Category Archives: Entertainment

Behind the Scenes with Marié Botha in “The Penguin”

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The fourth episode of The Penguin is now on Showmax (and on M-Net at 9pm on Mondays), and the show takes a break from Oz Cobb (Oscar nominee Colin Farrell) to focus on the origin story of Sofia Falcone (Critics Choice Super Award winner Cristin Milioti) and why she’s known as The Hangman. 

Hailing The Batman spinoff for “the best episode of The Penguin yet,” Esquire says, “Episode 4 just proved this is one of the year’s best shows. Cristin Milioti went ahead and vaulted this series—and herself—into the Emmy conversation.”

IMDb agrees, with Episode 4 getting a series’ best 9.6/10 rating – pushing The Penguin into the 100 top-rated series of all time. 

Opposite Milioti, look out for South African actress Marié Botha as Magpie in the Arkham Asylum flashbacks.  

Botha was born in Pretoria and grew up in Joburg’s northern suburbs. Leaving South Africa at the tender age of 18 to chase her dream, she studied acting at New York University’s respected Tisch School of the Arts. After earning her BFA degree with honours, she enrolled in the masters programme at Yale School of Drama, as one of only 17 students in her class, selected from thousands. Once she had the MFA under her belt, Botha started building her life as a working actress in New York, where she has now lived for 14 years. It has been a varied tapestry of Off-Broadway and regional theatre productions, indie films, commercial voice-over work and countless auditions. She also came home briefly to play in the TV series Erfsondes back in 2012.

Marie Botha and Cristin Milioti in The Penguin
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Pilates for a Cause: Breast Cancer Awareness with COCO Pilates @Sandton Hotel

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This November, COCO Pilates @Sandton Hotel invites you to stretch, strengthen, and support a cause that touches countless lives. Nestled in the heart of Sandton’s luxurious hotel setting, the studio transforms into a lively hub of movement and music, bringing people together for a dynamic day of fitness, fun, and philanthropy.

From sunrise yoga to spirited Pilates, live DJ beats, and hunger-busting food stalls, the annual event is designed not just to raise funds, but to raise hope for women across South Africa through the life-saving work of breast cancer screenings.

With ticket sales now open on Quicket, the event invites individuals of all backgrounds to take part… and the best part is that no prior Pilates experience necessary. Bring your friends, colleagues, and family to enjoy an active morning while contributing to a worthy cause. All proceeds will go directly to ILoveBoobies, an organisation dedicated to providing life-saving breast checks to women across South Africa.

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Emad Mostaque at SingularityU: The Future of Decentralised AI

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Emad Mostaque, Founder of Stability AI and CEO of Schelling AI, delivered a compelling keynote at the SingularityU South Africa Summit 2024, advocating for a future where decentralised AI empowers individuals and nations alike to ensure equitable access to this transformative technology, ultimately increasing the collective intelligence of humanity.

“AI allows us to do more things, as everyone has access to an army of really intelligent graduates at their fingertips,” said Emad Mostaque, Founder of Stability AI and CEO of Schelling AI, as he addressed hundreds of delegates at the SingularityU South Africa Summit 2024, in collaboration with Old Mutual. He took to the stage on day 1 of the summit to talk about ‘the future of decentralised Al’, alongside a host of other local and global speakers at the Sandton Convention Centre.

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Zandélle Meyer Shines in Showmax’s “Wyfie” Season 2

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South Africans met Zandélle Meyer in her first TV role as Riekie in Binnelanders, before being cast in Suidooster, and later as Chandré in Trompoppie on Showmax. In addition, earlier this year she made her writing and directing debut at Silwerskerm with the short film O, Griet! Sy’s droog.

Now she’s back on Showmax in the groundbreaking university telenovela Wyfie, which won two Silwerskerm acting awards at the end of August, a MIP Africa Inclusive Lens award at the start of September, and was up for Best International Series at The Seoul International Drama Awards. At the National Film & TV Awards South Africa on 9 November 2024, Wyfie is nominated for another five awards: Best Scripted Series, Afrikaans Series, Newcomer (Mienke Ehlers, who won the category at Silwerskerm), Actress (Beáta Bena Green, also nominated at Silwerskerm), and Supporting Actress (Marguerite van Eeden, who won the category at Silwerskerm). 

Here’s a chat with Zandélle about her character, Jessie, who joined the Wyfie cast for Season 2. 

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Brasse Vannie Kaap: A Documentary Tribute to South African Hip Hop

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Showmax has released “Brasse Vannie Kaap”, a nostalgic feature documentary about the iconic, game-changing 1990s group, who helped to make hip hop South African. The music documentary started streaming on Showmax on Monday, 7 October 2024. 

In the documentary, the who’s who of the Afrikaans entertainment industry line up to pay tribute to Brasse Vannie Kaap’s undeniable impact, from David Isaacs and Oscar Petersen of Joe Barber fame to Karen Zoid, Kurt Darren, Francois van Coke and Valiant Swart.

“I started rapping in Afrikaans because of Brasse, and eventually rapping on stages in Afrikaans thanks to Brasse,” says Jack Parow. 

“I am a student of theirs; I am a product of what they made,” echoes YoungstaCPT, flagging how even his name echoes theirs. “I’m a Bra Vannie Kaap, you know. That kind of name, that kind of title, gives you hope and inspiration to not feel ashamed of where you come from, and not be ashamed to use your own language or your own slang. They give you the confidence to do it.” 

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