a medical doctor, a speech therapist, several law students, almost engineer, an owner of a construction company and a news reader on Soweto TV. No surprises that two were Miss South Africa finalists (placed in the Top 12) in 2014 and 2015; one was awarded her Protea colours in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 13 and was a gold medal winner at the All African Championships while another contestant is the daughter of a legendary former Bafana Bafana soccer captain. Miss SA semi-finalists from Gauteng. PICTURE The semi-finalists come from six of the country’s nine provinces: 14 are from Gauteng, six from the Western Cape, three from Kwa-Zulu Natal and ...

After what seems like an interminable wait, Idols SA is finally back on our screens and last tonight’s episode proves just how eagerly it was awaited by South Africa! Arguably the most anticipated singing reality TV show of the year, the granddaddy of all talent shows kicked off in Durban where more than 2000 hopefuls lined the streets around the Playhouse for a chance to perform for judges Randall Abrahams, Unathi Msengana, Somizi Mhlongo and Gareth Cliff. In true Idols SA tradition, things got off to an exciting start with melodrama, catty contestants, funny guys, absolutely ludicrous Wooden Mic contenders, and of course, the magical voices. There was Luke Tombola, from Estcourt East. With her angelic smile and never-say-die attitude, the 26 year-old singer returned to Idols SA for a personal record 5 th audition.  Buoyed by the fact that she had been part of Robbie Malanga’s team in Clash of the Choirs, another winning Mzansi Magic show, her confidence was at its p...

Our Perfect Wedding host Thembisa Mdoda to take a break after attending 19 weddings around South Africa. PICTURE: Mzansi Magic After attending nineteen beautiful weddings and ushering couples to their blissful union in Season 6 of Our Perfect Wedding, Thembisa Mdoda will go on break from the 29 th   of May and will return   Sunday, 10 July 2016. The vivacious presenter has been shooting with the show non-stop since taking over from Tumi Morake and will be going on a short vacation to recharge.  “After so many amazing episodes, I’m honoured that South   Africans still appreciate seeing me on their screens, as we celebrate the love and beautiful weddings of the various couples.   I have decided to take some time off to regroup and gear-up for more exciting weddings to come. I can’t wait to return and take the viewers through more amazing weddings after my holiday.”  Anele Mdoda to take over her sister for a little while. PICTURE: ...

Miss SA finalist at a luncheon at the Table Bay Hotel on Friday. PICTURE: Gabi Mbele THEIR flawless skin, beautiful long bodies trampling about in eight inch heels are hard to miss. Oozing with confidence and armed with the best guidance from former beauty queens including as Bernelee Daniell (1995), Joan Ramagoshi Madibeng (2003), Sonia Raciti Oshry (1998), Thuli Sithole (2005), Yolanda Kloppers Ward (1978) and Wilma van der Bijl (1987) - it's hard to believe they could have any fears. But they do.  Especially about the night they all are hoping they will be crowned the fairest in the land. Nelspruit contestant Felicia Muwayi, a 24-year-old production manager at Red Pepper, said she "feared the idea of tripping on her dress". "I am confident about walking on the ramp but I worry about stepping on my dress or getting it tangled while I walk and just stumbling all over it. "I even asked Liesl Laurie how to get that right which has made the fe...