History Brings Out An All-Star Lineup When South African Journalists Mandy Wiener and John Robbie Join The International Star Studded Slate

Seasoned South African journalists Mandy Wiener and John Robbie will host the HISTORY® Channel Africa’s two latest local documentary shows, Great African Crimes and Great African Mysteries S2. They will join several international big names on DStv 186 this year, including Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd, Laurence Fishburne and William Shatner.

The channel’s newest local show, Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener, will uncover the details behind some of the most riveting crimes from South Africa’s past. This gripping one-off show will unravel three dramatic crimes that left the nation both stunned and captivated. It will form part of the HISTORY Channel Africa’s dedicated ‘Crime Month’ in October.

As a keen viewer of the channel, Wiener says she is incredibly excited about being the host of this new local doccie. She says, “Great African Crimes has all the ingredients of a compelling TV show – really interesting crimes, complex characters, intriguing narratives, the backdrop of the African context. I’m looking forward to telling these stories and working with a great team of producers and creators. I hope to bring my two decades of experience in the news environment, telling crime stories, to this project.”

Great African Mysteries with John Robbie, will be back for its second season in August. The show returns to investigate three of South Africa’s most fascinating and little-known mysteries after a successful first installment last year. Around two billion years ago, an asteroid measuring at least 10 kilometers across crashed into Earth, near the present-day town of Vredefort. In just one of the three stories, Great African Mysteries will investigate how Johannesburg’s gold fields were preserved and protected by this mighty blast.

Robbie, who says people keep asking him for another chapter of Great African Mysteries, is delighted that it is in the making. He explains, “As with the first season this show will educate, thrill and challenge people’s perceptions about aspects of the past in Africa. South Africa, and indeed Africa, have such incredible history and prehistory and so much of it has either been forgotten or not widely taught. I’m hoping that this project with inspire people to look into this with newly opened minds.”

Both Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener and the second season of Great African Mysteries with John Robbie will be produced by Clive Morris Productions.

In September the channel will once again bring you the poignant short-form series, My History Moments. Notable South Africans will share pivotal moments from their lives that have historical significance and profound personal meaning. Last year global business speaker Vusi Thembekwayo, broadcaster, David O'Sullivan, and singer and songwriter, Yvonne Chaka Chaka were some of those who shared their moving stories.

Among the incredible international talent coming to the HISTORY Channel Africa is Dan Aykroyd. The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd (Fridays at 19h25, starting 22 March) is not only wildly entertaining, but a smart series that digs up the weirdest people, places, objects, and events in human history.

Another new famous face on the HISTORY Channel is Emmy award-winning Christopher Eccleston, who stars in The Guilty Innocent with Christopher Eccleston. This gripping new series explores some of the world’s most infamous cases of wrongful convictions.

The returning favourites in the channel’s all-star lineup also includes William Shatner who, in July, will host the latest season of The UnXplained with William Shatner. In September, Laurence Fishburne will unpack the puzzles of the world’s most enigmatic unsolved mysteries in season 5 of History’s Greatest Mysteries with Laurence Fishburne.

Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman executive produces and features in the documentary 761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers, in October. It will tell the true story of the first Black tank unit to serve in combat during WWII and explore in-depth the major battles they faced both overseas while in combat and back home in the United States.

Marketing Manager of the HISTORY Channel Africa, Anita Gardini concludes, “Having some of the biggest names in the business partner with us on our upcoming content demonstrates the growing interest, worldwide, in gripping historical content. From a local perspective, we’re thrilled to be sharing South African stories and to be turning the spotlight onto historical events which are unfamiliar to many. The HISTORY Channel Africa takes seriously our role in documenting and being home to these local stories that matter.”

Recap To The Week: SABC Unveils A Slate Of Content For Their Channels In The Coming Months Including Wheel Of Fortune SA And Winnie Mandela Doccie In Partnership With Netflix

Not long ago, it was reported that both BBC Studios and SABC had formed a content new deal which would see several content from the BBC fold under two hour block on SABC 3. Prior to this, SABC held a content showcase unveiling several content in the pipeline. 

For SABC 1, they'll be partnering up with Netflix SA on two doccies, The Trials of Winnie Mandela and Just call me Arch. These will be based on the lives of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu - no dates have been shared as yet.

Netflix also scooped up The Bold And The Beautiful after the public broadcaster couldn't afford to keep it on air and rivals such as Vodacom Video Play and EVA channel on DStv shuttered. 

Other projects in development for SABC 1 include Sjava's 1 Man Show (15 June), Breaking Down Borders (3 July) and Roxic (8 October). Returning shows include Hotspot Seli (formerly Selimathunzi, 4 July) and The Voice South Africa (28 September).

For SABC 2 and SABC 3, the public broadcaster will be expanding the reality lineup with Wheel Of Fortune SA, Raid The Cage (27 May), Crown Chasers (22 June), Big Day For 2K (June) and Wife Swap SA (1 July) and an untitled popular American game show. 

Returning shows on the channel include The Masked Singer SA (13 April), Taste Masters (23 April) and former e.tv program SA's Got Talent (5 June), Miss SA 2024 (11 August) and Tropika Island Of Treasure (21 September).

This comes after the SABC had axed 7de Laan after 23 years on air with the public broadcaster moving further Afrikaans programs such as 50/50 and Voetspore to SABC 3. This had caused a rift with consumers and the public broadcaster had addressed the matter.

David Makubyane, head of SABC channels, said changes like Skeem Saam moving to a later timeslot on SABC1 and Afrikaans content shunted from SABC2 to SABC3 is because of changing content consumption patterns and the entrance of multiple video streaming services like Showmax, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

"We're not blind to the plethora of competitors and content providers that have come into the space, but we stand firm and believe that the new content offering that we are going to showcase and give to our viewers will really put us into a competitive edge."

New Channel Alert: Primedia Broadcasting To Launch A New 24 Hour Pan-African News Channel

Primedia Broadcasting, a leading media company, has unveiled significant personnel changes as part of its strategic expansion into television and reinforced news services. These appointments mark a pivotal moment for the company as it positions itself for dynamic growth and innovation in the evolving media landscape.

Primedia Broadcasting announces key staff appointments in strategic expansion

At the core of this transition is the appointment of Sibusiso Ngalwa as editor-at-large, who will play a central role in establishing Primedia's 24-hour pan-African news channel. With a wealth of experience in sourcing news content and cultivating relationships across the continent, Ngalwa's proven leadership will surely elevate Primedia's news offerings to new heights. Notably, Ngalwa's recent appointment as a member of the Africa Editor's Forum (TAEF) executive committee further underlines his experience and understanding of the media landscape on the African continent.

In addition, Nisa Allie, renowned for her track record in launching successful news channels, including her notable contributions to eNCA, has been appointed as the managing editor of TV news. Her strategic acumen and editorial prowess, honed through her experience at eNCA, will be instrumental in guiding Primedia's television news division towards excellence.

Meanwhile, Mpho Raphata's promotion to managing editor of the EWN newsroom underscores Primedia's commitment to nurturing internal talent and fostering a culture of growth and development within the organisation.

In a statement, Lindile Xoko, CEO of Primedia Broadcasting, expressed confidence in the newly appointed leaders, stating, "These appointments reflect our unwavering commitment to delivering credible news to our audiences. With their expertise and leadership, we are poised to redefine storytelling in Africa and beyond."

The announcement also introduces Thembekile Mrototo, a seasoned anchor with previous experience from ENCA and more recently Newzroom Afrika and a current member of 947’s breakfast show, who joins Primedia's esteemed news anchors Jane Dutton and Kwazi Kwaza.

Mrototo's addition further enriches Primedia's news offerings, reinforcing the company's dedication to delivering comprehensive and engaging content.

Furthermore, Robert Marawa, a renowned sports broadcaster, will lead Primedia's efforts in delivering top-notch television sports news bulletins, ensuring audiences receive unparalleled coverage of sporting events.

These strategic appointments signify an exciting chapter for Primedia Broadcasting, as it continues to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of its audience. The company remains committed to fostering talent, driving innovation, and delivering engaging television news and content.

Development Alert: BBC Studios Extends Its Reach To The Openview Platform With New Primetime Slot On SABC 3

After eMedia Investments and BBC Studios failed to launch BBC UKTV on Openview by 2022. MultiChoice eventually snatched the rights with BBC UKTV now reaching over 12 million households in Africa with the content set to enter more households.

SABC will soon broaden its lineup with the addition of a new two hour block on SABC 3, BBC Primetime. It will feature a selection of award-winning dramas, factual entertainment, and documentaries from the BBC Studios catalogue.

“The content block will include a range of shows including a psychological crime thriller starring Idris Elba, Luther, intense medical drama, Critical, gripping factual motoring show, Top Gear (season 14-17), and romantic comedy, Cheaters,” the broadcasters said.

“Documentary series Louis Theroux: Forbidden America, exploring three controversial corners of American entertainment and culture, will also be available to watch from launch.”

The programming will be available to watch on weeknights between 21:00 and 23:00 through BBC Primetime, broadcast on S3 and streamed on SABC+ from May 2024.

The broadcasters said BBC Primetime was hand-crafted by BBC Studios to offer S3 viewers access to globally recognised-content. This marks our first block for free-to-air audiences in South Africa, giving 13 million homes access to BBC Studios content. 

The offering will be BBC Studios’ widest-reaching branded service in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Could Warner Bros. Discovery Look Into Adding TNT Sports In Africa?

During the month, it was reported that TNT Sports would be expanding to the United States. This comes a few months after Warner Bros. Discovery had launched it in the UK in place of BT Sport offering a variety of sports ranging from MMA, Bundesliga and UEFA.

Unlike the UK, TNT Sports would be rolling out in the United States as a dedicated nightly block on TruTV. Aside from live events, Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to get more sports themed content with a range of films and documentaries. 

Confirmed titles for the block include a betting show known as The Line, an interactive show known as The Bill and an NBA themed show known as The Inside Story.

Warner Bros. Discovery could look into building TNT Sports portfolio within the African market. I mean the idea wouldn't seem far fetched considering that the main TNT channel already offers All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Initially, TNT was a channel curated for movies and following the induction of AEW in the United States. The sporting event was in high demand for consumers in Africa with some wondering if TNT would get it or rely on existing broadcasters like SuperSport.

As mentioned despite being a movie channel, Warner Bros. Discovery was willing to go the extra mile by even adding doccies and content from Adult Swim. TNT Sports could form part of AEW On Weekends with its other content taking up other days in the week.

Depending on whether Warner Bros. Discovery views TNT Sports a priority in Africa. The chances of it serving as a separate tier from TNT are slim considering that majority of live sports are costly and tied up in contractual agreements with SuperSport.