Reminder: Survival in the Wild: Naked and Afraid Ventures into South Africa for Riveting Season Premiere on Discovery Channel Africa on 27 March @ 20:55 CAT

Discovery Channel is set to captivate South African audiences as the highly anticipated Season 17 of Naked and Afraid makes its debut on Wednesday, 27 March @ 20:55 CAT. This thrilling season kicks off in the picturesque landscapes of South Africa before challenging contestants in the wild terrains of Colombia.

In the premiere episode, viewers will witness the gripping tale of a hunter and a farmer as they join forces to tackle the unforgiving wilderness of South Africa. Battling against elusive wildlife and harsh conditions, these brave survivalists must push themselves to the limit as they strive to endure 21 gruelling days without the comforts of modern civilisation.

A significant portion of the adventure unfolds in South Africa, showcasing the region's rugged beauty and formidable challenges. From traversing the Black Hills of the Northern Cape to facing off against deadly predators like man-eating crocodiles, lions, and poisonous snakes, the contestants must confront South Africa’s nature's raw brutality with every step they take.

The season also features captivating storylines, including the return of veteran survivalists mentoring newcomers in an all-women tribe's challenge in Colombia, armchair survivalists attempting a 14-day fan challenge, and a survivalist coping with menstruation in the heart of the African bush.

The gripping new season of Naked and Afraid will premiere on Discovery Channel Africa on 27 March at 20:55 CAT. New episodes air every Wednesday.

M-Net's Abandonment Of Me On DStv Explained

M-Net Essentials (Me) was a pay-tv channel that was operated by M-Net that would distributed a variety of South African produced and international content. Curated for Compact and Family, Me would serve as an open window to programs from M-Net and 1Magic. 

Following its decent from M-Net Series Zone, the 24 hour open window will conclude after 11 years by the end of March. With consumers stripped off third party shows like Survivor and House Of Dragons alongside originals like Reyka and Lioness.

Consumers will not longer be paying more for less channels but M-Net would be losing an audience. Although, Me was just another Mzansi Wethu it was the the only reason any of M-Net's shows gained any relevance.

News of 1Magic's demise doesn't surprise a majority of viewers as the channel was struggling to outgrow Mzansi Magic. Although, it offered originals like The River and Unmarried all of this went unnoticed during their run on the channel. 

With M-Net doing away with Me one of several factors could have come to play:

• Competition - after the axing of M-Net City, it was reported by NBCUniversal that Universal TV had seen a surge in viewers. Despite Me getting with the times, it's likely Universal TV and other TV channels edged them out.

• Decline in premium consumption - following the global impact of streaming, M-Net had been stripped off content like Shogun and Only Murders In The Building. As more consumers opt for Disney+ or Netflix it makes M-Net redundant. 

If anything, it does lead one to wonder how long it would be till content from BBC Brit, Universal TV and Comedy Central integrate into Showmax and other streamers.

New Series Alert: Showmax's Twende To Make Its Linear Debut On Play Room, SABC 2's Magic Cellar Also Added To The Lineup

Play Room, a South African based children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group that offers fun and learning through live-action and animated shows dubbed in Zulu will be expanding the local lineup during the school holidays with Twende and Magic Cellar.

After launching on Showmax in 2023, Twende will be making their linear debut on Play Room. It's not shocking cause after M-Net axed K-TV this content needed a platform and despite M-Net having no management of Play Room do provide funding through MultiChoice. 

SABC's influence on the channel is expanding with the inclusion of Magic Cellar. It would join other shows to have been offered by the public broadcaster including Akili And Me, Bino And Fino and Jabu's Jungle.

Twende follows a pangolin of the same name, the slowest moving animal in the savannah. He believes life is about the journey, not the destination’ and is constantly at odds with his job as a boda boda driver in the bustling, fictional East African city of Milima.

Produced by MultiChoice Studios, Twende is voiced by Junior Nyong’o, while June Gachui plays his best friend and navigator, Nuru – a smart bird who always looks out for Twende, even if his chilled-out vibe drives her crazy sometimes. 

Magic Cellar is a long-form 3D animated series based on African culture which focuses on folktales, partially collected via interviews with elders in villages. It featured a multicultural cast of characters, with the principal character being an African girl.

Since its inception, Magic Cellar won 42 international awards, including Gold and Silver World Medals at the New York Festivals, a Platinum REMI Award and First Prize at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF).

Twende will air on weekdays at 17:00 replacing Total Dramarama from 25 March and Magic Cellar likely dubbed in Zulu will replace Akili And Me on weekdays at 08:15 on Play Room. 

New Series Alert: Isiphetho: Destiny And Kelders Van Geheime Coming Soon To e.tv

During the month, it was reported that e.tv had begun work on a rival offering for the cancelled Afrikaans soap, 7de Laan. At the time, eMedia Investments unveiled another new Afrikaans program Die Fakulteit which is set to rollout on eExtra by April.

Kelders Van Geheime is the name of the next Afrikaans project eMedia Investments had unveiled to consumers this week. It was produced by Kfilms and Penguin Films who have done several writing jobs for 7de Laan, Arendsvlei and Binnelanders.

According to Penguin Films, this Cape Town based telenovela is a story for everyone. The focus of the show is on the farming community and the nature of wine farming. The first season will consist of 260 episodes which airs Monday to Fridays.

Kelders Van Geheime is gearing up for an early May debut likely 6 May replacing Ouma Sarie. This is what we were told from other sources and as for the cast eMedia Investments remains silent but promises a several familiar faces known to audiences. 

Prior to this, e.tv will debut a new telenovela on the channel next month titled Isiphetho: Destiny. It was produced by The Black Door and Isitha: The Enemy's very own Black Brain Pictures. It will star Mbalenhle Mavimbela, Kope “Tswyza” Makgae and Tsholofelo Maseko.

It follows a group of four friends return to the community of Mzimhlophe in Soweto where they reunite to start an innovative restaurant. They're bound by a life changing secret from their teenage years and want to rewrite their futures and start afresh.

Isiphetho: Destiny will debut on e.tv from Monday 15 April at 18:30 replacing eKasi: Our Stories/uBettina Wethu. Prior to the rollout, e.tv will compliment this offering with a new miniseries titled Re-Imagine Destiny. 

Channel Closure: Ginx eSports TV Will Stop Airing On DStv By 31 March 2024

During the week, it was reported that M-Net's Me and 1Magic would exit the DStv platform by the end of March after failing to do so last month. Now MultiChoice will continue their reign of destruction with Ginx eSports TV that serves as the latest victim. 

Available in more than 40 million households, Ginx eSports TV is a UK based esports gaming channel operated by both Sky Group and ITV. It was launched in Africa as an experimental brand on DStv Stream by 2015 before becoming a fully fledged channel by 2017.

Some of the content it would offer includes the doccie series Ginx Docs which would explore several historical facts to the world of gaming. This was followed by Top 10 which would rank some of the best characters or games of certain certain genres genres.

As seen through the programme guide, MultiChoice will be bidding farewell to their 9th TV channel in under 4 months on DStv by the end of March. Ginx TV would join NWTV, One Freestate Televisual, DW, Emmanuel TV, People's  Weather, B4U Movies, 1Magic and Me.

News of its demise isn't shocking as it was long speculated after it switched to a streaming exclusive brand in the UK by 2023 that the same fate awaited consumers elsewhere. Gaming fans aren't reliant on linear TV for gaming but rather watch cartoons or anime. 

MultiChoice over the cancellation of Ginx TV:

The termination is in line with our strategy to continuously review international and local content lineups and optimise the suite of channels on offer on DStv. Due to this ongoing process, we will bid farewell to Ginx eSports channel (DStv channel 127). This is done to ensure we deliver the best content, and that our services cater for the needs and viewing requirements of our customers. We continuously review our channels and content offering based on "viewing trends" and consumer needs, which may lead to channel additions or terminations.