TELENOVELAS
Mzansi Magic’s telenovelas have won over audiences with their fresh stories, star-studded casts and prime-time slots, writes NOMSA PHILISO.
T
he MultiChoice Group, Africa’s most loved storyteller, launched Mzansi Magic in July 2010. The channel has become a formidable competitor on the local television scene, currently commanding over 40% of the DStv Compact audience share in weekday prime time. This success can be credited to the bold strategy of premiering four Nomsa Philiso is the MultiChoice channel director for local entertainment at M-Net. She has extensive broadcast and media experience, having worked across media sales, channel and content management as well as technology project implementation, and has an in-depth understanding of the mass market.
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telenovelas during weekday prime time, when South African audiences traditionally used to be served variety programming such as news, reality shows and soapies. Mzansi Magic’s telenovela franchises are the backbone of the channel’s weekday offering, trusted by loyal audiences to serve real and relatable stories that reflect the lives of black South Africans across socioeconomic classes.
THIS RIVER IS WILD
The telenovela slot kicks off at 19:00 with The River, a story exploring an uncomfortable South African social reality – a land where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer – through the lens of an unlikely protagonist, Lindiwe Dikana.
THE MAGIC INGREDIENTS
Mzansi Magic has consistently delivered socially relevant telenovelas by keeping a finger on the pulse of local audiences’ needs and evolving viewership palates. Despite coexisting in different worlds, from the glamorous yet sinister Dikana mansion in The River to the fast-paced streets of Gomora, from the coming-of-age tribulations in DiepCity to the sheer adrenaline and glamour of The Queen, the telenovelas all maintain a relatable air of social realism as they explore prevalent social themes. These familiar yet unpredictable worlds are brought to life by an entourage of silver-screen icons, including Connie Ferguson, Sindi Dlathu, Hlomla Dandala, Connie Chiume, Themba Ndaba and Katlego Danke, as well as bright new talent Lawrence Maleka, Linda Mtoba, Sicelo Buthelezi and Nozuko Ncayiyane. The Mzansi channels franchise is one to watch for more groundbreaking, relatable and riveting exclusive local content.
IMAGE: SUPPLIED
The magic of telenovelas
At 19:30, the gripping storyline of Gomora takes over. Viewers follow Thati, who spends her life trying to distance herself from Alexandra township, crafting a glamorous suburban life as the wife of prominent businessman Mbongeni. But Thati’s fairy tale is brought to an abrupt end when Mbongeni is brutally murdered in a botched hijacking. At 20:30, Mzansi Magic viewers are steered into DiepCity, where they navigate life in Diepsloot through the eyes of popular and charismatic 17-year-old Nox. At 21:00, The Queen catapults viewers into the high-octane world of the profitable Khoza trucking empire, an elaborate business that hides a lucrative and highly contested drug empire.
themediaonline.co.za
30.06.21 11:48
