11 November 2025

Unspoken War

The war is over; the silence is not.

Between 1966 and 1989, South Africa fought a brutal, covert war across Angola, Namibia, and within its own borders. This was known variously as the South African Border War, the Angolan Bush War, or the Namibian War of Independence.

No formal declaration of war was ever made. Soldiers were ordered not to speak about it. Families were left guessing about what their loved ones had done and endured.

Through rare archival footage and intimate personal testimony, Unspoken War gathers voices from across the conflict: SADF conscripts (some as young as 16 at the time), voluntary servicemen, Special Battalion commanders, SWAPO fighters, spies, conscientious objectors and wives and daughters who live in the wake. Historians and journalists also place the conflict within the broader context of the Cold War and the “threat of communism”.

The Showmax Original is produced by IdeaCandy, the company behind the multi-award-winning documentary Steinheist and School Ties, which was recently nominated for an International Emmy. The five-part series is directed by Nikki Comninos (2024 Best Documentary Series SAFTA nominee for Convict Conman and Showmax true-crime record-holder Tracking Thabo Bester).

Watch full episodes

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