Showmax dazzles viewers with more authentic local stories

22 September 2022: Showmax – Africa’s homegrown streaming service – is setting its sights on providing more quality local content and original shows as it continues to provide a variety of hit African content, first and exclusive international series, popular movies, premium documentaries and the best kids’ shows.

This follows another year of content on Showmax dominating the prestigious 16th annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), receiving a total of 45 Golden Horn awards, three more than last year’s tally of 42.

Showmax Originals won 17 awards, including Best TV Comedy (Tali’s Baby Diary); Made for TV Documentary (Devilsdorp) and Made for TV Movie (Boxing Day). Tali’s Baby Diary and Glasshouse received a whopping five awards each, in joint first place overall, while DAM and telenovela The Wife walked away with two each.

At the 2022 DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards, Abdul Khoza and Kwenzo Ngcobo won Favourite Actor and Favourite Rising Star respectively for their roles in the record-breaking Showmax Original telenovela The Wife.

Our vision is to be Africa’s most loved storyteller online and to take African stories to the world. Showmax is the best place to stream Kenyan drama series, according to the 2021 Kalasha Awards, with all three TV Drama winners: Best TV Drama (Njoro Wa Uba), Best Actor (Joe Kinyua for Njoro Wa Uba) and Best Actress (Sarah Hassan from the Showmax Original Crime and Justice).

Showmax is also the best place in Africa to stream international series, according to the Primetime Emmy Awards. Content on Showmax won 28 Emmys, including Outstanding Drama (HBO’s Succession) and Limited or Anthology Series (HBO’s The White Lotus, the Emmys’ biggest winner this year, with 10.)

“We are leading the way and taking African audiences into the future. Our technology is designed for how we live, offering the best data saving features available. We believe in telling African stories in local languages that touch lives and celebrate our past and future,” says Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO Connected Video.

One of South Africa’s most hotly anticipated shows launches this September on Showmax. The epic fantasy Blood Psalms is set in ancient Africa and chronicles the rise to power of a fierce teenage princess who battles a world-ending prophecy to navigate her people through ancient curses, long-standing tribal vendettas, and the wrath of the gods. Award-winning show creators Layla Swart and Jahmil X.T. Qubeka are joined by a heavyweight cast, which includes nine SAFTA winners – Bongile Mantsai; Hamilton Dlamini; Hlubi Mboya; Mothusi Magano; S’dumo Mtshali; Siv Ngesi; Thishiwe Ziqubu; Warren Masemola and Zolisa Xaluva – and many more household names.

Showmax Pro and the DStv app are the only platforms that stream SuperSport content in Africa. Viewers can access local and international football tournaments, such as the DStv Premiership, the Premier League and of course, the biggest football event this year: the 2022 FIFA World Cup. And football is about to become even more accessible and affordable. As of 23 September 2022, Showmax Pro will be available to subscribers in South Africa for R349 per month, a 22% reduction on the previous price of R449. The Showmax Pro Mobile plan remains available for R225 per month. The updated price point for Showmax Pro is for South Africa only.

Showmax and Showmax Pro are available in 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Now streaming

Steinheist | True crime series

From the creators of the SAFTA-winning and Showmax record-setting true crime phenomenon, Devilsdorp, Steinheist is a three-part documentary series about the biggest corporate scam in South African history.

On 6 December 2017, when CEO Markus Jooste resigned amid an investigation into accounting irregularities, Steinhoff’s share price plunged by over 90% in a week, wiping over R200 billion off the Johannesburg Stock Exchange – and off ordinary South Africans’ pensions and investments. As Financial Mail editor and Steinheist author Rob Rose says in the documentary, “That’s South Africa’s Enron.”

“Steinheist is the story of Markus Jooste and a multi-billion-rand lie that everyone bought – a lie that was built across over two decades,” says director Richard Finn Gregory, whose Patagonia-set feature documentary The Boers At The End of The World won three SAFTAs in 2016. “How did this happen? How did no one see it coming? And how is Marcus Jooste not in jail?”

Steinheist provides a fascinating, insider glimpse into what former Steinhoff chairman Christo Wiese describes in the trailer as “the Jooste black magic” and into a complex man who is described variously as “one of the best accountants ever in this country”; as someone who was only interested in his business and in horse-racing; as someone who “got addicted to the lifestyle, the money, the fame”; and as a “very clever, slick, and a very slippery operator.”

Coming Soon

The Wife Season 3 | Telenovela

When it launched in November 2021, Showmax’s first telenovela, The Wife, outperformed the launch of any film or series on the streaming platform. Inspired by Dudu Busani-Dube’s bestseller Hlomu The Wife, the first season tells the story of a journalist (Mbalenhle Mavimbela) who falls in love with a taxi driver, Mqhele (Bonko Khoza), not realising that when you marry a man, you marry his secrets.

Season 2 is inspired by the follow-up novel, Zandile the Resolute. The role of Zandile, the fierce matriarch of the Zulu family, is played by Khanyi Mbau and Mondli Makhoba reprises his role as Nkosana, the eldest Zulu brother in The Wife.

Season 3 launches this November and centres on two star-crossed lovers: Tswana doctor Naledi Montsho and Zulu taxi driver Qhawe. Gaisang K Noge stars as Naledi opposite DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards Rising Star winner Kwenzo Ngcobo, dubbed “the Woolworths of amadoda” by Twitter, as Qhawe.

The Real Housewives of Durban Season 3 I Reality

After another Twitter-topping season, The Real Housewives of Durban are coming back with more of the class, glamour, sass and drama we’ve come to expect from the franchise. In addition to setting a then-record for the most first-day views on Showmax, Season 1 went on to screen on NBCUniversal’s reality streaming service hayu in 28 territories outside of Africa, including the UK; Europe; Australia; Canada; Hong Kong; Singapore and India. The Real Housewives franchise is licensed as a format by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal Studio Group.

DAM Season 2 l Psychological thriller

Created by four-time SAFTA winner Alex Yazbek, the Showmax Original psychological thriller DAM was one of the 10 most-watched titles of 2021 on Showmax, earning rave reviews for breaking the mould of South African TV. It was the most nominated drama at the 2022 SAFTAs, where it won two awards.

As Season 2 picks up, the drought is over but Yola (Silwerskerm winner Lea Vivier) is missing, feared dead. With land changing hands, diamonds and historical massacres being uncovered, and the local cult planning another ritual, DAM’s second season promises to be full of even more twists and unsettling imagery as it tells its story of love and monsters.

Tali’s Joburg Diary l Mockumentary

The first ever Showmax Original, Tali’s Wedding Diary set a (then) record for the most first-day views on Showmax and was the most awarded comedy at the 2019 SAFTAs, taking home five prizes, including Best Comedy, Best Director (Ari Kruger) and Best Actress (Julia Anastasopoulos, aka SuzelleDIY).

The hit mockumentary was followed by Tali’s Baby Diary in 2021, which again won five SAFTAs in 2022, including Best Comedy, Best Director (Kruger and Daniel Zimbler) and Best Actress (Anastasopoulos), making it jointly the most awarded show overall.

Having shared her wedding in Tali’s Wedding Diary and then her pregnancy in Tali’s Baby Diary, Tali is moving back to Joburg in Season 3, determined to get Jayden into the premium preschool, Little Angels Hyde Park, and reclaim her crown, or at the very least the title of Class Mom.

But planning a wedding and even giving birth have nothing on moving back in with your parents. Especially when you’re already at your wits’ end after years of baby rearing in lockdown, when Darren embraced the new normal a little too much, Goldprop all but dissolved, and your credit cards started bouncing…

The Real Housewives of Nairobi | Reality

The Real Housewives of Nairobi, which will debut in 2023 as a Showmax Original, is the 22nd international version of The Real Housewives format and the sixth to be adapted in Africa.
The Kenyan edition of the popular reality series is being produced by Eugene Mbugua’s D&R Studios (formerly Young Rich Television), the production company behind Kenya’s biggest docu-reality shows and Showmax favourites like the 2021 Kalasha nominee Sol Family; the 2021 Kalasha nominee and 2022 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice (AMVCA) nominee This Love; 2022 reality series Kyallo Kulture; 2018 Kalasha nominee Stori Yangu and 2019 Kalasha winner Our Perfect Wedding.

On what the audience can expect with Nairobi, following the success of other African franchises, Mbugua said, “There’s quite a bit of pressure from the audience to deliver a stellar show but if what we’ve seen in the casting process is anything to go by, Nairobi promises to hold its own. Fans can expect surprises in everything, from the choice of the cast to the storylines. The Real Housewives of Nairobi is going to be the show to watch.”

Pepeta | Crime drama

Pepeta is a Kenyan crime drama series that captures the dreams and realities of the youth in Kibera, known for churning out top football players in the country.

Pepeta follows three intertwining stories: of Junior, a 17-year-old talented footballer torn between the thrills of crime and the promises of soccer; Musa, an unforgiving cop with a personal vendetta, determined to rid the streets of criminals; and Biki, an ambitious football coach determined to get Junior and his friends scouted before the barrel of the gun cuts short their dreams.

Loosely based on the real-life story of Harun ‘Rio’ Wathari, Pepeta is being produced by CJ3 Entertainment’s James ‘Draka’ Kombo (Sense8, Sumu La Penzi), Mwangi Rurengo (Discovery254, Noose of Gold), and Wanja Mworia, with Damaris Irungu (Crime and Justice), Charles Ouda (Waiting Room, Makutano Junction) and Abigail Arunga (How to Find a Husband) as writers.

Diiche | Psychological thriller

Diiche is Showmax’s first Nigerian original limited series. The six-part psychological thriller, directed by James Omokwe, Tolu Ajayi, Fiyin Gambo and Ifeoma Chukwuogo, parades a vibrant mix of emerging and established Nollywood acts, including Daniel K Daniel, Efa Iwara, Uzoamaka Onuoha, Frank Konwea, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Kalu Ikeagwu, Chinyere Wilfred and Gloria Anozie-Young.

Diiche, an A-list actress, becomes a prime suspect in a high-profile murder investigation over the death of Nnamdi, her fiancé. She must take it upon herself and race against the clock to find out who killed her fiancé and exonerate herself. However, there is more to the case than meets the eye and a backstory of almost 30 years ago, known only to her mother, that reveals the tussle between good and evil.

Uzoamaka Onuoha takes on the role of Odiiche (‘Diiche’ for short), an emotionally unavailable and selfish starlet with a long trail of failed relationships. 2016 AMVCA Best Actor winner, Daniel K Daniel, plays Nnamdi, the cunning, calculative and manipulative fiancé of Diiche, whose death sets off her emotional rollercoaster.

Diiche premieres 29 September on Showmax.

My Perfect Funeral | Reality

When it comes to burying the dead, Ghana has one of the most unique funeral practices in the world. Here, funerals are a celebration of life and a chance for families to give their loved ones a proper send-off, from creating fantasy coffins to holding long ceremonies to being as flamboyant as the families’ budgets allow.

My Perfect Funeral is a reality series that follows Ghanaian families as they prepare to bury their loved ones. Each episode will show the various stages of the funeral and will also feature POVs and confessional sessions from key family members.

The show will expose the elaborateness of Ghanaian funerals while exploring unique traditions and fanfare and is produced by Deloris Frimpong Manso (The Delay Show) and Benjamin Asante Boateng.

My Perfect Funeral is the second Showmax Original title in Ghana after ENO, the Shirley Frimpong-Manso-directed drama series.

About MultiChoice Group

MultiChoice Group (MCG), which listed on the Main Board of the JSE on 27 February 2019, is one of the fastest-growing video entertainment providers globally, delivering entertainment products and services to 20.9m households across 50 countries on the African continent. Its track record of more than 35 years is reflective of a commitment to provide audiences with only the best local, sport and international content.

MCG’s strong partnerships with distributors, installers, and telecommunication companies, along with its well-established payment solutions, competitive pricing and choice of viewership packages continue to secure its place in the global market, while also providing solutions unique to the African market.

Its direct-to-home (DTH), digital terrestrial television (DTT) and over-the-top (OTT) solutions enable the business to stay relevant and aligned to changing consumer habits while capturing new markets.

Content is at the very core of the business. MCG aims to deliver quality content anywhere, anytime and on any device through a comprehensive video entertainment offering at different price points. As pioneers in African video entertainment, MCG plays an important role in making information and entertainment easily accessible to Africans.

MCG aims to secure content rights in a manner that is cost-effective and reflective of the diversity of its audiences. Its substantial portfolio includes award-winning local content (a key differentiator in its service offering), a leading sports offering (including production capabilities) and access to international content, which is all shared on the group’s platforms: DStv, GOtv, Showmax, M-Net and SuperSport.

MCG has superior technology capability through the security solutions that Irdeto, its technology company, brings to the group. These solutions enable MultiChoice to protect its investment, create new offerings and combat cybercrime. With more than 50 years’ expertise in software security, Irdeto’s software security solutions and cyber services protect over 6bn devices and applications for some of the world’s best brands.

For more information on Showmax, contact:

MultiChoice Group Contact Details:

Laura Cooke, Head of PR and Communications for Showmax

Mobile: +27 84 369 0995

Laura.cooke@multichoice.com

Litlhare Moteetee, Corporate Communications

Mobile: +27 72 490 4609

Litlhare.Moteetee@Multichoice.co.za