African Content Reigns: Showmax Dominates Awards Season with Local and Global Hits

At the 2024 National Film and TV Awards South Africa, held on November 9th at the Opera House in Tshwane, Showmax clinched the coveted Best Television/Streaming Network title, continuing its successful streak in showcasing premier African content. The streaming platform’s shows took home 14 awards—more than any other platform. This achievement reflects Showmax’s reputation as a leader in African entertainment, underscoring its role as the preferred destination for high-quality local content.

Among the standout wins, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip – South Africa, produced by GOAT, won Best Reality Series, with Lethabo LeJoy also receiving Best Female TV Personality for her role in the show. The groundbreaking Showmax Original The Mommy Club, produced by POP24, was awarded Best Non-Scripted TV Series, while SuperSport’s Chasing The Sun, a Rugby World Cup series, claimed Best Documentary. Further accolades went to kykNET’s Diepe Waters, which won Best Afrikaans TV Series, and Red Ink, an adaptation of Angela Makholwa’s thriller, which earned Best Actor for Bonko Khoza and Best Supporting Actress for Lorcia Cooper. Additional acting awards included Best Actress for Nambitha Ben-Mazwi’s role in the Showmax Original Empini, and Best Supporting Actor for Vuyo Dabula in The Butcher’s Soul, his return following a near-fatal incident.

On the same evening, Showmax continued its winning streak at the Behind The Scenes Awards, held at Gold Reef City. The teen drama Youngins, produced by Tshedza Pictures, won Best South African Streaming Series, and the popular polygamy show Mnakwethu, aired on Mzansi Magic, won Most Entertaining Reality TV Show.

These latest accolades are just a few in Showmax’s extensive list of honors since its relaunch in partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky on the Peacock platform in early 2024. Showmax recently won Entertainment App of the Year at the 2024 Stuff App Awards. The platform’s successes also shone at last month’s South African Film and Television Awards, where it achieved an industry-high 37 Golden Horns out of 142 nominations. Mzansi Magic’s Shaka iLembe set a new record for the most Drama category wins, while the Showmax Original Outlaws came in joint second overall and dominated in the Telenovela category. At the 2024 Silwerskerm Film and TV Awards, Koek, a Showmax Original crime drama, was the most awarded series, further establishing Showmax’s dominance in delivering top-tier African stories.

In addition to its local successes, Showmax’s original content has gained international recognition. The Showmax Original Spinners recently triumphed over popular series like Succession to be named Best Foreign Series at the 29th Shanghai TV Festival’s Magnolia Awards. Catch Me A Killer, another Showmax Original, became the first South African series featured at Series Mania in France, where it won Best Production Design at the British Film Designers Guild Awards. Wyfie, a university drama, was nominated for Best International Series at the Seoul International Drama Awards, and the documentary Original Sin: My Son The Killer received a nomination at the Venice TV Awards for Best Documentary.

Showmax’s commitment to representation and diversity has also been recognized, with awards in LGBTQIA+ representation at MIP Africa’s Inclusive Lens awards. Wyfie and Beaulah: Queens van die Kaap won in the Scripted and Non-Scripted Series categories, respectively. Additionally, The Fix, a sci-fi Showmax Original, won the Dangerous Visions Prize at the Chattanooga Film Festival in the USA and was awarded best SFX/VFX at the Electricdreams International Film Festival in Italy.

This week, Showmax is set to compete again, with Death in The Heartlands, a Kenyan running documentary from the true-crime series Dark Side of Glory, nominated for Sports Documentary of the Year at the Broadcast Sports Awards. Later in November, kykNET’s Die Brug is up for an International Emmy for Best Non-Scripted Entertainment—marking the third consecutive year a Showmax series has been nominated at the Emmys.

Showmax’s diverse streaming options extend beyond African productions. The platform is set to premiere highly anticipated international titles like Dune: Prophecy, debuting on November 18, and Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, premiering November 13 with a star-studded cast. Other exciting releases include The Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2, Kung Fu Panda 4, and blockbusters like The Fall Guy and Civil War. For sports fans, Showmax Premier League Mobile offers live streaming of every Premier League and PSL game, complete with match highlights, talk shows, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

By championing African content alongside globally acclaimed series and movies, Showmax continues to strengthen its position as Africa’s leading streaming network, delivering an unrivaled mix of local and international entertainment.

//Staff writer