The late Mpho Sebeng won Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela for his role on ‘The Estate.South Africa’s most expensive TV show to date earned its hefty price tag with the first season of Shaka iLembe, which won 12 awards at the 18th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), while Netflix’s Yoh!, Christmas and Showmax’s Outlaws both netted eight Golden Horns each in second place.
Over the two-night craft and main awards ceremonies on Friday and Saturday night – again held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg – MultiChoice and M-Net’s set of TV channels on DStv scooped 46 wins in total.
Amazon Prime Video surprisingly grabbed seven trophies, five of which were for The Fragile King, also winning Best Feature Film. The wins are both painful and ironic since Amazon Studios shocked and dismayed the local film industry when it abruptly decided to exit South African original production earlier this year.
The SABC won 12 categories for various content on the South African public broadcaster. eMedia’s e.tv won just four categories, although it included a second consecutive year’s win for Ochre Media’s Scandal! in the most popular soap category, which is a public vote.
The 18th SAFTAs primarily belonged to three shows: MultiChoice and M-Net’s first season of the Shaka iLembe drama series from Bomb Shelter seen on Mzansi Magic, Netflix South Africa’s Yoh!, Christmas comedy series from BBZEE Films, as well as the Outlaws telenovela on Showmax from Tshedza Pictures.
Shaka iLembe won 12 categories, including Best TV Drama.
Best TV Drama winner Shaka iLembe. (Supplied/Spany
Best TV Drama winner Shaka iLembe. (Supplied/Spanya Ndala)
Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, said: “This weekend highlighted the rich diversity and powerful storytelling that our creative industry offers viewers. As the leading investor in local content across Africa, MultiChoice is dedicated to supporting and expanding the continent’s film and television landscape. Congratulations to all the winners and to the teams who poured their talent and hard work into bringing these stories to life.”
Zikhona Sodlaka. (Supplied/Andile Mthembu)Meanwhile, Yoh!, Christmas pushed kykNET’s Taktiek (with just one win) out of the way to grab eight Golden Horns, including for Best TV comedy. Outlaws won eight awards, including for Best Telenovela.
SABC1’s Skeem Saam won Best TV soap, while Best Documentary went to !Aitsa. The late Mpho Sebeng won Best Supporting Actor in a telenovela for his role in SABC3’s The Estate.
The SAFTAs awarded Lifetime achiever awards to Generations creator Mfundi Vundla and actor and sculptor Arthur Molepo.
Lebogang Mogoera, acting CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), said the SAFTAs is “immensely proud of the calibre of talent showcased this year and the hard work of all those involved in bringing these stories to life”.
“A big thank you to our long-standing broadcast partners MultiChoice and SABC, whose support enabled us to bring the awards to all South Africans.”
See the full list of winners here:
BEST COMPETITION REALITY SHOW
Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam | Homebrew Films, kykNET
BEST STRUCTURED SOAPIE REALITY SHOW
Young, Famous and African S2 | Urban Brew Studios & A Pop Media, Netflix
BEST ONLINE CONTENT
The Adventures of Noko Mashaba – Struggles of SA Youth | Rams Comics, YouTube/Facebook
BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMME
Checkpoint | eNCA
BEST INTERNATIONAL FORMAT
The Masked Singer SA | Rose and Oaks Media, SABC3
Best International Format winner The Masked Singer
Best International Format winner The Masked Singer. (Supplied/Andile Mthembu)
BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
Koppestamp | Just Ad Production, kykNET
BEST VARIETY SHOW
Sport@10 | SABC Sport, SABC1
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – FEATURE FILM
The Fragile King | Tristan Holmes, The Ergo Company, Amazon Prime Video
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV SOAP
Marlee van der Merwe (Binnelanders) | Stark Films, kykNET
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV SOAP
Kabelo Thai (Scandal!) | Ochre Media, e.tv
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELENOVELA
Mmarona Motsegoa (Redemption) | Burnt Onion Productions & Seriti Films, BET Africa
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELENOVELA
Mpho Sebeng (The Estate) | Clive Morris Productions, SABC3
BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SOAP
Elizabeth Serunye (Skeem Saam) | Peu, SABC1
BEST ACTOR IN A TV SOAP
Germandt Geldenhuys (Binnelanders) | Stark Films, kykNET
BEST ACTRESS IN A TELENOVELA
Zikhona Sodlaka (Gqeberha – The Empire) | Tshedza Pictures, Mzansi MagicBEST ACTOR IN A TELENOVELA
Presley Chweneyagae (The River) |Tshedza Pictures, 1Magic
BEST TV SOAP
Skeem Saam | Peu, SABC1
BEST TELENOVELA
Outlaws | Tshedza Pictures, Showmax
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA
Natasha Sutherland (Lioness S2) | Ochre Media ADO Arena Holdings, M-Net
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA
Nat Ramabulana (Fatal Seduction) | Ochre Media ADO Arena Holdings, Netflix
BEST ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA
Shannon Esra (Lioness S2) | Ochre Media ADO Arena Holdings, M-Net
BEST ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA
Thembinkosi Mthembu (Shaka iLembe) | Bomb Shelter, Mzansi Magic
Best Actor in a TV Drama winner Thembinkosi Mthemb
Best Actor in a TV Drama winner Thembinkosi Mthembu. (Supplied/Andile Mthembu)
Best Actress in a TV Drama winner Shannon Esra. (S