DAM S1-2
Made in South Africa
Secrets pushed down will rise to the surface in this psychological thriller series. Binge S1 and S2 now.
Something’s in the water … The second season of the small-town psychological thriller shot in the Eastern Cape is now streaming, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.
Created by four-time SAFTA winner Alex Yazbek, the first season of twisty and twisted thriller was one of the 10 most-watched titles of 2021 on Showmax and the most nominated drama series at the 2022 SAFTAs, earning rave reviews for breaking the mould of South African TV.
Silwerskerm Best Actress winner and SAFTA nominee Lea Vivier (Wonderlus, Fynskrif) stars as Yola Fischer, who returns from Chile to the Eastern Cape to bury her father, only to be tormented by spirits in the farmhouse she has inherited. But with her mother institutionalised, and her own meds running out, Yola has to wonder if the spirits are real or just in her head?
Two-time SAFTA winner Pallance Dladla (Shadow, Isibaya) co-stars as Themba, her love interest, a biker on the run. He was also SAFTA nominated for his role.
Natasha Loring, who won a SAFTA for her role in DAM, plays Yola’s sister, Sienna. The second season picks up three months after the Spring Festival, when Yola disappeared without a trace.
The cast includes SAFTA winner Antoinette Louw (An Act of Defiance, Die Laaste Tango) plays her aunt Dora; Faniswa Yisa (Blood Psalms, Knuckle City) is Lindiwe; with aKing frontman Laudo Liebenberg (Die Byl) and Gerald Steyn (Meisies Wat Fluit) as brothers Rudy and Max Reese.
“It’s the story of a family – and a town – with dark secrets, and about how what you push down will eventually rise up,” says Alex Yazbek (The Wild, Unmarried, Isibaya), a four-time SAFTA winner who wrote and directed the eight-part series.
Made in partnership with Picture Tree and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, the Showmax Original also won Best Art Direction for Sue Steele at the 2022 SAFTAs.
Binge DAM Seasons 1 and 2 on Showmax now »
Who's who in town
Sienna
Forever in the shadow of the sister she loves, shadows of doubt appear. Natasha Loring plays Sienna.
Rudy
Even reasonable men can have their reasons for giving into darkness. Laudo Liebenberg plays Rudy.
Dora
Sister, mother, aunt and matriarch, she’ll do anything to keep it all in the family. Antoinette Louw plays Dora.
Lindiwe
A healer by nature. But there’s nothing natural about what awaits her. Faniswa Yisa stars as Lindiwe.
Themba
A rebel with a cause even greater than he imagined. Pallance Dladla plays Themba.
Yola
Going home means going deeper into a past that could tear her apart. Lea Vivier stars as Yola.
More about DAM
DAM S1-2
Secrets pushed down will rise to the surface in this psychological thriller series. Binge S1 and S2 now.
Made in South Africa
Meet the cast of the Showmax Original thriller series DAM
An all-star ensemble cast drives this psychological thriller series about demons from the past and evil that’s alive in the present day.
Made in South Africa
Pallance Dladla on his SAFTA-nominated role in the hit Showmax Original DAM
Perennially popular Pallance Dladla returns in his SAFTA-nominated role as Themba in Showmax Original thriller DAM.
Made in South Africa
Lea Vivier on her SAFTA-nominated role in the hit Showmax Original DAM
Reprising her SAFTA-nominated role in DAM, Lea Vivier once again delivers a haunting performance as Yola.
Made in South AfricaDAM S2
Rain has finally come to Fischerhaven – but Yola has no memory of anything since her return for her father’s funeral. Will she ever put the missing pieces together?
Made in South AfricaWhat happened in DAM Season 1?
Season 1 of DAM won multiple awards at the SAFTAs and acclaim from critics. Here’s a recap of what went down, ahead of Season 2, landing on Showmax from 16 February.
Watch the creepy trailer for Showmax Original DAM Season 2
Showmax has just released the freaky first trailer for Season 2 of DAM, which premieres on 16 February 2023, with new episodes on Thursdays.
Made in South Africa
First-time SAFTA winners react to their awards
Hear from Kate Normington from Tali’s Baby Diary, Natasha Loring from DAM and more first-time SAFTA winners you’ll find on Showmax.
In the press
On Fortress of Solitude: DAM is South Africa's answer to The Outsider and Sharp Objects
Showmax’s DAM might not have been on most people’s radars at the beginning of the year, but you’d be a fool to sleep on this eight-part miniseries. It’s simply a must-watch show that promises to fester in your mind long after the credits roll.
On tagged!: You haven't seen anything like DAM on South African TV before
Many elements in the production hinge on [Lea] Vivier's performance and the cinematography, much of which functions on the same level as that of a character. There is a story to be told by what the camera reveals and withholds.
On Deadline: Showmax thriller has Shades Of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ & is helming South Africa’s production revolution
With nods to Ire Levin-era dramas like Rosemary’s Baby and The Boys from Brazil, DAM is part of a growing roster of South African TV series and films making a mark across the African continent and beyond.
Thriller series and movies to keep you glued
Magpie (2024)
Secret desires and lies threaten a couple’s marriage in this thriller. Their relationship begins to fracture when their daughter gets a role alongside a glamorous movie star.
James McAvoy and James Watkins on Speak No Evil
Speak No Evil director James Watkins and star James McAvoy explain “host” Paddy’s creepy charisma, and we check out 6 more roles that prove you never know what to expect with James McAvoy.
Speak No Evil (2024)
James McAvoy leads this intense, disturbing psychological horror about a family spending a weekend at a country house. Things take a turn when the host family’s evil side is uncovered.
Insomnia S1
Emma fears losing her mind after suffering from sleep deprivation two weeks before turning 40. Only by confronting her past can she find the answers.
Your Lucky Day (2023)
The late Angus Cloud (Euphoria) drives this gritty, tension-filled heist thriller about a dispute over a winning lottery ticket.
Eileen (2023)
In this period thriller, a woman working at a prison has her dull life change when she befriends the new prison counsellor.
River Wild
A whitewater rafting trip between a pair of siblings and a small group takes a terrifying turn as there’s a killer amongst them.
Inside (2023)
When his heist goes wrong, an art thief gets trapped in a penthouse, and he must use all his cunning and ingenuity to survive.
Looking for brilliant Afrikaans shows?
Een Keer Om Die Son S1
Over the course of a year, the Van Wyks mourn the loss of a loved one and struggle with divorce, illness, forgiveness, high school and secrets as they heal and find each other again.
Made in South Africa
Binnelanders S8-14
Binnelanders, an Afrikaans soapie set in and around a fictional private hospital, follows the trials and trauma of the staff and patients.
Made in South Africa
Showmax announces The Mommy Club: Van die Hoofstad reunion
Leandie du Randt is set to host The Mommy Club: Van die Hoofstad reunion, premiering on Showmax in two parts on 27 June and 4 July 2025.
South African
Summertide S1
An exhilarating South African multi-generational drama following the Field family and those who cross their paths – each with their own secrets and desires.
Made in South Africa
Where to see the cast of Niggies in other roles on Showmax
From Beer Adriaanse as older André Fourie to Erica Wessels as Ousus Nel and Albert Pretorius as Gustaff Fouché, see the cast of kykNET’s hit drama series Niggies in their other acclaimed roles on Showmax.
South African
Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak (2022)
An unemployed journalist ends up back in her small West Coast hometown, where she meets a floundering rock star.
Made in South Africa
Juffrou X S1
The final exams are just one of the challenges facing the pupils of a rural school. Poverty, crime and drugs stand between them and graduation.
Made in South AfricaThe Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad breaks Showmax record
The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad is now the most-watched Afrikaans show on Showmax since its relaunch. Cast member Johandri Johnson tells us why it’s so popular.
South AfricanThe best series to binge
Laugh Africa Comedy Club
A high-energy celebration of stand-up, spotlighting the continent’s finest comedic talent and international guests, straight from the iconic Laugh Africa Comedy Festival.
Made in South Africa
The Equalizer S1-5
Queen Latifah plays Robyn McCall, an enigmatic former CIA operative who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.
Een Keer Om Die Son S1
Over the course of a year, the Van Wyks mourn the loss of a loved one and struggle with divorce, illness, forgiveness, high school and secrets as they heal and find each other again.
Made in South Africa
The Valley S1
Their lives might have slowed down, but the drama hasn’t. Vanderpump Rules’s former West Hollywood partygoers embrace the next chapter of their lives in the Valley.