
Tracking Thabo Bester
On Friday, 15 March 2024, Tracking Thabo Bester racked up the most first-day views of any documentary on Showmax ever, well ahead of the previous record-holder, Rosemary’s Hitlist. The true-crime documentary was also the most-watched title across all genres over the weekend and received rave reviews, with IOL’s Oluthando Keteyi calling it “jawdropping” and Rapport’s Leon van Nierop describing it as “angry, bizarre, brilliant.”
Tracking Thabo Bester is the true-crime documentary South Africa has been asking for, ever since GroundUp first broke the news that the convicted murderer and rapist did not die in Cell 35 after all and was instead shopping at Woolworths in Sandton City.
Thabo Bester was the most searched person in South Africa on Google in 2023, with his co-accused Dr. Nandipha Magudumana just behind in fourth place, as the whole country obsessed over their stormy tale of love, murder, corruption and deception. Daily Maverick named them both ‘SA Villain of the Year.’
With the trial of South Africa’s most famous prison break scheduled to start in June 2024, Tracking Thabo Bester is a timely four-part investigation into Thabo Bester; why he was called the Facebook rapist and in jail originally; how a celebrity doctor fell for a convicted criminal and left her children behind to go on the run with him to Tanzania; and who really died in Cell 35.
Tracking Thabo Bester is produced by multi-award-winners IdeaCandy (Rosemary’s Hitlist, Devilsdorp, Steinheist) and directed by Nikki Comninos (Convict Conman).
No one does Mzansi true crime like us.
More like this

Is HBO’s Task “the best crime thriller of the year”?
Brad Ingelsby talks Task, HBO’s gritty crime thriller with Mark Ruffalo and Thuso Mbedu. New episodes Mondays on Showmax, express from the US.

Task S1
Mark Ruffalo plays Special Agent Tom, who leads a task force in working-class Philadelphia to put an end to a string of violent robberies.

Flight 149: Hostage of War (2025)
When Flight 149 landed in Kuwait, its passengers became pawns in Saddam's invasion, held as human shields. Decades later, survivors seek justice and the truth.

5 reasons to pick up HBO’s Telemarketers
Scam caller alert! Five reasons to find out who’s really cashing in on a job that everyone hates, in the HBO documentary series The Telemarketers.

Law & Order S23-24
The original Law & Order resumes its classic two-part approach following both the police who investigate crimes and the DAs who prosecute them.

Joker: Folie a Deux (2024)
Awaiting trial at Arkhem, Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker, not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.

Telemarketers
Two former telemarketers team up to investigate the dark side of American capitalism, uncovering widespread abuse of customer trust.

10 game-changing shows to celebrate Showmax turning 10
Stream these original titles to celebrate Showmax turning 10. A decade later, streaming service has since expanded to 44 African countries.
Devilsdorp, now streaming
Convict Conman: Behind bars and beyond
More eye-opening documentaries

Telemarketers
Two former telemarketers team up to investigate the dark side of American capitalism, uncovering widespread abuse of customer trust.

Wild Wild Space and 10 more titles to join your space race
We have liftoff! As new HBO documentary Wild Wild Space takes us into low orbit, mission control has 10 more titles ready for space junkies, from Apollo 13 to Interstellar.

Anatomy of Lies: Women who con
Grey’s Anatomy’s most shocking medical case took place behind the scenes. Find out how co-executive producer and writer Elisabeth Finch faked cancer and personal tragedy, and meet five more of the world’s most questionable con women.

A Very Royal Scandal: 5 downfall documentaries and drama series
What do Prince Andrew, King Juan Carlos I, Sean Combs, Alex Jones, and Markus Jooste have in common? In-depth documentaries more shocking than an Oscar-winning movie!
Latest Stories

The best Premier League signings of 2025's summer window

What to watch on Showmax in Ghana in September 2025

Alexander Isak a great option for LFC's attack, say former Liverpool striker David Ngog

Kate and Annie take charge in Ten Pound Poms Season 2

Vilakazi's verdict: Sundowns to "edge it" in high-stakes MTN8 semi-final

Rivalries reignite in thrilling Premier League games on Showmax

5 patients you’ll meet in The Pitt Season 1
.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Ilana Glazer delivers in Babes

5 new reality shows on Showmax in August

The Big 6ix on new Premier League season and their SA adventure

Will anyone stop the champs? Booth on Downs' quest for a 9th title

The curtain rises: Wembley Showdown - LFC vs Crystal Palace

Showmax Premier League weekly watchlist: 4-9 September 2025

Showmax PL kicks off football fiesta with MTN8 quarter-finals

Melissa Kape Saili tips Morocco to win WAFCON final

Showmax PL kicks off new football season with unmatched action

Ugochi Oparanozie backs Nigeria to overcome Banyana Banyana

Get Ready for the PL Summer Series – live on Showmax

Nthabeleng Modiko backs reigning champions for WAFCON glory

Everyone Else Burns and 8 more cult classics

Binge five of the 10 biggest Emmy nominees on Showmax

Dangerous minds in The Institute + 7 more superpowered series

Bringing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice back from the grave

Former captain Amanda Dlamini on Banyana's challenges