Eye-opening homegrown documentaries to stream

Find out more about where South Africa has been and get some insight into where it could be going with this eclectic list of some of the best South African documentaries on Showmax.

Original Sin: My Son The Killer | Showmax Original

The chilling story of Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren, told through his mother and also his victim Andrea Venter. This crime-thriller documentary reveals how he became a killer.

Tracking Thabo Bester | Showmax Original

A journalist unmasks an inconvenient truth: Thabo Bester is alive and at large, working with his lover, Nandipha. Their crimes involve stolen bodies and multi-million-rand scams. The investigation reveals disturbing secrets

The Illuminated | Showmax Original

Take a look at the members, beliefs, structures and controversies surrounding non-mainstream religious organisations throughout South Africa.

Convict Conman | Showmax Original

This Showmax Original true-crime series follows the investigations into Dawie de Villiers, a supposed model agency boss accused of multiple rapes, and shadowy publisher Michael O’Connor. Warning: contains descriptions of sexual abuse.

Boetie Boer: Inside The Mind Of A Monster | Showmax Original

Showmax takes you inside the mind of a monster in the most disturbing Showmax Original true-crime series to date. We go back in time to 1990 as Stewart “Boetie Boer” Wilken starts his killing spree in Gqeberha.

Rosemary’s Hitlist | Showmax Original

Cop Rosemary Ndlovu may have sworn to protect, but what she did instead shocked South Africa. This is the story of her crime spree, a true-crime documentary series about cop-turned-serial-killer Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu.

In 2021, Ndlovu was sentenced to six concurrent life terms for a string of murders. What drove this policewoman, sworn to protect, to kill?

Imibuzo

Imibuzo is a Showmax Original which revisit the murders of Flabba from Skwatta Kamp; Tshegofatso Pule, Phumeza Pepeta, Karabo Mokoena and Tshepang Pitse; LGBTQIA+ musician and activist Lindokuhle Cele; and the children of Sibusiso Mpungose, as well as the Enyobeni Tavern massacre. Other episodes focus on televangelist Tim Omotoso, who is currently in jail awaiting trial on 97 charges of rape, racketeering and human trafficking, and Sibongile Mali, who went on a spending spree after R14m was erroneously deposited into her account. Watch now »

Sex and Pleasure | Showmax Original

What do South Africans get up to behind closed doors (and, well, everywhere else too)? The adults-only documentary series Sex and Pleasure, hosted by writer Kim Windvogel and journalist Romantha Botha, explores this hot topic. Watch now »

Stella Murders | Showmax Original

A small farming town in the North West wakes up to the news of the death of two teenage girls in a school hostel. Is it a double suicide or a murder? From the director and producers of Devilsdorp. Watch now »

Girl, Taken

The gripping true story of two Cape Town parents whose daughter was stolen from the hospital at birth. She’s miraculously found 17 years later, but their reunion is not the fairytale ending they hoped for. Watch now »

Sex in Afrikaans | Showmax Original

Four Afrikaans couples and two singles have shameless discussions about their sex lives for the first time – and, in the process, discover that there is so much more fun to be had! Presented by psychologist Bradley R Daniels. Watch now »

Devilsdorp | Showmax Original

Hell comes closer to home in Showmax’s first Original true-crime docu-series. A series of brutal murders in the town of Krugersdorp leads cops to a bizarre cult with links to Satanism. If you think you know this story, you don’t. Watch now »

Zero to Zero

A moving South African film about Covid-19. Filmed over a year, this unequalled footage from ICU and beyond tells a story of despair, hope and the strength of the human spirit. Watch now »