Have you ever been unlawfully detained? A staggering number of people in South Africa have, and they’ve instituted civil claims totalling billions of rands against the police for  Unlawful Arrest and Detention. On this week’s episode of Carte Blanche, the current affairs show investigates: what are the reasons behind this disturbing trend? And what to […]

Tennis legend Roger Federer told a delighted press conference at Cape Town International Airport today that “Afrikaans is still on the to do list for me and my kids”. He revealed that he actually understands 20 to 30% of Afrikaans spoken! Although that’s not a huge surprise – Roger’s mother Lynette (nee Durand) is a […]

The Royal Geographical Society is hosting a performance of ‘My Father’s Coat’ by South African born historian and storyteller, Michael Charlton TONIGHT (Wed, 29 January 2020). It will be an evening of culture, history and art – the sculpting of forces behind every community while reflecting on South Africa’s remarkable heritage. “I cried hot wet […]

The next season of your favourite prison drama is coming exclusively to Showmax. If you still aren’t sure what the streaming platform is all about, we’ve got you covered. South Africa has been hooked on Lockdown for the past four seasons. The big news now is that Lockdown S5 is streaming exclusively on Showmax from […]

For fans of Lasizwe Dambuza, his latest video has delivered more laughs – a South African comedic version of Public Hospital vs Private Hospital. (Lasizwe produced the original SA supermarket tellers video that we all loved!) For anyone who’s ever spent time in hospital in SA, this video will ring a few bells!! “This is […]

‘Bombshell‘ – starring South Africa’s Charlize Theron (who has scooped an Oscar nomination for her performance) – is released in South Africa on Friday 24 January 2020. The film chronicles the real-life chain of events at Fox News… which saw several women accuse former Fox News CEO and chairman Roger Ailes (played by John Lithgow) […]

In a video that will remind music fans of Sinead O’Connor’s legendary “Nothing Compares 2 U”, James Blunt – who is renowned for sharing his raw emotions – has exposed his heartbreak like never before, in a song where he sits side by side with his beloved dying father. The tearful British singer and songwriter […]

Tonight’s episode of Carte Blanche will be the second to last time viewers get a chance to watch seasoned professional, Devi Sankaree Govender, on South Africa’s award-winning current affairs show. Carte Blanche announced this week that Devi is leaving the show after 18 years. Devi said: “Working on Carte Blanche has been one of the […]

We’ve done a quick trawl of holiday viewing data on Showmax to see if we could spot any trends in how people used their downtime. Not everything was as expected, says Showmax… First off, top marks go to South Africa. The nation collectively viewed more than 100 years’ worth of video on Showmax over Christmas […]

When we’re watching the feats South Africa’s players pull off on-field, it’s hard to believe they’re human! Maybe they’re not … To kick off the Super Rugby season, our rugby heroes show their true colours when they dress in official Marvel kit for the matches on Super Hero Sunday. Showmax subscribers can watch these super-fun […]

South African expat Charlize Theron has been nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Bombshell! Theron already has one Oscar, from 2004, for her  portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in ‘Monster’; and a nomination in 2006 for ‘North Country’. In her latest role, Charlize stars as Fox News host Megyn Kelly, in […]

The Eastern Cape is in a crisis. Dams and boreholes have dried up and recent rainfall hasn’t been nearly enough to bring respite, says Carte Blanche which visits the region for the broadcast this Sunday in South Africa. INVESTIGATIVE > SOCIAL JUSTICE The Eastern Cape: Dry Dams and Empty Boreholes Farms have become arid and […]

  There was a wonderful moment at the Golden Globes ceremony at the Beverley Hills Hilton in Los Angeles last night – where Tom Hanks, recipient of the 2020 Cecil B. Demille award, and South Africa’s Charlize Theron (who presented it to him) showed off their mutual admiration… but that’s not the moment that Hanks […]

It’s a new year, and there’s a bumper crop of brilliant international and South African series, movies and documentaries on the cards. Welcome to 2020! Weren’t we all supposed to be travelling in flying cars by now? Transport might not have lived up to our childhood expectations, but never in our wildest dreams did we […]

Watch the award-winning Drakensberg Boys Choir perform a moving musical ‘masala’ of African Christmas songs in a shopping mall in South Africa. The video, which was filmed on iPhone XR, was recorded at I’Langa Mall, Mbombela on 30 November 2019… but was only published on YouTube this week. This final treat for the year from […]

It’s the song that’s popular at Christmas, sung by the South African band we all love – the Ndlovu Youth Choir, the musical group from Limpopo that conquered the world when they became finalists in America’s Got Talent earlier this year, and helped raise South African pride and South Africans’ spirits during a particular tough […]

There’s no room for Scrooges on the couch when you binge a bunch of the cheeriest Christmas movies around. Put the sibling rivalries aside – Christmas is a time for caring, overeating and watching a bunch of cheesy movies that’ll melt even the stoniest of hearts. Here’s our pick of the best movies in Showmax’s […]

Every now and then an important film hits our screens, a film that’s not just entertainment… but which resonates with many and sends an important message that every single South African should hear and see. Moffie is one of those. The film – by acclaimed director Oliver Hermanus – has already premiered at the Venice […]

Tonight South African expat and comedian Trevor Noah will be interviewing Miss Universe on The Daily Show. It’s extra special since Miss Universe is of course South Africa’s own Zozibini Tunzi. (Watch video below.) Zozi and the Miss Universe page shared preview photos of the interview – which, with the way they’re both laughing and […]

Eish, South Africans may have one of the sexiest accents in the world… but turns out it’s also one of the most difficult to master, even for someone who once played a magician! Watch the ‘Escape from Pretoria’ official trailer below, and you’re likely to wish Harry Potter could wave his magic wand and improve […]

Carte Blanche investigates Child Kidnappings, Rogue Gas Dealers and the Vuvuzela men who are reclaiming their neighbourhoods… plus more, tonight – Sunday 15 December – on DStv Now if you’re in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 17 Dec on Showmax International in most other countries.  UNDERCOVER > INVESTIGATIVE Child Kidnappings Statistics show that […]

In an emotional final, with tears flooding the studio, South African expat and dancer Oti Mabuse, together with her celebrity partner, actor Kelvin Fletcher, has been crowned winner of the UK’s popular Strictly Come Dancing! UK reporters expressed their “delight” for Oti. “A glitterball win has been a long time coming (for her),” said a […]

The 2010s saw African films make even more headlines at the world’s biggest festivals, from AFI to Berlin, Sundance to Toronto, earning Oscar and Golden Globe nominations along the way. As we prepare to enter the 2020s, Showmax has released a list of four global breakthroughs to stream during your holiday. Breakthrough animation: Revolting Rhymes […]

The next Brand South Africa Global South Africans (GSA) engagement will be in Edinburgh in Scotland TOMORROW – Saturday,14 December 2019??. You will see a Scottish man singing the South African National Anthem using the Scottish pipes on the day! There will be Food. Fun. Fashion and South African wine. A kids’ play area will […]

South African opera star Pretty Yende received the Order of ‘Knight of the Italian Star’ at a ceremony at the Italian Consul in Cape Town, on Tuesday afternoon. Italian ambassador Emanuele Pollio made an amazing speech in which he called Pretty both a daughter of South Africa and of Italy; and joked that she could […]