Sanele Shibe’s journey in media began in the Durban music, film, and television scene in the early 2000s.
He went on to study Audiovisual Production Management at the University of Johannesburg where he completed his Honours Degree in Audiovisual Communication.
Sanele’s journey with Multichoice started in 2014 as a Platform Content Intern. In 2015, he moved to M-Net where he worked as Content Coordinator: Local Supplier. His commissioning journey started when joined the Mzansi Magic team as a Junior Commissioning Editor. His love and passion for telling authentic South African stories continues today in his role as a Commissioning Editor, which he has occupied since 2017.
His career highlights include working on local movies such as Induku, uMnisamvula, uMakoti Wethu, Welcome to the Family, Inkinga uBen and Ke Bona Spoko; dramas such as The Imposter, eHostela, Isifiso, Umkhokha and Shaka: Ilembe; and telenovelas such as Isibaya, The Throne, Lingashoni and Sibongile & The Dlaminis.
1. What is the best thing about being a scripted content CE?
It has to be the collaboration. It is such an honour and privilege to work with some of the best experienced and up-and-coming creatives in the film and television space. I love listening to their ideas, their points of view, and helping them bring their voice and ideas to screen. These ideas are great because they respond to a need in society and we can go about representing the reality as well as the ideal through the medium of storytelling.
2. What kind of content does your audience love the most?
Our audiences love content that resonates, is exciting, unique, and different. They have choice and are used to the best content all over the world. Yet, they still want to see themselves; their realities, hopes, aspirations, dreams, challenges, culture all while being surprised and delighted. They are discerning and can see through content that is done with them in mind and they appreciate it when care is taken to give them the best.
3. When you read a script, what excites you when you’re considering a commission?
What connects us all is that we are all human. Therefore, when the human story is honest, authentic, and heartfelt, you connect with it instantly.
When going through the pages, I am always looking for the human being behind the words: what do they want, how do they speak, how do they see the world, and what are the things that contributed to them being that way.
From there it becomes about the journey that they are on. Is it exciting, is it emotionally charged, is it unpredictable, and is it compelling?
4. Which script immediately caught your attention and why?
It has to be Shaka Ilembe. Knowing the history before reading the script, I did not expect the meeting between Nandi and Senzangakhona to be so epic. It blew my mind! It then got me thinking about the kind of love that would produce a king like Shaka Zulu as well as what kind of mother does it take to raise a son who goes on to become one of Africa’s most famous monarchs.
5. Hypothetically, if you could go back and change anything about a show you have worked on, what would it be?
Creative pursuits are notorious for always having something that you could have gone back and tweaked. Ultimately, it’s about the viewer experience. Once the audiences have given their feedback, we learn from it so that the next piece of content we offer them is better than the last.
6. What is the most important thing about having a commissioning editor involved in a production such as Shaka Ilembe?
As a Commissioning Editor working on Shaka: Ilembe, my most important job was to facilitate the creative collaboration between the production house and our internal stakeholders so that we offer viewers the best possible experience. This meant overseeing processes and opening lines of communication so that the best decisions could be taken in the shortest possible time.
7. What would you say is the most important skill a commissioning editor should have?
As a commissioning editor, the most important skill to have would be listening. We have to listen to our audience when they tell us their needs and challenges. We need to listen to the research on consumer trends and keep our ear close to the ground. We need to listen to the producers with their ideas. We need to listen to the business requirements so we understand the needs of the business and can chart the best possible course to navigate the environment we are in. If you don’t listen properly, you face the danger of solving the wrong problem which limits your chances of success.
8. What advice do you have for anyone thinking about going in your direction?
You need to care about your community, its people, and their stories. The arts play a vital role in not only present society but also in representing where society wants to go. You need to want to move society forward while understanding what makes good shows work. Lastly, there is power in proximity so look for opportunities which will get you closer to your goal through education, training, work, and other relationships.
9. What would you say makes the South African content landscape unique and how does that influence what you do?
South Africans love their content and love their stories. Our viewers love community so social media forms a big part of viewing culture. This has also led to the introduction of shorter form content which gives them the proverbial “punchline” sooner. South Africa also has a high proportion of young people.
When developing content, one needs to consider these factors in order to make the content emotionally engaging while also being representative of the current population we have now. We have to challenge ourselves to bring something new, unique, and different. Now, more than ever, we have to place ourselves in the shoes of our viewers. As the world changes, we need to listen more.
10. What exciting projects can audiences be on the lookout for in the near future?
Audiences should keep an eye out for Mzansi WethU's first telenovela, Sibongile & The Dlaminis.
There’s also riveting Mzansi Magic content that shouldn’t be missed such as Umkhokha, Gomora, Gqeberha: The Empire, Magaeng, and Shaka: Ilembe.
If they haven’t already, audiences should check out The River Season 6, 1802, and How to Manifest A Man.
Lastly, more telenovelas, dramas and movies will be coming from Showmax towards the end of the year, so stay tuned for that!
