And from more than 140 nominations that the group received, the notable stars on the list were Tshedza Pictures duo Phathutshedzo Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon, whose new M-Net (DSTV channel 101) telenovela Legacy and 1Magic’s The River (DSTV channel 103) secured 12 nominations each.
“We are excited to once again see most of our shows scoop the bulk of this year’s Safta nominations. This is a win for local TV and film and demonstrates MultiChoice Group’s commitment to investing in local content to allow for local stories to be told by Africans,” says Yolisa Phahle, the CEO of general entertainment for the MultiChoice Group.
“The nominations are also a testament to the incredible resilience of all the talent, cast and crew in various productions as our industry navigated the complexities brought on by the global Covid-19 pandemic, which were characterised by production stoppages and a period of uncertainty for many creatives,” she adds.
With acting nominations for Dawid Minnaar, Mary-anne Barlow and Michelle Botes, among others, Legacy has been nominated in several prestigious categories, including Best Telenovela and Most Popular TV Soap/Telenovela, among others.
Popular telenovela The River dominated the list and bagged nominations in the Best Telenovela and the Most Popular TV Soap/Telenovela categories, with star actress and now co-producer Sindi Dlathu and the talented Lawrence Maleka getting nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively. Lorcia Cooper Khumalo and Lindani Nkosi are nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Actor - TV Drama for their roles in the Mzansi Magic (DSTV channel 161) drama, Housekeepers. Khumalo won in this category in 2019 for her role in Lockdown and was nominated again in 2020 for her portrayal of her on-screen character Tyson.
Kyknet (DSTV channel 144) shows and movies racked up an incredible 50 nominations spanning the TV Soap, Telenovela, TV Drama, TV Comedy and Feature Film categories, amongst others. Fan-favourites Binnelanders, Getroud Met Rugby and Suidooster received nods in the Most Popular TV Soap or Telenovela category as well as nominations for Cindy Swanepoel and Clint Brink for Best Actress and Best Actor – TV Soap.
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Last year’s most-watched telenovela Gomora, received five nominations including in the Best Telenovela and Most Popular Telenovela categories, among others.
Inspirational 2019 Rugby World Cup documentary Chasing The Sun, which kept viewers glued to SuperSport and Showmax last year, received four nominations for Best Made for TV documentary, Best Directing, Cinematography and Editing.
Streaming service Showmax dominated the Best Structured Soapie Reality TV Show category, where three Showmax Originals are competing against each other: Lebo M: Coming Home, Life With Kelly Khumalo and Somizi & Mohale: The Union. Another Showmax Original, Lockdown S5, racked up six nominations, including Best Supporting Actress – TV Drama for Zola Nombona, making it the second most nominated TV drama overall behind M-Net’s Still Breathing, which is now available to binge on Showmax. Showmax Original, Loving Thokoza is nominated for Best Made for TV Movie, while BET/Showmax co-production Black Tax received five nominations including Best TV Comedy and Best Actor – TV Comedy for Mandla Jwara.
Vote for your favourite
This year, viewers will have the power to decide on the winners of the Best Presenter and the Most Popular Soap/Telenovela categories. To vote for their favourite in these two categories, viewers will need to dial *120*32020# and follow the prompts on their screens. Voting lines open on 30 April 2021 and will close on 19 May 2021. Voters will be charged R1.50 per minute.
Viewers can watch the awards ceremony on Mzansi Magic (DSTV channel 161) on Saturday, 22 May at 6.30pm.
