A mixed bag this week, as Gino looks at what's been happening in SA and abroad as well as local streaming highlights. 

1. Local podcasts got a boost as DStv put 8 of the top local shows on the DStv bouquets.
2. Kwa-Tsholo launched on Mzanzi Magic, drama and comedy weaved together in the world of hairdressing.
3. Local production A Kind of Madness hits the silver screen at Nu Metro
4. One Piece, a live manga shot in Cape Town bagged not one but two Emmys. Hats off to them!
5. Million Dollar Secret, a new game show where one player starts with $1 million, while 11 others engage in a countrywide pursuit to track and capture them, hoping to claim the cash prize for themselves. On Netflix.
6. The National Film and Video Foundation has appointed Vincent Blennies as its new CEO while the SABC has brought Ongeziwe “Oz” Lupuwana on board as Head of Integrated Marketing.   

That should keep you going for a while. Sit back, feet up and keep on bingeing.

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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

South Africa’s film, television and commercial production sectors now have a dedicated champion in the form of the Directors Guild of South Africa (DGSA). Chaired by acclaimed director, Andile Sinqoto, the guild is supplying "a unified voice for all creative directors, ensuring they are supported, protected and given the opportunities they deserve to thrive in their careers.” 

African Couch Potato managed to grab a few minutes out of Andile's busy schedule to chat about the guild and its place alongside international institutions like the Directors Guild of America, the New York Film Academy, and Stage 32, providing members with exclusive benefits such as educational programmes and skills development training.

Currently ranked in the top 25 TVC Directors by Creative Pool, Andile Sinqoto has almost two decades of experience in numerous fields of flm and television production. He is now the Chairperson of the Independent Directors Association Africa, as well as the Directors Guild of South Africa. 

Founded in 2024 and representing all directors within the profession ranging from directors of photography, assistant directors, creative directors, and directors’ assistants, the DGSA already boasts a membership of over 40 of South Africa’s most influential directors.

“Directors are the heart and soul of South African storytelling, yet our contributions often go underappreciated in industry negotiations and policy discussions,” says Andile.

https://dgosa.org.za

https://creativepool.com/

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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

Millions of South Africans who had direct or indirect investments in the company Steinhof, suddenly saw their savings disappear overnight. Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste got caught pulling the scam of the century. Steinheist, currently streaming on Showmax,  sheds light on Jooste’s scandalous business actions and on how corruption in the private sector all too regularly goes unnoticed. 

Gino gets to chat, via Zoom, with series director Richard Finn Gregory. 

This was the last man to film Nelson Mandela in a private setting before he passed away…

He has won 2 SAFTAs and been nominated for 3…

He then led the SAFTA judging for multiple years…

He has a Medal of Honour from the South African Academy of Sciences and Arts…

He attended film school in Barcelona…

He has a Masters degree in scriptwriting and directing…

And the 2022 release of his Showmax Original, Steinheist, broke records for the most views on the first day for a docu-series. With the last two episodes fresh on the streaming platform, it was a great time to talk to the "Silver Fox". 

You'll have to listen to find out!

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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

Some people seem to be able to do it all. This episode finds Gino chatting to one such person. Yalezo Njuguna, film-maker, podcaster, content creator and curator, and the festival director of BAI Heatseekers.

Yalezo is an acclaimed director and producer, known for his ability to capture the essence of contemporary African culture. His expertise covers many genres, including comedy, documentary, and social commentary, with standout projects like Afriquan Film Conversations and the Bubbling Culture documentary series. Through his production company, Enraptured Odyssey, he has developed a range of film and web-series projects that celebrate African storytelling, challenge industry norms, and push the boundaries of digital content creation.

The recent BAI's Heatseekers Film Showcase presented a top showcase of South African short films and digital content created by trailblazing local youth filmmakers and digital voices. 

Through his unique vision and dynamic projects, Yalezo continues to inspire and captivate audiences, and make a significant impact in the creative world.

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Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

This week's episode is something different as this year we are taking part in Podcasthon - a global movement where podcasters from across the world come together and dedicate an episode of their podcast to a charity that they would like to support. Our chosen charity is Kulea Childcare Villages.  

In Kenya and Tanzania, families living in extreme or absolute poverty have high rates of malnutrition and maternal death and usually cannot afford school fees for all their children or medical care. When a mother passes in childbirth, her baby is at great risk of dying, also, so extended families often surrender that baby to an orphanage because they cannot afford formula. 

Kulea Villages helps keep families together even if the mother has passed. We provide crisis support immediately (infant formula and food for the family) and work through holistic support to help families escape the endless cycle of poverty. Our two programs, Child Sponsorship and Maisha Matters, provide assistance which focuses on the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual well-being of the caregiver(s) of each enrolled baby or child. We extend mentorship to the caregiver by enabling them to start and run their own small business. After a child or baby has been in our program for 1 - 2 years and is leaving, our hope is to have a healthy baby or child whose needs are met consistently through the small business run by their mother or relative who now has confidence in his/her ability to earn a living and to raise children.

Gino managed to get some chat time, via Zoom, with Deborah Brown Magaya, Executive Director of Kulea Childcare Villages, from her offices in Tanzania.

If you want to know more about Kulea Childcare Villages or help in any way contact them through their website kuleavillages.org.

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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

What's been happening? What's hot and what's not? This week Gino looks at current events in the African broadcasting industry, plus Tyler Perry is back, with part 2 of Beauty in Black.

We kick off with a plan to cover the cost of the national broadcaster, the SABC, by bringing in a levy on streaming services. Unless you have a TV licence, of course!

Part 2 of Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black has dropped, so Netflix and... whatever you get up to.

Elon Musk is sulking because SA won't change the country's laws for his Starlink. 

Sadly, popular comedian and actor Ebenhaazer Dibakwane has passed away.

And Multichoice Nigeria is once more in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Now for some us time: We are proud to be part of the global event, Podcasthon 2025, uniting thousands of podcasts from around the world, all dedicated to supporting charitable causes. We are still No. 1 Film and TV podcast in the country, according to Feedspot.com, and  a New York publicist has been in touch. . .

Feet up and get binging!

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Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

Sex sells! so they say, but Kanyi Nokwe sells sex. As Lady T, she oversees the daily operations of NubiaBlaq, an establishment that serves as a front for an escort agency in Showmax's hit show Soft LIfe. In this weeks episode Gino talks to Kanyi, a classically trained musician, thespian, public speaker & creative entrepreneur about her career and what drives her.

This Naledi Theatre Award Nominee began her training as a Triple Threat at the tender age of six and has never looked back. She finished Matric at the National School of The Arts, specialising in Classical Music and completed her BTech degree in Musical Theatre at Tshwane University of Technology in 2015. From stage to the small screen Kanyi has consistently pushed the boundaries.

In conversation Kanyi reveals how attending the National School of the Arts in high school mean she had to catch buses in Hillbrow. The pimps at her bus stop used to look out for her and she became well-acquainted with them and with the prostitutes as well. "That gave me a front-row seat to the realities of sex work."

So, get comfotable in your own front-row seat, as all the episodes for Soft Life are ready to binge-watch on Showmax.

African Couch Potato is now on Patreon, so you can go check us out, support us and even give a donation so we can continue doing what we love the most. https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 

We are also officially part of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA).

We are currently in the top 50 on the 100 Best South Africa Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025 

And no. 1 on the 10 Best South Africa Movies Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025   

Yes? No? Send us a text

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
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[email protected]

WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews

YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

"I bless the rains down in Africa, I bless the rains down in Africa (gonna take the time). . ." sung Toto way back when, and the rains sure have been happening here in Jozi, so we thought it best to also take our time. This week's episode finds Gino on his couch catching up with what Netflix has on offer.

1. Umjolo: There Is No Cure - After former pageant queen works on a memoir after losing her title for exposing a scandal.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar - The life of wellness guru Belle Gibson, who had a large social media following, where she pretended to be suffering from cancer but keeping the disease under control using self-care therapies. None of it was true.
3. Kinda Pregnant - When Lainy's plan to settle down and start a family falls apart, she puts on a fake baby bump, tells a lie, and accidentally falls for her dream guy.
4. Escape Room - Six strangers find themselves in a maze of deadly mystery rooms and must use their wits to survive.
5. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions - Six people unwillingly find themselves locked in another series of escape rooms, slowly uncovering what they have in common to survive. Joining forces with two of the original survivors, they soon discover they've all played the game before.
6. Honeymoon Crasher - When his fiancee dumps him at the altar for her ex, a young man is left with no alternative but to go on his romantic honeymoon with his mother.
7. School of Chocolate - Eight top pastry and chocolate professionals elevate their skills under the supervision of world-renowned chocolatier, Amaury Guichon.

That's one recommendation for each day of the week - that should keep you busy.

Hot news is that we are we are now on Patreon, so you can go check us out, support us and even give a donation so we can continue doing what we love the most. https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 

We are also officially part of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA).

And, if that wasn't enough, we are currently in the top 50 on the 100 Best South Africa Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025 

and (fanfare please!) at no. 1 on the 10 Best South Africa Movies Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025 

Yes? No? Send us a text

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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[email protected]

WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews

YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

Every now and again we need to look beyond the borders of our country or even the continent, and this is one of those episodes where our love for excellence takes us abroad. We kick off (see what we did there) with Kendrick Lamar's Superbowl Halftime show which drew 133.7 million viewers, more than MJ (133.1m) and certainly more than watched the actual game.

Moving downfield, Gino is underwhelmed by the Showmax release of the Sean Combs documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.

From bad to good, apartheid era photographer Ernest Cole is in the frame with a documentary film that premiered in Cannes and will feature at the upcoming Joburg Film Festival.

Canal Plus's StudioCanal is planning a feature film in SA,  Pick n Pay's Price Palooza feat. Rick Ross hits your screens, and even more bizarre than all the rest is the case of Superman suing Superman. Good old truth, justice, and the American way.

Yes? No? Send us a text

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025

In this episode Gino gets back to us on what happened at the Multichoice Agency Day, where he was invited to give a talk in which he broke down the era of self-broadcasting and the need for synergy between traditional media such as television and the fastest growing digital format, podcasts, i.e. ACP. 

The day kicked off at 9 with various speakers from the Multichoice (MC) group sharing insights about their markets, their marketing efforts and the deal with Canal Plus and how it will affect MC's employees.

One of the fascinating speakers of the day was James Frank who has worked with Beyonce and The Voice on two different continents. He was the one who secured the rights for MC to use Bohemian Rhapsody for one of its campaigns. Is this the real life? Or is this just fantasy?

No! It's all for real - Time for lunch.

It was Gino's time to talk after lunch and he wowed the audience with his presentation titled "Self-broadcast versus the Small Screen" which he unpacks for you here. The audience loved it so much that they asked for the whole presentation to be circulated - so let's see what happens... 

Yes? No? Send us a text

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews

YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2025