Documentaries

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.

First

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.

First

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.

Original

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.

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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.

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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.

First

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.

First

The Golden Boy: Oscar De La Hoya (2023)

This explosive two-part sports documentary peels back the layers of this celebrated yet complicated figure.

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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. 

Original

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.

Original

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.

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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

Time Bomb: The Incredible Story of Phillip Ndou

This 6-part docuseries follows former world boxing champion Phillip Ndou on a journey to reunite with boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather in Michigan.

Made in South Africa

Must-watch trailer: Showmax to release new Steinheist episodes

Watch the explosive trailer for the second instalment of Steinheist, unpacking the biggest corporate scam in South African history.

Original

Made in South Africa

Being Mary Tyler Moore (2023)

This intriguing documentary, with unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore’s estate, friends and family, creates a mosaic of Mary’s 60-year career in show business.

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Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple (2024)

Stevie Van Zandt, New Jersey’s most famous right-hand-man to Bruce Springsteen, takes centre stage. This documentary traces Van Zandt’s career with never-before-seen footage.

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5 moments from Tiek Tok Boem! that will leave you speechless

The new Showmax Original documentary Tiek Tok Boem! premieres with shocking and terrifying extremes of TikTok culture that will leave you speechless. 

Original

Made in South Africa

Tiek Tok Boem! (2025)

An explosive and in-depth 90-minute documentary exploring the good, the bad, and the outrageous side of South Africa’s Afrikaans TikTok.

Original

Made in South Africa

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.

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Must-watch trailer: Tiek Tok Boem!, a doccie on Afrikaans TikTok

Watch the explosive trailer for Tiek Tok Boem!, an explosive Showmax Original documentary set to premiere on 18 February 2025.

Original

Made in South Africa