The nominees for the 18th annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) were officially announced by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) on Thursday morning. The announcement comes slightly later than originally planned, as the NFVF initially scheduled the nominees to be revealed in August, with the main awards to follow in September. Now, fans can expect the craft awards on 25 October, streaming on YouTube, and the prestigious main awards ceremony on 26 October, airing live on SABC3 and Mzansi Magic.
While the NFVF did not offer a detailed explanation for the delays in revealing the nominations, the event drew a massive 347 entries, which were reviewed by a panel of 197 industry experts, whose identities remain confidential. Despite the behind-the-scenes adjustments, excitement is building for what promises to be a landmark year for South African cinema and television.
This year’s SAFTAs will see the addition of five exciting new categories, reflecting the industry’s evolving landscape. These include awards for best achievement in visual effects, special effects in hair and makeup, and best original songs for a telenovela, TV drama, or feature film. Additionally, the animation category, which had been discontinued in 2013 due to a lack of submissions, has made a much-anticipated return. However, South African TV news programs and presenters remain absent from the awards lineup.
Top Contenders: Tshedza Pictures and Showmax Lead the Pack
Among the production companies vying for top honors, Tshedza Pictures leads with an impressive 29 nominations. Burnt Onion Productions follows closely with 22 nominations, while The Bomb Shelter Film Company has earned 20. Ochre Media and Quizzical Pictures also performed strongly, with 19 and 13 nominations, respectively.
On the streaming front, Showmax is the undisputed leader, securing a staggering 118 nominations. Of these, 36 are for its Showmax Originals, with the remaining 82 for licensed content. In comparison, kykNET received 59 nominations, Mzansi Magic and its affiliates (1Magic and Mzansi Wethu) garnered 54, and M-Net shows earned 12 nominations. MultiChoice’s dominance was nearly total, as the only category in which a MultiChoice-linked show did not receive a nomination was “Best Online Content.”
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Among individual shows, Shaka iLembe topped the nominations with 17, followed by The River and Outlaws with 11 each, making them the most-nominated telenovelas. Binnelanders stood out among soap operas, securing nine nominations. Notably, actor Thembinkosi Mthembu has made waves by earning four individual nominations—three in the “Best Actor” category and one in “Best Supporting Actor.” His nominations include Best Actor in a Drama for both Adulting and Shaka iLembe, as well as Best Actor in a Telenovela for his performance in Outlaws.
Documentaries and SuperSport Shine
Documentary production house IdeaCandy continues to build on its reputation with 11 nominations across various projects, including Convict Conman, Rosemary’s Hitlist, ‘n Gids vir Louzanne, Call of the Wild, and Sex and Pleasure. Their nomination streak includes a nod for “Best Short Film” for Thrift Tot Die Dood.
Meanwhile, kykNET’s drama Taktiek secured six nominations, with its films dominating the “Best Made for TV Movies” category. Binnelanders, in addition to its nine overall nominations, saw its cast recognized with five acting nominations.
SuperSport, known for its sports-centric programming, also made its presence felt with nominations for Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story in the “Best Documentary Feature” category, as well as recognition for sound and editing achievements. Another SuperSport project, Born Racer, was nominated for “Best Achievement in Editing – Documentary.”
A Bright Future for South African Storytelling
As South African film and television continue to expand in scope and ambition, the SAFTAs remain a vital platform for recognizing the incredible talent within the industry. Nomsa Philiso, CEO of General Entertainment at MultiChoice Group, reflected on the company’s strong showing, saying, “We’ve been saying at MIP Africa all week that nobody has as much skin in producing local content across our continent as we do – and the number of nominations our shows, series, documentaries, and films have received is evidence of exactly that. We couldn’t be prouder to see South African talent demonstrating the amazing quality of our industry and its people.”
With a diverse array of nominees and new categories that reflect the industry’s evolution, this year’s SAFTAs promises to be a celebration of South African storytelling at its finest.
