Tag Archives: Nkateko Mabaso

M-Net, Fremantle shoot SA drama Reyka

Crime drama Reyka si being filmed in South Africa

Pay TV channel M-Net and global producer and distributor Fremantle have begun production on eight-part contemporary crime drama Reyka, which will debut on M-Net (DStv channel 101) in July 2021.

The international coproduction is being filmed in South Africa and will be distributed globally by Fremantle.

Reyka is the story of a flawed but brilliant criminal profiler, played by Kim Engelbrecht (The Flash), who is haunted by an incident from her past when she was abducted by a farmer, played by Iain Glen. She investigates a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal.

The show continues M-Net’s moves into international coproduction, after its 2019 drama Trackers, coproduced with HBO’s sister channel Cinemax and German public broadcaster ZDF.

Nkateko Mabaso, CEO of M-Net, said: “MultiChoice continues to lead the continuous productions of high-quality African television content that goes beyond our borders.

“This partnership with Fremantle is a brilliant way to showcase our prowess as DStv is Africa’s most-loved storyteller, and we particularly relish pairing our local talent with international stars.”

Julie Hodge, editorial director of global drama at Fremantle, added: “As production commences on our first ever South African drama, this is a proud moment for Fremantle and M-Net. The series has been in development for many years and we hope it will be the first of many successful projects in the region.

“Reyka is a rich and compelling story and we couldn’t be happier to have Kim and Iain onboard to bring these complex characters to life. We are confident it will be one of our stand-out international dramas for 2021.”

The series also stars Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Hamilton Dhlamini, Kenneth Nkosi, Nokuthula Ledwaba, Desmond Dube, Gerald Stein, Ian Roberts, Fiona Ramsey, David Butler and Jessica Hayes.

Reyka was created and written by award-winning screenwriter Rohan Dickson (Husk, Welcome to Hawaii), who has worked with South Africa’s major broadcasters and been a showrunner on highly successful dramas including Scandal, Zone 14, Jacob’s Cross, and High Rollers.

He was also the executive producer and showrunner on Isidingo, a long-running multi-award-winning drama series with a huge fan base across Africa.

The series is directed by Zee Ntuli (Hard to Get) and Catharine Cooke (The Girl from St Agnes). It is jointly produced by Serena Cullen for Serena Cullen Productions (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Cold Feet) in the UK and Harriet Gavshon for Emmy-nominated Quizzical Pictures in South Africa.

tagged in: , , , , ,

MultiChoice rolls out novela channel

Battleground

African pay TV giant MultiChoice Group and its flagship channel M-Net are set to launch a new telenovela channel called Novela Magic on the DStv platform.

Set to debut on November 27 at 18.00, the channel will provide African telenovelas and also honour the vast range of cultures and languages on the continent through a diversity of original home-grown stories and local creative talent.

Nkateko Mabaso

Novela Magic will launch in phases, starting with the Southern African region for subscribers to DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact and Family packages. Titles in the telenovela collection include Nigerian series Unbroken (260×30’), Battleground (410×30’) and Forbidden (260×30’), and Zambian soap Zuba (180×30’), all from MultiChoice Studios.

According to MultiChoice programming executive Nkateko Mabaso, it is the growth and success of local storytelling that has compelled the business to launch an African telenovela channel.

“For over 30 years M-Net has been bringing to audiences across the African continent compelling stories that harness the imagination of our viewers while also showcasing the vast talent that is harboured on the continent,” said Mabaso.

“We want to continue this legacy of showcasing the best African stories with themes that resonate and engage our viewers, hence the launch of this new channel Novela Magic.

“West Africa and Southern Africa are synonymous with telenovela storytelling and these regions will now be able to share their wonderful crafts with other African regions on one channel and stories created in the language of the country of origin will be dubbed into English.”

Novela Magic will air on DStv channel 165.

tagged in: , , , , , , ,

MultiChoice resumes production in SA

South Africa-based pay TV operator MultiChoice has resumed production on a number of its shows that had been put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nkateko Mabaso

Programmes that have resumed production include South African telenovelas Gomora, The Queen and Isibaya, which all air on MultiChoice-owned channel Mzansi Magic.

The move comes after the South African government eased restrictions imposed as part of the coronavirus lockdown, thereby permitting local TV producers to get back to work.

The Pretoria government has allowed the resumption of economic activity that is categorised as Alert Level 4 under South Africa’s system of classifying emergencies.

The relaxation of restrictions comes after MultiChoice announced in March that it was setting aside R80m (US$4.4m) to pay cast and crew salaries during the March/April initial lockdown period.

The company also guaranteed the incomes of freelancers who had been working on its SuperSport productions, after all sporting events were suspended, as well as freelancers in its broadcast tech arm.

Nkateko Mabaso, CEO of flagship MultiChoice channel M-Net, said: “At this stage, the safety of crew and cast remains a priority and we are in constant communication with production houses, as per the government’s directive, to ensure stringent health guidelines are in place and are being adhered to.”

Connie Ferguson, exec producer of The Queen, added: “It has been a tough time worldwide with the pandemic, and we are grateful to still have an opportunity to do what we love. Our priority is the team’s health and safety on set.”

Christelle Parrot, producer of Megaboere, a series that airs on MultiChoice-owned kykNET, said: “The relief fund has helped a lot of our people during a very difficult time. We appreciate their support for an industry that is so desperately in need.”

tagged in: ,

Mabaso named CEO of M-Net

Pay TV operator MultiChoice has appointed Nkateko Mabaso as the new CEO of its flagship channel M-Net in sub-Saharan Africa. The appointment is effective immediately.

Nkateko Mabaso

According to Mabaso’s predecessor Yolisa Phahle: “Nkateko has been appointed in recognition of his continued commitment and contribution to local programming that audiences love and watch in increasing numbers year on year. He is passionate about our continent’s film and television industry and I wish him every success.”

While serving as the acting CEO of M-Net, Mabaso ensured the successful implementation of content strategies as well as investments in initiatives like content creation and coproduction.

He also ensured local channels that MultiChoice operates across the continent produced content that generated revenue and massive audience growth. These channels include the Africa Magic channels, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Zambezi Magic, Mzansi Magic, 1Magic and others.

Mabaso said: “I am incredibly excited to assume this new role and for the future of the company. I will continue to focus my efforts on local content creation to meet the growing audience demand for home-grown programming.”

Mabaso joined M-Net in 2009 as a marketing manager for Channel O and Vuzu, where he oversaw the positioning strategy ahead of the Mzansi Magic launch. Before that, he held positions at advertising agencies The Jupiter Drawing Room and Grey Advertising South Africa, as well as project manager for Edcon Group.

tagged in: , , ,