Showmax wins big at SAFTAs 2021

Content on Showmax was the big winner at the 15th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), taking home 42 Golden Horns – double its closest competitor.

This included Most Popular TV Soap / Telenovela (Gomora), Best Telenovela (Legacy), Best Film (Griekwastad), Best Structured Soapie Reality Show (the Showmax Original Life With Kelly Khumalo), Best Documentary Feature (How To Steal A Country), Best Made-For-TV Documentary (Chasing The Sun), Best Made-for-TV Movie (the Showmax Original Loving Thokoza) and Best Short Film (Address Unknown), among others. 

“All the Golden Horns received by our storytellers demonstrate the breadth, depth and diversity of MultiChoice’s content across its various platforms,” says Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO of General Entertainment and Connected Video. “A win for MultiChoice is a win for the local TV and film industry that we continue to unceasingly invest in. We are hugely proud that programming from our flagship channels M-Net, kykNET, Mzansi Magic and 1Magic has been recognised and are celebrating the fact that ShowMax Originals are also some of the most loved shows.” 

Last year around 4 000 hours of local content was produced by the group in multiple languages and across many different countries. 

“This awards ceremony is dedicated to the talent and production teams who continue to excel despite the immense pressure our industry endured this past year, as we battle the pandemic. Thank you to the hearts and minds that contribute to our industry’s growth and society at large,” says Phahle.

A posthumous Best Actor SAFTA for Isibaya’s Menzi Ngubane – his first ever

Menzi Ngubane, who passed away in March 2021, won his first-ever SAFTA for Best Actor as the villainous Judas Ngwenya in Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya, which ended its eighth and final season earlier this year. If this had been a live ceremony, there wouldn’t have been a dry eye in the house. 

M-Net 101’s Still Breathing scooped the two main acting awards in the Drama category: Best Actress for Kate Liquorish as Abi and Best Actor for Brandon Auret as Danny – also both first-time SAFTA winners.  

kykNET stars also had a good night: Clint Brink won Best Actor – TV Soap as Steve Abrahams in Binnelanders, while James Borthwick was named Best Actor – TV Comedy, for the second time, as Ferdie in kykNET’s Hotel, which also earned Martelize Kolver her first Best Supporting Actress SAFTA as Brenda. June van Merch also won her first SAFTA, for Best Supporting Actor – TV Drama in the title role in Sara Se Geheim. 

A posthumous Best Directing SAFTA for Gerrit Schoonhoven for Binnelanders

Gerrit Schoonhoven, who passed away earlier this year, was one of the Best Directing – TV Soap winners for kykNET’s Binnelanders. Other members of the Binnelanders directing team include Danie Joubert, Roché Knoesen, Riaan Meij, Charl van Biljon, and Jaco Vermeulen.

Content on Showmax won all but one of the Directing awards: with Jozua Malherbe winning the film category for kykNET’s Griekwastad; Etienne Fourie and Elanie Rupping winning the TV Drama category for kykNET’s Tydelik Terminaal; Thabang Moleya, Nthabiseng Mokoena, Nozipho Nkelemba and Lefuno Nekhabambe winning the Telenovela category for Mzansi Magic’s Gomora; and Rehad Desai and Mark Kaplan winning the Documentary category for Showmax’s How To Steal A Country. 

Similarly, content on Showmax won most of the Scriptwriting awards on the night: with Byron Abrahams, Lwazi Mvusi, Joshua Rous and Meren Reddy winning the TV Comedy category for the BET-Showmax co-production, Black Tax; Portia Gumede, Duduzile Mabaso, Lufuno Nemungadi and Lidudumalingani winning the TV Drama category for Mzansi Magic’s Housekeepers; and Gwydion Beynon and Phathutshedzo Makwarela winning the Telenovela category for 1Magic’s The River. 

Legacy named Best Telenovela

Ngubane’s posthumous win was part of a clean sweep for Showmax content in the hotly contested Telenovela category, where M-Net 101’s Legacy was named best in class, picking up six awards at its SAFTA debut. Set in the cut-throat world of investment billionaires, Legacy won Best Telenovela; a first-ever SAFTA for Michelle Botes for Best Supporting Actress as Angelique Price; and four craft awards. 

1Magic’s The River also collected six awards: Best Actress, for the second year in a row, for Sindi Dlathu as Lindiwe and Supporting Actor for Meshack Mavuso Magabane as Nsizwa, as well as four craft awards. 

Griekwastad named Best Film

kykNET’s Griekwastad, based on the true story of the horrific 2012 farm murder of Deon and Christel Steenkamp and their teenage daughter, took home three awards, including Best Film. Griekwastad stars SA-born Hollywood star Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra) in a rare local role. 

Showmax’s Loving Thokoza, starring Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa as a teacher who sets up a debating society in the lead-up to the 1994 elections, was named Best Made-For-TV Movie. 

How To Steal A Country and Chasing the Sun dominate Documentary category

Showmax’s How To Steal A Country, which documents the Gupta family’s rise from flea-market shoe salesmen to owners of a controversial business empire in South Africa in under 10 years, picked up four awards, including Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Director for Rehad Desai and Mark Kaplan.

SuperSport’s Chasing the Sun, the inspiring story of the Springbok’s triumph at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was named Best Made-For-TV Documentary, and also took home a Cinematography craft award. 

Life With Kelly Khumalo named Best Structured Soapie Reality Show 

MultiChoice’s streaming service Showmax dominated the Best Structured Soapie Reality TV Show category, where Life With Kelly Khumalo emerged as the winner ahead of two other Showmax Originals: Lebo M: Coming Home and Somizi & Mohale: The Union. Season 2 of Life WIth Kelly Khumalo started on Showmax last week. 

Address Unknown wins Best Short Film

Nadine Cloete’s Address Unknown, winner of the Audience Award at the 2020 Durban International Film Festival, was named Best Short Film at the SAFTAs. Set in District Six in 1976, the short film follows postman Joey (Stefan Erasmus from Trackers), as he tries to deliver a letter to his childhood friend, Ebie (Irshaad Ally from Nommer 37), in the aftermath of the District Six forced removals. 

More category and craft winners

Other winners to stream on Showmax include kykNET’s Hoor My, Sien My, Soen My (Best International Format Show) and Republiek van Zoid Afrika (Best Variety Show), as well as two TV Drama craft winners, M-Net 101’s Trackers (Best Make-Up and Hairstyling) and the Showmax Original Lockdown S5 (Best Original Music/Score).

Full List of SAFTA winners on Showmax

1. Most Popular TV Soap/Telenovela: Gomora (Seriti Films) | Mzansi Magic
2. Best Telenovela: Legacy (Tshedza Pictures) | M-Net 101 
3. Best Feature Film: Griekwastad (SCENE23) | kykNET 
4. Best Short Film: Address Unknown (Green Leaf Films) | Showmax  
5. Best Structured Soapie Reality Show: Life with Kelly Khumalo (Barleader TV) | Showmax
6. Best Documentary Feature: How to Steal a Country (Rehad Desai and Mark Kaplan) | Showmax    
7. Best Made for TV Documentary: Chasing the Sun (SuperSport, SA Rugby and T+W) | SuperSport
8. Best International Format Show: Hoor My, Sien My, Soen My (Afrokaans Film & Television) | kykNET                        
9. Best Variety Show: Republiek van Zoid Afrika (Brainwave Productions) | kykNET
10. Best Made for TV Movie: Loving Thokoza (Black Brain Pictures) | Showmax    
11. Best Actress – Telenovela: Sindi Dlathu (Lindiwe – The River) | 1Magic 
12. Best Actress – TV Drama: Kate Liquorish (Abi – Still Breathing) | M-Net 101
13. Best Actor – Telenovela: Menzi Ngubane (Judas Nqwenya – Isibaya) | Mzansi Magic   
14. Best Actor – TV Soap: Clint Brink (Steve Abrahams – Binnelanders) | kykNET                                 
15. Best Actor – TV Drama: Brandon Auret (Danny – Still Breathing) | M-Net 101
16. Best Actor -TV Comedy: James Borthwick (Ferdie – Hotel) | kykNET
17. Best Supporting Actress – Telenovela: Michelle Botes  (Angelique Price – Legacy) | M-Net 101            
18. Best Supporting Actress – TV Drama: June van Merch (Sara – Sara se Geheim) | kykNET
19. Best Supporting Actress – TV Comedy: Martelize Kolver (Brenda – Hotel) | kykNET         
20. Best Supporting Actor – Telenovela: Meshack Mavuso Magabane (Nsizwa – The River) | 1Magic 
21. Best Achievement in Directing – Feature Film: Griekwastad (Jozua  Malherbe) | kykNET
22. Best Achievement in Directing – Telenovela: Gomora Season 1 (Thabang Moleya, Nthabiseng Mokoena, Nozipho  Nkelemba and Lefuno Nekhabambe) | Mzansi Magic 
23. Best Achievement in Directing – TV Soap : Binnelanders (Danie Joubert, Roché Knoesen, Riaan Meij, Charl van Biljon, Gerrit Schoonhoven and Jaco Vermeulen) | kykNET        
24. Best Achievement in Directing -TV Drama: Tydelik Terminaal (Etienne Fourie and Elanie Rupping) | kykNET 
25. Best Achievement in Directing – Documentary: How to Steal a Country (Rehad Desai and Mark Kaplan) | Showmax    
26. Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – Telenovela: The River (Gwydion Beynon and Phathutshedzo Makwarela) | On 1Magic    
27. Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Comedy: Black Tax (Byron Abrahams, Lwazi Mvusi, Joshua Rous and Meren Reddy) | BET and Showmax     
28. Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Drama: Housekeepers (Portia Gumede, Duduzile Mabaso, Lufuno Nemungadi and Lidudumalingani) | Mzansi Magic      
29. Best Achievement In Original Music/Score – Telenovela: The River (Brendan Jury) | 1Magic 
30. Best Achievement in Original Music/Score – TV Drama: Lockdown (Kurt Slabbert, Jamela Vuma & Mandla Ngcongwane) | Showmax     
31. Best Achievement in Editing – Telenovela: The River (Bongi Malefo, Edgar Sibaya, Sphiwe Nhlumayo & Ula Oelsen) | 1Magic
32. Best Achievement in Editing – TV Drama: Still Breathing (Miriam Arndt and Alistair Thomas) | M-Net 101 
33. Best Achievement in Editing – Documentary: How to Steal a Country (Megan Gill ) | Showmax
34. Best Achievement in Editing – Feature Film: Griekwastad (Lucian Barnard) | kykNET                
35. Best Achievement in Sound – TV Soap/Telenovela: The River (Ben Oelsen & Tladi Mabuya) | 1Magic 
36. Best Achievement in Sound – Documentary: How to Steal a Country (Charlotte Buys) | Showmax
37. Best Achievement in Cinematography – Telenovela: Legacy (Trevor Brown) | M-Net 101
38. Best Achievement in Cinematography – Documentary: Chasing the Sun (Carter Devin) | SuperSport
39. Best Achievement in Wardrobe – TV Soap/Telenovela: Legacy (Zandile Mncwango) | M-Net 101 
40. Best Achievement in  Make-Up and Hairstyling- TV Soap/Telenovela: Legacy (Jenny Sprawson) | M-Net 101   
41. Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling – TV Drama: Trackers (Babalwa Mtshiselwa) | M-Net 101     
42. Best Achievement in Art Direction – TV Soap/Telenovela: Legacy (Amanda Scholtz) | M-Net 101