With exactly one week to go before the grandest celebration of talent in South African TV and film, the excitement is palpable as we approach the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs).
As the industry braces itself for the most prestigious night on the entertainment calendar, TV Mzansi takes a closer look at the contenders, the surprises in store, and what we can expect from the star-studded affair. The night promises to honor the best in the business and we’re here to give our predictions on who might walk away with the coveted golden horn in some of the key categories.
Before we dive into our predictions, it’s important to take note of a few key statistics. Mzansi Magic’s historical epic Shaka iLembe – the most Googled TV series in South Africa last year – leads this year’s SAFTA nominations with 17 nods. The epic premiere set a DStv record of more than four million views on Mzansi Magic, it’s no surprise that Bomb Productions is already at work on Season 2.
Following closely behind with 11 nods each is Outlaws and The River as the most nominated telenovelas and 9 for Binnelanders as the most nominated soapie.
Thembinkosi Mthembu is nominated for 4 individual awards. He is nominated as Best Actor in a Drama for his roles in both Adulting and Shaka iLembe; Best Actor in a Telenovela for Outlaws, with his Best Supporting Actor nomination coming for his role in The River.
Streamer Showmax leads the charge with a total of 118 nominations – 36 for its Showmax Originals and 82 for licensed content – followed by 59 for kykNET shows, 54 across Mzansi Magic, 1Magic and Mzansi Wethu, 12 for M-Net shows, nine for third-party content and four for SuperSport. Indeed, the only category in which a MultiChoice-related show didn’t receive a nomination is ‘Best Online Content’ – out of 90 judging categories.
Netflix productions secured a staggering 53 nominations in prestigious categories including Best Actress in a TV Drama – Kgomotso Christopher for Fatal Seduction, Best Feature Film – iNumber Number, Best TV Comedy – Miseducation and Yoh! Christmas and Best Actor in a TV Comedy – Prev Reddy – Miseducation and Siya Sepotokele – Yoh! Christmas. Mpho Sebeng received a posthumous nomination for his performance in Miseducation in the Best Supporting Actor in a TV Comedy category.
Documentary producers IdeaCandy received 11 nods for their work across Convict Conman, Rosemary’s Hitlist, ‘n Gids vir Louzanne, Call of the Wild, Langafsstand, Habits of Gen Z and Sex and Pleasure, with a 12th for ‘Best Short Film’ for Thrift Tot Die Dood.
On kykNET, Taktiek scored six nominations, and the channel’s films also received all three nominations in the ‘Best Made for TV movies category. Binnelanders received nine nominations – including five nominations for the cast.
SuperSport’s nominations are for Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story in the ‘Best Documentary Feature’, ‘Best Achievement in Sound – Documentary’ and ‘Best Achievement in Editing – Documentary’ as well as for Born Racer in ‘Best Achievement in Editing – Documentary’.
The SAFTA’s Craft Show will be streamed live on the SAFTAs YouTube page and across social media platforms on 25 October 2024, allowing fans to join the celebration of behind- the-scenes artistry. The main awards show will be broadcast live on Mzansi Magic (Channel 161) and S3 on 26 October 2024.
If there’s one thing we know, the SAFTAs are never entirely predictable. There’s always the potential for surprises and upsets. Please see below our predictions for this year’s South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs18) in some of the key categories.
PREDICTIONS (2024)
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – DOCUMENTARY
Faces of Fortune
Music Is My Life – Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
‘n Gids vir Louzanne
BEST MADE FOR TV DOCUMENTARY OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Boetie Boer – Inside the Mind of a Monster
Convict Conman
Freedom Flyer – The Sailor Malan Story
Pale Ya Kosa
Rosemary’s Hitlist
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Beyond the Light Barrier
Music Is My Life – Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story
That’s What She Said – A Social Inquiry
!AITSA
BEST COMPETITION REALITY SHOW
Clash of the Choirs Season 4 ***
Crown Chasers
Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam
BEST STRUCTURED SOAPIE REALITY SHOW
Bae Beyond Borders S1
The Mommy Club S1 ***
Young, Famous and African S2
BEST YOUTH PROGRAMME
100 Days to Succeed
MTV Shuga Down South – Season 3 ***
TREND
BEST ONLINE CONTENT
Awkward Dates (ZA) ***
Giving it Gears with Jason Goliath
The Adventures of Noko Mashaba – Struggles of SA Youth
BEST INTERNATIONAL FORMAT
The Brug (The Bridge)
The Masked Singer Season 1 ***
The Perfect Picture Season 2
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION – TV COMEDY
Magaeng ***
Miseducation
Yoh! Christmas
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING -TV COMEDY
Magda Louw
Miseducation ***
Yoh! Christmas
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY -TV COMEDY
Entangled Season 2
Grown Woman ***
Yoh! Christmas
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – TV COMEDY
Miseducation ***
Tatkiek
Yoh! Christmas
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION – TV DRAMA
Dam Season 2
Lioness Season 2
Shaka Ilembe ***
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY – TV DRAMA
- DAM S2
- Lioness S1 ***
- Shaka iLembe
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – TV DRAMA
- Shaka Ilembe
- Spinners Season 1 ***
- Trompoppie
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – TV DRAMA
- Dam Season 2
- Shaka Ilembe
- Spinners Season 1 ***
- Unseen
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN AN ORIGINAL SONG – TELENOVELA
- Isitha Season 1
- Redemption
- The River ***
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY – TELENOVELA
- 1802-Love Defies Time
- Diepe Waters
- Outlaws ***
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – TELENOVELA
- Isitha Season 1
- Outlaws
- The Estate ***
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – TELENOVELA
- Diepe Waters
- Outlaws
- The River ***
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – TV SOAP
- Binnelanders
- Scandal! ***
- Skeem Saam
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – TV SOAP
- Generations: The Legacy
- Skeem Saam
- Suidooster ***
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – FEATURE FILM
- Do Your Worst
- Seconds
- The Fragile King ***
BEST ANIMATION
- Headspace
- Kizazi Moto Generation Fire: Herderboy ***
- Twende (Season 1)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV SOAP
- Marlee van der Merwe (Binnelanders)
- Bianca Amato (Binnelanders)
- Nkhensani Mlondzo (SCANDAL!) ***
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV SOAP
- Kabelo Thai (SCANDAL!)
- Clement Maosa (Skeem Saam)
- Maruputla Sehlapelo (Skeem Saam) ***
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELENOVELA
- Lunathi Mampofu (1802 – Love Defies Time)
- Hlengiwe Lushaba-Madlala (My Brother’s Keeper – Season 1) ***
- Mmarona Motsegoa (Redemption)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELENOVELA
- Seputla Sebogodi (Redemption)
- Mpho Sebeng (THE ESTATE)
- Thembinkosi Mthembu (The River) ***
BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SOAP
- Je-ani Swiegelaar (Binnelanders)
- Nolwazi Ngubeni (SCANDAL!)
- Elizabeth Serunye (Skeem Saam) ***
BEST ACTOR IN A TV SOAP
- Germandt Geldenhuys (Binnelanders)
- Eugene Olof (Hykie) Berg (Binnelanders)
- Melusi Mbele (SCANDAL!) ***
BEST ACTRESS IN A TELENOVELA
- Zikhona Sodlaka (GQEBERHA – The Empire Season 1)
- Sindi Dlathu (The River) ***
- Connie Chiume (Gomora Season 4)
BEST ACTOR IN A TELENOVELA
- Jody Abrahams (Arendsvlei)
- Lindani Nkosi (My Brother’s Keeper – Season 1) ***
- Thembinkosi Mthembu (Outlaws)
- Themba Ndaba (Redemption)
- Presley Chweneyagae (The River)
BEST TV SOAP
- SCANDAL!
- Skeem Saam ***
- Suidooster
BEST TELENOVELA
- GQEBERHA – The Empire Season 1
- House of Zwide
- Outlaws ***
- Redemption
- The River
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA
- Nandi Nyembe (Adulting) ***
- Renate Stuurman (Hartklop)
- Natasha Sutherland (Lioness Season 2)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA
- Nat Ramabulana (Fatal Seduction)
- Wiseman Mncube (Shaka iLembe) ***
- Senzokuhle Radebe (Shaka iLembe)
BEST ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA
- Kgomotso Christopher (Fatal Seduction)
- Shannon Esra (Lioness Season 2) ***
- Nomzamo Mbatha (Shaka iLembe)
BEST ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA
- Nhlanhla Kunene (Adulting)
- Thembinkosi Mthembu (Adulting)
- Frank Rautenbach (Lioness Season 2)
- Thembinkosi Mthembu (Shaka iLembe) ***
BEST TV DRAMA
- Fatal Seduction 2
- Lioness Season 2
- Shaka iLembe ***
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV COMEDY
- Tinah Mnumzana (Magaeng)
- Meme Boitshoko Kumalo (Onse Kasi Season 1)
- Dorothy Anne Gould (Yoh! Christmas) ***
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV COMEDY
- Mpho Sebeng (Miseducation) ***
- Schalk Bezuidenhout (Tatkiek)
- Kagiso Modupe (Yoh! Christmas)
BEST ACTRESS IN A TV COMEDY
- Jo-Anne Reyneke (Black Tax Season 3) ***
- Phuti Khomo (Entangled Season 2)
- Marion Holm (Tatkiek)
BEST ACTOR IN A TV COMEDY
- Sne Dladla (Black Tax Season 3)
- Prev Reddy (Miseducation)
- Siyabonga Raymond Sepotokele (Yoh! Christmas) ***
BEST TV COMEDY
- Miseducation
- Tatkiek
- Yoh! Christmas ***
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A FEATURE FILM
- June van Merch (Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor)
- Brenda Ngxoli (iNumber Number: Jozi Gold) ***
- Jennifer Steyn (The Fragile King)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM
- Bongile Mantsai (iNumber Number: Jozi Gold) ***
- Deon Lotz (iNumber Number: Jozi Gold)
- Adrian Alper (Seconds)
BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE FILM
- Kate Liquorish (Do Your Worst)
- Mmabatho Mogomotsi (Seconds)
- Antoinette Louw (The Fragile King) ***
BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM
- Tony Miyambo (Big Nunu’s Little Heist)
- Sdumo Mtshali (iNumber Number: Jozi Gold) ***
- Vusi Kunene (Seconds)
- Pierre van Pletzen (Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor)
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – FEATURE FILM
- BLINDELINGS ***
- Runs in the Family
- The Fragile King
BEST FEATURE FILM
- iNumber Number: Jozi Gold ***
- Seconds
- The Fragile King
BEST TV PRESENTER (PUBLIC VOTE)
- Emihle Matshawu (Baking with The Rey’s)
- Govan Albert Whittles (CARTE BLANCHE)
- Kuhle Adams (Expresso Morning Show) ***
- Laconco (Forever Thina S1)
- Dante Poole (Hectic Nine-9 Season 17)
- Emo Adams (Noot vir Noot series 47)
- Devi Sankaree Govender (The Devi Show)
- Jolene Martin (THE KHOEKHOE SAGA)
- Mpho Modikoane (The Masked Singer Season 01)
- Nomalanga Shozi (The Sauce Season 1 Episode 23)
MOST POPULAR TV SOAP OR TELENOVELA (PUBLIC VOTE)
- 1802 – Love Defies Time
- Arendsvlei
- Binnelanders
- Diepe Waters
- Generations: The Legacy Production House: MMVS
- Giyani – Land of Blood
- GQEBERHA – The Empire
- Gomora
- House of Zwide
- Isitha
- My Brother’s Keeper
- Outlaws
- Redemption
- Scandal
- Sibongile & The Dlamini’s
- Skeem Saam
- Smoke & Mirrors
- Suidooster
- The Estate
- The River
- Umkhokha: The Curse ***
