South Africa Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Thania Garcia Last year, Tyla established herself as a promising star with “Water,” her career-launching Top 10 single that earned her a Grammy long before she had a complete body of work in hand. But the song was proof of a working formula: “popiano,” a twist on South African amapiano that she uses to describe her blend of the genre’s piano-driven, tech-house beats and the progressive tempos of pop and R&B. On her self-titled debut, Tyla, born Tyla Laura Seethal, builds a world anchored by this formula, making for an enthralling first record that distinguishes her from her Afrobeats peers on a quest to pop crossover.

Canal+ Group has acquired a stake in Senegalese production company Marodi TV, which is a key player in the West African drama series scene.

Love Island All Stars' Sophie Piper has described Josh Ritchie as the "cutest" as she excitedly shared on Instagram that they are now officially a couple. Sophie, 25, the younger sister of This Morning's Rochelle Humes, 35, shared a snap to her Instagram stories of a fancy four poster bed that was covered in red rose petals, spelling out the words: "Will you be my GF?" Yet more rose petals could be seen on the floor, surrounding the bed. Writing over the top of the post, Sophie gushed: "He's the cutest," with a red love heart emoji.

Guy Lodge Film Critic An assortment of familiar life-as-sport metaphors get a healthy workout in “The Beautiful Game,” a story of underdog athletes for whom winning may not be everything, though it’s a welcome distraction from greater obstacles. For many viewers, Thea Sharrock‘s cheery Netflix entertainment may serve as an introduction to the real-life event on which it’s based: the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the broadcaster, has acquired Spanish producer Brutal Media. Founded in 2009, Brutal Media’s credits include the recently announced original miniseries for Netflix, “Asalto Al Banco Central,” “The Academy” (Sony Pictures Television), “Vintage” (3cat), film “Killer Book Club” (Netflix), series “Welcome to Eden” (Netflix) and “The Hockey Girls” (Netflix, 3Cat), documentaries “The End of the Storm” (Sky TV, Liverpool FC) and “Murder by the Coast” (Netflix) and romantic comedy “I Love You Stupid” (Netflix).

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's section on the Buckingham Palace website has been significantly reduced in a major change.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have now found themselves next to Prince Andrew on the family site, who has faced criticism for his friendship with convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein. However, insiders say this is not a snub, reports the Mirror.The big update on the website also sees Harry's 2,700-word bio and Meghan's 1,300-word bio swapped for a sweet joint 500-word bio.

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor “Catch Me a Killer” comprises many firsts: It is a series about South Africa’s first-ever criminal profiler, the first-ever woman to occupy such a position and, now, the first-ever series entirely shot in South Africa to be in International Panorama competition at Series Mania, Europe’s biggest TV festival. Abacus Media Rights(AMR), an Amcomri Entertainment company, handles world sales. Based on the eponymous book by psychologist Micki Pistorius, “Catch Me a Killer” sees “Game of Thrones” breakout Charlotte Hope in the lead role as the psychology professor turned serial killer profiler.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Indie streamer Mubi has acquired worldwide streaming rights to South African artist William Kentridge’s prestige series “Self-Portrait As a Coffee Pot” which explores how art is made in the digital age. The nine-episode series by Kentridge – who is celebrated around the world for his influential works comprising animation, installations, theater, opera and films – first previewed as a rough cut at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival.

Naman Ramachandran Robert Schildhouse will serve in an expanded role at streamer BritBox International following the departure of global CEO Reemah Sakaan. Schildhouse, who previously had stints with Hulu and CBS, joined the streamer in 2022, with his most recent position being general manager, North America, and group editorial for BritBox International, where he was instrumental in driving the service’s business growth in the U.S. and Canada.

Georgia Steel walked away with her man at the end of this year’s Love Island: All Stars series. But the online trolling she was subjected to about her time in the villa was so bad it left her scared to leave her house and resulted in her taking a break from social media. No stranger to the world of showbiz, Georgia, 25, first appeared on the programme as a 19-year-old in 2018, when her iconic phrase I’m loyal, babes!” went down in the show’s history books.

Naman Ramachandran Four African screenwriters will pitch stories spanning genres at the 15th edition of Series Mania in Lille, France. Pitching this year are Kelly-Eve Koopman (South Africa) with urban fantasy “Facing the Mountain”; Moreetsi Gabang (Botswana) with crime drama “Outreach”; Tiah Beye (Senegal/Côte d’Ivoire) with comedy-drama “Brouteure” (“The Yahoo Girl”); and Wanjiru Kairu (Kenya) with political satire “Serikali Saidia!” The shows are under the aegis of the AuthenticA Series Lab, a training program for African episodic screenwriters from Realness Institute.

Love Island's Callum Jones and Jess Gale have put rumours of a split to bed as they were spotted looking loved-up on a day out in London. The pair got together on Love Island: All Stars, which took place earlier this year. Jess was a latecomer to the series as she entered the South African villa with her twin, Eve.

Love Island's Molly Smith and Tom Clare left fellow islander Anton Danyluk lost for words during a livestream.

Lady Kitty Spencer, Princess Diana's niece, has revealed she has welcomed her first child with husband Michael Lewis.

Molly Smith and Tom Clare have revealed that they are in a relationship, three weeks after bagging £50K as the winners of Love Island All Stars, with the latter asking Molly to be his girlfriend in an "intimate moment".The couple, who met in South Africa while filming the ITV2 reality show, shared that they are now boyfriend and girlfriend while chatting to co-star Anton Danyluk during a live stream, in what was seemingly a very unplanned moment. As Anton probed Tom on how he was going to ask Molly to be his girlfriend, he joked that he had to 'go big' on the proposal. However, Tom admitted that it was 'too late' to plan it as he already popped the question - leaving both Anton and viewers in shock.

Call the Midwife’s Olly Rix has welcomed an adorable new family member, amid rumours he is dating co-star Helen George. The star recently left the BBC show, after his character Matthew packed up and left for New York leaving behind his on-screen wife Trixie, played by Helen. But he revealed he's now marking new ‘beginnings’ as he shared snaps of his new puppy Nellie.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Vivendi saw its revenues rise by 9.5% to €10.5 billion ($11.4 billion) in 2023, bolstered by the performance of Canal+ Group and Havas, as well as the integration of French media and publishing giant Lagardere in December. Vivendi also posted a net profit of $443 million (€405 million). Canal+ Group, which comprises pay TV giant Canal+ and the production-distribution company Studiocanal (“Paddington”), is pursuing its international development, particularly in Asia, the Nordic countries and Africa.

Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer Tyla has canceled her upcoming North American tour, citing a longstanding injury that has worsened over time. The South African singer, who rose to prominence last year with her single “Water,” was scheduled to kick off her Tyla Tour on March 21 in Oslo, Norway, with eight international dates on the itinerary before she intended to swing back Stateside.

Call The Midwife stars Helen George and Olly Rix stepped out for lunch together amid rumours they are dating.The duo, accompanied by Helen's best friend Ryan Speakman, enjoyed a cosy double date at a pub, enjoying a traditional Sunday roast. Captured arriving and departing in a taxi, they put on an affectionate display, which included a stroll with Helen's dog before settling into the pub in Kensington, conveniently close to Olly's residence.

Thrill seekers are getting the chance to trail run, kayak and mountain bike their way through spectacular landscapes in Greater Manchester this summer.

France’s Canal+ has upped a buyout offer for African TV and streaming giant MultiChoice to around $1.77B.

Love Island’s Nas Majeed and Eva Zapico have split after four years together.

Thanks to being part of the most famous family in the world, those in the Firm are often subjected to people pointing out how similar they look to their historical ancestors. Whether it is how much Princess Beatrice and Queen Victoria look alike or just how much King Charles looks like Prince Philip's grandmother, there are a huge number of royal dopplegängers. But it is clear that it is not just royals of the past who have handed down their looks - but living relatives too.

Christopher Vourlias The anticipated goldrush for African creators sparked by Netflix’s 2016 entry into the market hasn’t entirely come to fruition, though the influx of investment from local and global streaming platforms has nevertheless been transformative for Africa’s screen industries. Budgets, production values and outputs are rising, and breakout hits — such as Netflix’s Nigerian thriller “The Black Book” and South African teen drama “Blood & Water” — highlight the power of global streaming services to deliver African stories to audiences around the world.

EXCLUSIVE: South Africa’s Showmax is to tell the unbelievable true story of a convicted murderer and rapist who faked his own death by burning in his cell and escaped prison for a year. Scroll down for a trailer.

Thinus Ferreira Guest Contributor South African rural community thriller “Snake,” the closing film of the 6th Joburg Film Festival, is a feature that wouldn’t have been made if it wasn’t for streamer money. Based on the heart-wrenching 2011 book by Tracey Farren, who also penned the screenplay, a powerless farm girl Stella, played by 9-year-old Lamiyah Barnard, becomes the only one who can stop a smarmy and mysterious interloper who arrives with a flute and dazzles everyone in a rural town, hiding his nefarious intent while going on a killing spree.

Christopher Vourlias The sixth edition of the Joburg Film Festival wraps Sunday, putting a bow on a week that saw many in the host nation reflecting on South Africa’s long journey in the three decades since the end of apartheid. But among the filmmakers and executives taking part in the second JBX content market the focus was squarely on the future, as Africa’s streaming wars and an eye toward global dealmaking highlighted how the tide has begun to shift in how the world perceives the continent.

Thinus Ferreira Guest Contributor Producing successful Black female-fronted comedy in South Africa is no joke but Black female producers and writers Reabetswe Moeti-Vogt and Zoe Ramushu are determined to bring about change in front of and behind the lens. Their film “Real Estate Sisters” screened this week at the 6th Joburg Film Festival in South Africa.

Christopher Vourlias Wendy Bednarz’s “Yellow Bus,” which follows a mother’s quest for justice after suffering an unthinkable tragedy, won the prize for best film at the Joburg Film Festival during an award ceremony Saturday night at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg. The film, which world premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, is set in an unnamed Arabian Gulf country and follows an Indian family that endures a tragedy when their daughter is neglected on a school bus in the sweltering desert heat.

A Scottish marine expert has told of her horror as she watched an orca killing and eating a great white shark. Shocking footage has been released of the young killer whale devouring its rival predator in under two minutes off the coast of Mossel Bay in South Africa.

Christopher Vourlias As South Africa marks three decades since its first democratic elections, a historic moment that dismantled the apartheid system and ushered in Black-majority rule, the country is at a crossroads. Inequality is rife. Crippling blackouts have pushed the economy to a tipping point.

Christopher Vourlias Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, which recently wrapped the action-thriller “G20” for Amazon Studios and MRC Film in Cape Town, is planning to return to South Africa to film the true story of a young African refugee’s improbable journey to the U.S., the company’s head of film production and development, Melanie Clark, revealed this week at the Joburg Film Festival. Developing the film with a working title of “The Refugee,” Clark said Davis and Tennon’s production banner is “actively working on [it] with some local partners and are in the process of figuring out how to shoot it” in South Africa, adding that “we do plan to shoot that here.” The veteran production executive described the project as “the true story of a young Sierra Leonean boy who lost his mother in [the country’s civil war] and found himself alone, because no family would take him in any refugee camp.

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a big one that multiple studios are bidding on right nowfrom Platinum Dunes: Wolf Night.

Christopher Vourlias South Africa’s Known Associates, the fast-growing parent company of Johannesburg-based Known Associates Entertainment (KAE) and Cape Town-based Moonlighting Films, is launching into unscripted programming, Variety can reveal. The company has acquired a 60% stake in Zero Gravity, a production outfit founded in 2017 by former Endemol Shine Africa and Trace Studios CEO Sivan Pillay, and will team up with South African media giant Primedia to “relaunch multiple new high-end unscripted formats,” according to Pillay.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios has bought British broadcaster ITV‘s 50% stake in streamer BritBox International for £255 million ($322 million), the companies revealed on Friday. The streamer was founded in 2017 as a joint venture between BBC Studios, which is the commercial arm of the British broadcaster, and ITV. “The transaction will provide net proceeds including loan repayments and accrued dividends and after tax of around £235 million,” the companies said.

Love Island star Georgia Steel has revealed that since returning from the villa in South Africa, she has been scared to leave her house due to horrendous trolling and death threats. Georgia appeared on the latest series where she made it to the final of the show with Toby Aromolaran. The star had a rather turbulent journey on the show and faced intense backlash over her connections with Tom Clare and Callum Jones.