The past few days have been filled with a celebratory mood across social media and entertainment platforms, as many local creatives were recognised at this year’s South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs).
The awards took place over two nights, on 13 and 14 March 2026 in Johannesburg, celebrating the creative brilliance and talent both on screen and behind the scenes in South Africa’s film and television industry.
Among the biggest winners at this year’s ceremony was MultiChoice, a Canal+ company, which walked away with 48 awards across reality, scripted, documentary and lifestyle programming.
Built on more than a decade of iconic telenovelas, Mzansi Magic’s storytelling was on full display as its stars swept all four acting awards in the Telenovela category. Bonko Khoza won Best Actor for his role in iThonga, marking his second SAFTA win. First-time winners also took to the stage, including Zenande Mfenyana for Best Supporting Actress in Inimba, Anele Matoti for Best Supporting Actor in Gqeberha: The Empire, and Nelisiwe Sibiya who won Best Actress for iThonga.
Teen drama Youngins picked up the most wins in the Telenovela category, including the award for Best Telenovela, bringing the show’s total to four awards. In a public vote for the country’s most popular telenovela, Inimba claimed the top honour.
Scriptwriting was also recognised, with Inimba, Law, Love & Betrayal, Magda Louw, and Suidooster all earning awards in their respective categories. Production house Tshedza Pictures, the creative force behind Youngins and iThonga, once again proved its strength in the industry, emerging as the most awarded production company of the year.
Director of Content for General Entertainment, English and Portuguese speaking territories at MultiChoice, Nomsa Philiso, praised the industry’s continued excellence.
“This recognition honours the extraordinary depth of our creative talent. South Africa’s creative community consistently delivers work of world-class standard, rooted in authenticity and driven by excellence,” said Philiso. “Congratulations to all the winners.”
Film producer Siphosethi Tshaphu also reflected on the impact of storytelling and the support audiences have shown for the show Inimba.
“To everyone who watches Inimba, who debates the twists, who celebrates the victories and mourns the betrayals, thank you for loving this story the way we do,” said Tshaphu. “You have made these characters part of your homes, your conversations and your hearts.”
Tshaphu also expressed gratitude to the network and production partners who supported the project.
“To MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic, thank you for trusting us with this opportunity and for standing behind the vision of this show. Stories like this exist because people are willing to believe in them,” Tshaphu added. “Storytelling is a leap of faith. You create something and release it into the world, hoping someone will care. Last night reminded me that people do care. And we are only getting started.”
Actress Zenande Mfenyana, who portrays the role of Thumeka on Inimba, also shared a heartfelt message following her milestone win.
“I’m in absolute awe of God. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” she said. “Last night was a true testament of God’s timing. He is never late, He is always on time. May He continue using me as His vessel.”
Beyond the telenovela category, several other productions were also recognised for their impact. The long-running investigative flagship programme Carte Blanche on M-Net extended its streak in the Best Current Affairs Programme category, securing the award for the fourth time.
M-Net’s hit dramas Reyka Season 2 and White Lies tied with three awards each, with Reyka taking home the award for Best TV Drama. The first season of the crime drama has already been sold to more than 150 territories internationally.
Showmax’s sci-fi feature film The Fix also had a strong showing, taking home four awards on the night.
Documentary productions were also celebrated, with School Ties winning Best Made-for-TV Documentary Series, while Chasing the Sun 2, which previously received an International Emmy nomination, won Best Achievement in Editing for a TV Documentary Series.
In the comedy category, kykNET’s Magda Louw delivered an impressive performance, earning multiple awards including Best Actress for Desiré Gardner and Best Actor for Hannes van Wyk.
Meanwhile, long-running Afrikaans soap Suidooster, which celebrated its 10-year milestone last year, also added two awards to its growing list of accolades.
Veteran performers Frank Opperman for Nêrens, Noord-Kaap Deel 2 and Tobie Cronjé for Pronk Primêr, both recent recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards, also took home top honours in their respective acting categories.
The awards further recognised outstanding contributions to the industry. Erik Holm received the Special Disability Award for his work on Binnelanders, while Bobby Heany was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his long-standing contribution to the television industry and his work in nurturing the next generation of storytellers through the MultiChoice Talent Factory.