MultiChoice wins big at SAFTAs

“MultiChoice has made substantial investment in locally produced content in order to tell our African stories to the world,” says Yolisa Phahle, CEO of MCG General Entertainment. “It’s an incredibly proud moment to see the award-winning stories that our investment of R2.5 billion into local productions each year.”

With nearly 14 million customers and 148 channels, MCG is firmly positioned as Africa's leading storyteller and has been the foremost provider of award-winning sport and entertainment content from across the continent on 22 proprietary and over 50 international channels.

The company’s investment into local production has resulted in over 4500 hours of local content produced per year and the establishment of extensive production facilities with 10 studios across Africa.

“Beyond entertainment, it’s rewarding to see how, through our investments in infrastructure, technology and empowerment initiatives, we are empowering a supply chain which in turn supports local business and communities,” Phahle explains. “We are giving people the opportunity to tell their stories.

By creating and funding so many original productions across the MultiChoice stable, I’d like to believe we’re playing our part in driving that virtuous circle and in telling Africa’s stories. The fact that we’re getting interest in our originals from around the world is a testament to the quality of our industry.”

Most awarded feature film: 
Ellen: Die Ellen Pakkies Storie' (kykNET)

Ellen: Die Ellen Pakkies Storie was the most awarded feature film, taking home four awards: Best Actress (Jill Levenberg as Ellen Pakkies), Actor (Jarrid Geduld as Abie), Director (Daryne Joshua) and Music/Score (Quinn Lubbe).

kykNET was the most awarded channel overall in the category, winning nine of the 14 categories. In addition to Ellen’s wins, Stroomop won Best Supporting Actress (Ilse Klink as Diona); Kanarie won Best Script (Christiaan Olwagen and Charl-Johan Lingenfelder); Meerkat Maantuig won Best Cinematography (Willie Nel); Nommer 37 took home Best Editor (Simon Beesley); and Stroomop won Best Make-Up and Hairstyling (Minuche Bridgette Snyman).

Five Fingers To Marseilles, currently screening on Showmax, also won two awards: Best Production Design (J. Franz Lewis) and Costume Design (Pierre Vienings).

 

Most awarded telenovela:
'The River' (1Magic)

In the telenovela category, 1Magic’s The River was the most awarded series, with 10 wins, including Best Telenovela and Most Popular TV Soap / Telenovela. This made The River the most awarded production overall, across all categories. Moshidi Motshegwa as Malefu beat out co-star Sindi Dlathu as Lindiwe to win Best Actress, while Presley Chweneyagae as Cobra won out over co-star Hlomla Dandala as Zweli for Best Actor. The River also won Best Supporting Actor (Lawrence Maleka), Directing (Johnny Barbuzano, Catharine Cooke, Zolani Phakade and Ferry Jele), Scriptwriting (Gwydion Beynon and Phathutshedzo Makwarela), Cinematography (Gaopie Kabe and Trevor Brown), Editing (Ula Oelsen, Bongi Malefo & Matodzi Nemungadi) and Sound (Ben Oelsen, Lele Seate and Tladi Mabuya).

Vele Manenje was named Best Supporting Actress for her role as Shandukani in Ring of Lies on Mzansi Magic.

1Magic was the most awarded channel overall in the category, with 10 awards.

 

Most awarded comedy:
'Tali’s Wedding Diary' (Showmax)

In the comedy category, Showmax’s first original series, Tali’s Wedding Diary, was the most awarded, with five awards from  seven nominations, including Best Comedy and Best Actress for Julia Anastasopoulos as Tali Shapiro. Tali’s Wedding Diary also won Best Directing (Ari Kruger), Cinematography (James Adey) and Editing (Richard Starkey).

This made Showmax the most awarded broadcaster in the category - and marked the first time a streaming service had won at the SAFTAs.

Hannes Brummer won Best Actor for his role as Benny Botha in Elke Skewe Pot on kykNET.

 

Most awarded drama:
'Lockdown' (Mzansi Magic)

In the drama category, Mzansi Magic’s Lockdown 2 was the  most awarded series, with five awards from eight nominations, including Best TV Drama. For her role as Mazet, Dawn Thandeka King beat two-time International Emmy nominee Thuso Mbedu (Is’Thunzi) to win Best Actress, while Lorcia Cooper took home Best Supporting Actress as Tyson, Gisellah Mcleod won Best Wardrobe and Babalwa Carol Djieutcheu won Best Hair and Make-up.

Mzansi Magic was the  most awarded channel overall in the category, with six awards split between Lockdown and Is’thunzi, which won Best Supporting Actor for S'dumo Mtshali as Mandla.

kykNET’s legal drama Fynskrif also won Best Sound (Stef Albertyn) and Music/Score (Braam du Toit).

 

Most awarded soap:
'Isithembiso' (Mzansi Magic)

The soap category was the most contested of the night, but Mzansi Magic’s Isithembiso came in tops, with four awards: Best Script (Charleen Ntsane, Chris Blomkamp, Daniel Zimbler, Sayitsheni Mdakhi,  Iain Paton, Catherine Muller,  Libby Dougherty, Andrew Petersen, Mbasa  Tsetsana, Sydney DireZoe Arthur,Thabo Boom & Matthew Jankes), Best Cinematography (Sevetian Maslamoney and Zeno Petersen), Editing (Kirsten de Magalhaes, Rian van der Walt, Jeremy Briers, Molatsi Molefe, Martin Mosala, Sphiwe Nhlumayo, Matodzi Nedmungadi, Tshepo Kgatsoetsoe  and Brett Anoli), and Sound (Charles Sijaji and Mark Phillips).

Mzansi Magic was the most awarded channel overall in the category, with seven awards split between Isithembiso and Isibaya, which won Best Supporting Actress (Gcina Mkhize); Best Supporting Actor (Abdul Khoza); and Best Directing (Phiwe Mkhanzi and Sthembiso Mathenjwa).

kykNET’s Getroud Met Rugby won Best Art Direction (Michelle Cronje).

 

But wait there’s more...

Other MultiChoice winners included M-Net 101’s My Kitchen Rules South Africa, which won Best International Format; Mzansi Magic’s Thembi’s Trial, which won Best Made for TV Movie; and kykNET’s The Rockets 50ste Herdenking Konsert, which won Best Music Show.