In July, we commemorated the 10th anniversary of Mzansi Magic, one of our flagship channels under the local content genre, and we took stock of how far we have come. Launched in 2010 to harness local talent and to unlock investment in local content, Mzansi Magic has, over the past decade, been a platform where home-brewed talent – from actors to producers and directors – have grown from being new to the industry to becoming household names in the industry.
The likes of Nomzamo Mbatha and Dr John Kani have since gone international having starred in local productions under the Mzansi umbrella during this period. From starring in Inkaba in 2012, Dr Kani moved on to feature in Hollywood blockbuster movie Black Panther, while Mbatha has been working on the set of the soon to be released classic movie Coming to America. This bears testament to the commitment to our story telling intent to showcase our talent to the world .
We have had some of our best productions recognized internationally. A milestone we are very proud of, and which put the creative prowess of Tshedza Pictures on the global stage, was the nomination at the 47th International Emmy Awards for Best Telenovela - The River. We continue to solidify our Reality and Entertainment offering to reflect our audiences’ lifestyle and interests. Following on the success of Dinner at Somizi’s which premiered in July, we are excited to bring another food and talk show, Cheeky Palate in October in which guests will challenge each other’s beliefs over a meal.
Best storytelling is possible when the stories about us are told by us.
Nomsa Philiso is the Director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net.
