Category Archives: Television

“uBettina Wethu” on SABC 1

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Farieda Metsileng plays Betty Sikhakane

If you haven’t caught an episode of uBettina Wethu on SABC 1 (Mondays to Wednesdays, 19:30, also on VIU) as yet – you’re missing out. The show follows the endeavours of main character Betty Sikhakane (Farieda Metsileng) as she navigates her first job in the City of Gold, Johannesburg.

In addition to the humourous and compelling storyline, the show boasts a talented local line up including Zweli Dube (Dingaan Jiyane); Tsholofelo Mashishi (Linda Jiyane) and Lesego “Coconut Kelz” Tlhabi (Zaza Moloi).

uBettina Wethu is based on the successful international format Yo Soy Betty La Fea – most familiar to local viewers as Ugly Betty – and has been adapted to 19 global territories and aired in 180 countries, in 15 languages, holding the Guinness World Record as ‘Most Successful Telenovela’.

The show kicked off on SABC1 in April 2021 and regularly appears in the Top 10 most-watched shows on the channel, drawing in excess of 2.5 million viewers for each of the trio of weekly episodes.

“We’ve been thrilled at South African viewers’ response to the show so far and we have grand plans for this stellar cast and their hugely-popular characters,” says Producer Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri, for Known Associates. “The storyline is at a pivotal point, and we’re going to be building towards our season finale in August this year. Fans may think they know the storyline from the various international versions of the show, but we’ve got some major shocks coming with a truly Mzansi twist”.

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Trace Academia Launches Free Online Vocational Training Platform in South Africa

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Trace, in the presence of the honourable French Minister Elisabeth Moreno and South African partners, has formally announced the inauguration of Trace Academia in South Africa, and the signing of a protocol of cooperation between Trace, Senghor University in Egypt, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to create a training programme to develop and support the professionalization of the creative and cultural sector in Africa.
 
Elisabeth Moreno, the Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities together with the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Trace, Olivier Laouchez and Trace Academia Co-MD, Prejlin Naidoo, launched the company’s latest youth empowerment programme.

Trace Academia is a free online vocational training platform built for young South Africans looking to build their skills to find or create jobs. Created in response to the high rate of youth unemployment in South Africa and the continent, Trace Academia will focus on empowerment through educating and training young people.
 
More than 50% of Africa’s population is under 25 years old. The youth are struggling with the effects of a longstanding economic and psychological crisis. The reach of the global pandemic has further accelerated the need for new approaches to education.
 
Trace Academia courses are created in collaboration with leading companies, institutions and experts to ensure that the skills provided are well matched to market needs. A localised, interactive and entertaining course format keeps the learner’s attention and significantly improves course completion rate.

Trace Academia will primarily target young South Africans in its inaugural year. The platform will launch with several locally produced training courses including Get Started with Digital Marketing (Grow with Google), How to Become a DJ (Trace), Spark your Interest in Electricity (Schneider Electric), Become a Successful Entrepreneur (Valued Citizens & UJ), Become a Real Handyman (Leroy Merlin) and Own Your Situation (Durex). Trace Academia will take the learner through the journey towards skill acquisition.

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New Reality TV Series in search of the Coolest OG in the Land

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SABC2 recently partnered with Rebelintown Productions, for an upcoming new, first of its kind, reality series, THE COOLEST OG’S, which will give 12 South African senior citizens a chance to compete for a R100 000 cash prize and the title of The Coolest OG.

THE COOLEST OG’s starts on Sunday, 6th June 2021 at 18:30 on SABC 2.

An OG is someone who is incredibly exceptional, authentic and excellent in a classic way. Someone who is an expert in many facets of life and someone who has been around for a long time.

Featuring contestants from all walks of life, the series was shot across the country over 50 days and 50 nights, during the height of the global pandemic as the show captured the lives of 12 senior citizens from the ages of 60 to 80, confined in the safety of their own homes and exposed to fun and unusual challenges, ultimately on a quest to find THE COOLEST OG of them all.

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Family Feud Charity Show

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Scandal

 

There’s an extra dose of glitz and glamour in Family Feud this week  when host Steve Harvey welcomes celebrities from Scandal and Rhythm City. Each team is hoping to win the jackpot for their charity.

Tune in to e.tv this Sunday 12th July at 6pm to watch your stars turn out some of their best performances!

The Scandal team is playing for the Johannesburg Children’s Home, which provides a safe refuge for abused, neglected and abandoned children.

 

  • Scandal is the first acting gig for Brighton Ngoma, the team captain. He was a freelance stage manager and is also a body paint artist. Watch how Brighton introduces his fellow thespians by breaking down his Scandal character relationships with them.
  • Actress and businesswoman Mapaseka Koetle-Nyokong reveals that her favourite film is Matilda [based on the book by Roald Dahl]
  • Actress Natasha Sutherland is also a writer and has directed music videos
  • A newcomer in the industry, singer Ayanda Daweti is already working with legends on Scandal
  • Marjorie Langa has a degree in media technology. She also happens to share her name with Steve Harvey’s wife – earning her the rap of the “baddest chick” from Mr. Harvey.

Rhythm City

The Rhythm City team plays for Reach for a Dream. This organisation tries, as far as possible, to make dreams come true for children who are fighting life-threatening illnesses.

  • The team captain is Mzamo Gcabashe. Mzamo was part of the third season of Big Brother Mzansi in 2014. He is also a singer
  • Petronella Tshuma used to be on Scandal but now plays Pearl in Rhythm City. She won the Most Promising Actress award at the 10th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards
  • Actor and presenter Jesse Suntele won the 2016 BET Top Actor Africa. He says he is inspired by Denzel Washington
  • Award-winning actress Linda Sokhulu plays the role of a businesswoman and a sangoma (traditional healer) on the show
  • Tebogo Khalo holds a Golden Horn Award for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Soap

Check out the promos here:

https://app.frame.io/presentations/54e864b7-e58d-4f9b-86bf-05e56935aee1

About Family Feud

Hosted by entertainer, businessman and philanthropist STEVE HARVEY, the popular game show calls on two teams in each episode to compete in naming the most popular responses to gathered survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The game consists of five rounds and each correctly guessed answer is worth a number of points. When a team fails to answer a question, they receive a strike and after three strikes the opposing family has the chance to ‘steal’ the points on the board. At the end of Round 5, the losing team takes their haul home and the other team goes on to play Fast Money in a bid to win the jackpot.

What We’re Watching on Netflix

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I often get asked what’s on my streaming watch list, so I thought I’d write a series of posts for each streaming platform that I watch – starting of course, with everyone’s favourite, Netflix!

Besides discussing what’s just “dropped” I will also look at “golden oldies” such as Friends.  Can this series be considered that? I guess it can, since it celebrated it’s 25th anniversary in September 2019.

Please note that the below may contain spoilers!

First up – #BlackAF starring the creator, writer and executive producer of Black-ish, Grown-ish and Mixed-ish, Kenya Barris. By the way, Mixed-ish is my favourite of this trio, being mixed myself 🙂

The show is loosely based on his own family and life, in the sense that he plays himself, but apparently his character’s personality is the complete opposite of the real person. He has 6 kids (3 girls and 3 boys) with wife Joya (played by Rashida Jones) who is a former lawyer and never lets anyone forget that fact.

The 8 episodes cover their life and adventures as a family going through ups and downs, as only a wealthy Hollywood family can. The show is filmed “mocumentary” style and in reality format, where the characters do “diary sessions” (ala Keeping Up with the Kardashians and every other reality show). This is because the second eldest child, Drea, is using the show as her NYU Film School acceptance piece. The trailer showed the best and funniest bits, so I was expecting a lot, but at the end of the final episode, I kind of felt like I missed nothing. The only really memorable thing about the show is the opening sequence track by Jay Rock called “WIN” – which is now on my Deezer “Favourites” playlist.

That’s my 2 cents, but you can decide. Here’s the trailer:

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