Documentaries
Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy
This sensational documentary delves into the rise and fall of Diddy, offering insight into his childhood, his meteoric rise, and his arrest.
The Stroll (2023)
When director Kristen Lovell began to transition in the 90s, she was fired from her job. Like many transgender women of colour during this era, she began sex work in an area known as The Stroll.
The Rehearsal S1-2
In this bizarre HBO docuseries people get a chance to rehearse for their own lives in a world where nothing ever works out as expected.
Must-watch trailer: The ABC Killer, about serial killer Moses Sithole
Watch the chilling trailer for the Showmax twisty true-crime documentary The ABC Killer, about serial killer Moses Sithole. Premiering 22 July on Showmax.
Made in South Africa
How Do You Measure A Year? (2022)
In this deeply personal Oscar-nominated documentary short, longtime HBO collaborator Jay Rosenblatt interviews his daughter on her birthday for 17 years.
Chimp Crazy S1
Tiger King filmmaker Eric Goode delivers another view into exotic animal owners – this time, focusing on the lengths chimpanzee “owners” go to keep their ape babies.
All That Breathes (2022)
Two Muslim brothers devote their lives to protecting black kites, a majestic bird of prey falling from New Delhi’s skies at alarming rates.
Boyzone: Life, Death & Boybands S1
In exclusive interviews, Boyzone band members reveal personal experiences in their massively successful boy band and the true cost of global fame.
1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed (2023)
Emmy-winning filmmaker and comedian W Kamau Bell tackles the joys and challenges of growing up mixed-race through conversations with kids and families, including his own.
Striking with Pride
See how striking miners in South Wales and gay activists in London came to form an unlikely alliance during the mid-1980s.
100 Foot Wave S1-3
This Emmy-winning docuseries follows big-wave pioneer Garrett McNamara’s decade-long odyssey chasing a massive wave in a small fishing village in Portugal.
Wild Wild Space (2024)
A high-stakes HBO doccie that chronicles the modern-day, celestial land grab – a fast-paced, high-stakes race of epic proportions in which companies compete to blast satellite-carrying rockets into low Earth orbit.
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.
Eye-opening homegrown documentaries to stream
These unmissable South African shows and movies deliver surprising insights on the country we’re living in today.
Made in South Africa
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.
Anatomy of Lies S1
This riveting doccie series reveals the rise and fall of Grey’s Anatomy star writer Elisabeth Finch, whose jaw-dropping lies fooled Hollywood for years.
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night S1
SNL creator Lorne Michaels commemorates the show’s 50th anniversary. Featuring a look into the audition and writing processes, a deep dive into the ‘More Cowbell’ sketch, and an exploration of SNL’s 11th season.
Onthul S1-2
Onthul is a series of documentaries that investigate the current affairs that are gripping the Afrikaans viewers.
Made in South Africa
Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music (2023)
An epic documentary about Taylor Mac’s flamboyant 24-hour-long musical odyssey covering 24 decades of American popular music.
The Golden Boy: Oscar De La Hoya (2023)
This explosive two-part sports documentary peels back the layers of this celebrated yet complicated figure.
Director Richard Gregory on how he nearly turned down Steinheist
Showmax is now streaming two new episodes of Steinheist, which go even deeper into unpacking SA’s biggest corporate scam and how the net tightened around former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste.
Made in South Africa
Steinheist
Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste got caught pulling the scam of the century. Follow the money in this Showmax Original documentary series that investigates the events leading to his suicide in 2024.
Made in South Africa
The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring (2023)
Rachel Lee was the “teenage mastermind” behind high-profile celebrity robberies in 2008. This candid documentary reveals her motivations.
The Habits of Gen Z
A captivating South African documentary series that follows the lives and challenges of being a Gen Z.
Made in South Africa