Tag Archives: Rapid Blue

Ngcaba to take helm at Rapid Blue

BBC Studios-backed South African prodco Rapid Blue has appointed Ziyanda Ngcaba as its new CEO as Duncan Irvine prepares to step down from the role after almost 30 years.

Ziyanda Ngcaba

Ngcaba will take the helm at Rapid Blue from April 1, having joined the company in 2020 as executive producer and business director. She was made MD last year after the departure of Kee-Leen Irvine, who co-founded the company with Duncan Irvine in 1993.

Rapid Blue’s slate includes local versions of Come Dine with Me, Celebrity Game Night and Family Feud, plus the 10-part original series Homegrown Tastes South Africa.

The past year has also seen Rapid Blue facilitate Nigeria shoots for Warner Bros’ Bob Hearts Abishola, which has been renewed for a fourth season by CBS in the US, and produce the second season of Africa’s Business Heroes, the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic programme in Africa to support entrepreneurs.

The company also appointed Mmabatho Kau as head of scripted towards the end of last year.

Ngcaba has over 20 years’ experience in the television industry and has held previous roles at eMedia Investments and the South African Broadcasting Corporation, working on scripted shows such as Rhythm City, Scandal and Imbewu.

Irvine said he is moving on to set up a new venture that will provide expertise and services to brands, broadcasters and production companies in the areas of content development, packaging and funding solutions.

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Mmabatho Kau takes Rapid Blue role

BBC Studios-backed South African prodco Rapid Blue has appointed experienced TV exec Mmabatho Kau as its new head of scripted.

Mmabatho Kau

The newly created role will see Kau develop and drive Rapid Blue’s ambitions in scripted content and sourcing new business opportunities.

Kau has over 20 years’ experience as a producer, development executive and broadcaster. She has produced a variety of shows in South Africa, including a 26-part South African educational drama Soul City 12 for SABC.

She has also worked as a script consultant on films such as Happiness Ever After (the sequel to Happiness is a Four Letter Word) Kalushi: The Solomon Mahlangu Story and Beyond The River.

Kau has also managed an entertainment TV channel and led the original content department for pan-African satellite TV network KWESE.

Ziyanda Ngcaba, MD at Rapid Blue, said: “Following more than 30 years of producing award-winning unscripted content for African audiences, Mmabatho is an important hire to fulfil our ambition for growth in scripted.

“Rapid Blue has already seen success in scripted production, having produced two seasons of Is’thunzi for Mzansi Magic, with Thuso Mbedu, who received two iEmmy nominations for Best Actress. I am confident that with Mmabatho’s varied experiences and ability to craft and produce African stories that resonate globally, she will carve a new path for Rapid Blue.”

Rapid Blue is behind Come Dine with Me South Africa, now in its seventh season, and local versions of Celebrity Game Night and The Bachelorette, amongst many others. It is also producing a local version of Family Feud with the show’s US host, Steve Harvey.

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Nigerian media heads to MipTV in force

MipTV is set to hold another edition of its programme market in Cannes, France in April, this time with a big delegation of Nigerian TV executives in attendance.

The four-day event features masterclasses, screenings, exhibitions, panel discussions and workshops. At the MipFormats sidebar event, there will also be a panel session dedicated to the issues surrounding the development of TV formats in Nigeria.

To be held on April 8, the session will be titled The Producers Toolbox: Will Nigeria Host The Next Format Boom? Four speakers will address the topic, discussing the TV industry in Nigeria and the efforts to develop original TV formats and content for domestic and international markets.

The speakers will include Chichi Nwoko, CEO of Hey, What’s On?; Olasupo Odebiyi, creative director of Pixelator Multimedia; Neil Oyenekan, CEO of Lighthouse Television & Filmwork; and Duncan Irvine, CEO of Rapid Blue.

More than 10,000 TV professionals will represent their companies and media organisations at the event. Some of the Nigeria companies that will be buying and selling include Digital Play, National Broadcasting Commission, Rapid Blue, StarTimes Media, Screenshot Media, Pixelator Multimedia and Lighthouse Television & Filmworks.

Chineye Nworah, chief operating officer and head of content at Screenshot, told Content Nigeria about the company’s MipTV plans: “We attend various content markets annually. Content is what we are about, from feature films to reality TV shows, we aim to sell this content and distribute it. Though we would not be exhibiting at MipTV, we have meetings scheduled with other companies who have indicated their interest in our content.”

MipFormats will take place in Cannes from April 7 to 8, while MipTV runs from April 9 to 12.

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