The late Mpho Sebeng won Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela for his role on ‘The Estate.South Africa’s most expensive TV show to date earned its hefty price tag with the first season of Shaka iLembe, which won 12 awards at the 18th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), while Netflix’s Yoh!, Christmas and Showmax’s Outlaws both netted eight Golden Horns each in second place.

Over the two-night craft and main awards ceremonies on Friday and Saturday night – again held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg – MultiChoice and M-Net’s set of TV channels on DStv scooped 46 wins in total.

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon Prime Video surprisingly grabbed seven trophies, five of which were for The Fragile King, also winning Best Feature Film. The wins are both painful and ironic since Amazon Studios shocked and dismayed the local film industry when it abruptly decided to exit South African original production earlier this year.

The SABC won 12 categories for various content on the South African public broadcaster. eMedia’s e.tv won just four categories, although it included a second consecutive year’s win for Ochre Media’s Scandal! in the most popular soap category, which is a public vote.

The 18th SAFTAs primarily belonged to three shows: MultiChoice and M-Net’s first season of the Shaka iLembe drama series from Bomb Shelter seen on Mzansi Magic, Netflix South Africa’s Yoh!, Christmas comedy series from BBZEE Films, as well as the Outlaws telenovela on Showmax from Tshedza Pictures.

Shaka iLembe won 12 categories, including Best TV Drama.
Best TV Drama winner Shaka iLembe. (Supplied/Spany
Best TV Drama winner Shaka iLembe. (Supplied/Spanya Ndala)

Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, said: “This weekend highlighted the rich diversity and powerful storytelling that our creative industry offers viewers. As the leading investor in local content across Africa, MultiChoice is dedicated to supporting and expanding the continent’s film and television landscape. Congratulations to all the winners and to the teams who poured their talent and hard work into bringing these stories to life.”

Zikhona Sodlaka. (Supplied/Andile Mthembu)Meanwhile, Yoh!, Christmas pushed kykNET’s Taktiek (with just one win) out of the way to grab eight Golden Horns, including for Best TV comedy. Outlaws won eight awards, including for Best Telenovela.

SABC1’s Skeem Saam won Best TV soap, while Best Documentary went to !Aitsa. The late Mpho Sebeng won Best Supporting Actor in a telenovela for his role in SABC3’s The Estate.

The SAFTAs awarded Lifetime achiever awards to Generations creator Mfundi Vundla and actor and sculptor Arthur Molepo.

Lebogang Mogoera, acting CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), said the SAFTAs is “immensely proud of the calibre of talent showcased this year and the hard work of all those involved in bringing these stories to life”.

“A big thank you to our long-standing broadcast partners MultiChoice and SABC, whose support enabled us to bring the awards to all South Africans.”
See the full list of winners here:

BEST COMPETITION REALITY SHOW

Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam | Homebrew Films, kykNET

BEST STRUCTURED SOAPIE REALITY SHOW

Young, Famous and African S2 | Urban Brew Studios & A Pop Media, Netflix

BEST ONLINE CONTENT

The Adventures of Noko Mashaba – Struggles of SA Youth | Rams Comics, YouTube/Facebook

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMME

Checkpoint | eNCA

BEST INTERNATIONAL FORMAT

The Masked Singer SA | Rose and Oaks Media, SABC3
Best International Format winner The Masked Singer
Best International Format winner The Masked Singer. (Supplied/Andile Mthembu)

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME

Koppestamp | Just Ad Production, kykNET

BEST VARIETY SHOW

Sport@10 | SABC Sport, SABC1

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – FEATURE FILM

The Fragile King | Tristan Holmes, The Ergo Company, Amazon Prime Video

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV SOAP

Marlee van der Merwe (Binnelanders) | Stark Films, kykNET

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV SOAP

Kabelo Thai (Scandal!) | Ochre Media, e.tv

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELENOVELA

Mmarona Motsegoa (Redemption) | Burnt Onion Productions & Seriti Films, BET Africa

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELENOVELA

Mpho Sebeng (The Estate) | Clive Morris Productions, SABC3

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SOAP

Elizabeth Serunye (Skeem Saam) | Peu, SABC1

BEST ACTOR IN A TV SOAP

Germandt Geldenhuys (Binnelanders) | Stark Films, kykNET

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELENOVELA

Zikhona Sodlaka (Gqeberha – The Empire) | Tshedza Pictures, Mzansi MagicBEST ACTOR IN A TELENOVELA

Presley Chweneyagae (The River) |Tshedza Pictures, 1Magic

BEST TV SOAP

Skeem Saam | Peu, SABC1

BEST TELENOVELA

Outlaws | Tshedza Pictures, Showmax

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA

Natasha Sutherland (Lioness S2) | Ochre Media ADO Arena Holdings, M-Net

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA

Nat Ramabulana (Fatal Seduction) | Ochre Media ADO Arena Holdings, Netflix

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA

Shannon Esra (Lioness S2) | Ochre Media ADO Arena Holdings, M-Net

BEST ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA

Thembinkosi Mthembu (Shaka iLembe) | Bomb Shelter, Mzansi Magic
Best Actor in a TV Drama winner Thembinkosi Mthemb
Best Actor in a TV Drama winner Thembinkosi Mthembu. (Supplied/Andile Mthembu)
Best Actress in a TV Drama winner Shannon Esra. (S