Master Classes

Master Class 1 Description Time
The art of documentaries Documentary series have audiences around the world glued to their screens. Wim Steyn and Elle Oosthuizen (Devilsdorp, Steinheist), and Richard Finn Gregory (Boere op die Aardsdrempel, Steinheist) present a two-hour practical master class in creating a successful documentary narrative. 14:30
Master class 2 Description Time
Directing actors It is a gift to hold pace for and guide actors towards a delivering gripping and moving performances. Nico Scheepers (Donkerbos and Nêrens, Noord-Kaap) presents a two-hour master class in on-set directing. 14:30
Master Class 3 Description Time
Stories – Empowering communities All people have their own stories to tell, and capturing these to share them with others cinematically, is inspiration. Muneera Sallies (Old Righteous Blues, Twisted Christmas) and Nadine Cloete (Teater na die mense, Action Kommandant) present a two-hour practical master class in community development through film. 14:30

Panel Discussions

Topic Description Panel Time
What are we looking for? A discussion with top decision makers at channels and platforms across MultiChoice to determine the current requirements for TV and film entertainment Quentin Krog (facilitator)
Nicola van Niekerk, Nomsa Philiso, Tebogo Matlawa, Waldimar Pelser, Allan Sperling and Lerato Moruti		 14:00
Topic Description Panel Time
The new era of reality TV A discussion about the evolution of formats and a new approach to reality series Marguerite Albrecht (facilitator)
Duan Wanty, Ingrid Engelbrecht, Freddy Louw, Terja Beney and Nadine Moonsamy		 14:00
Topic Description Panel Time
Synchronised – Music in TV and film A discussion about music in Afrikaans TV and film. We talk about composition, music rights, licensing and all the invisible elements that provide harmonious context to our stories. Wikus du Toit (facilitator)
James Bassingthwaighte, Pierre-Henri Wicomb, Kabous Meiring and YOMA		 14:30

Workshops

Topic Description Host Time
Grab us with your content pitch A workshop on how to build creative, informative, holistic and stuctured proposals that leave an impression on decision makers. Wikus du Toit 15:00
Topic Description Panel Time
Virtual story worlds A workshop on the use of the newest technologies in the virtual production of your TV series or movie Quentin Krog (facilitator)
Chris Gardner, Hennie Pretorius, Loubser Claassen and Charl Marais		 13:15
Topic Description Panel Time
Unlock international opportunities for your film A workshop on how to research opportunities, identify pitfalls and join hands with potential partners to travel your film overseas. Lucia Meyer-Marais (facilitator)
Tertius Kapp, Dian Weys, Gabriella Blumberg and Cait Pansegrouw		 13:15

Speakers

nomsa

Nomsa Philiso has extensive broadcast and media experience, spanning over 26 years – a quarter of that decade having been spent with the South African Public broadcaster. She has worked across media sales, channel and content management as well as technology project implementation, and has an in-depth understanding of audience needs across the spectrum. She joined MultiChoice in January 2020 as Channel Director for Local Entertainment and was appointed Executive Head: Programming in October 2021.

Nicola

Nicola van Niekerk is a broadcast and television professional with more than 17 years’ experience in the industry. She has worked in production in a variety of genres, from drama, soap, variety shows and documentary, and produced content for various broadcasters around the globe. Nicola joined kykNET in 2012 as Commissioning Editor and was later promoted to a Senior Manager in kykNET. She has been in her current role of Head of Content for Premium Channels & Co-productions since 2023. Nicola is passionate about documentary. Her current slate includes exciting international co-productions and documentaries with international partners.

Waldimar

Waldimar Pelser is M-Net director: Premium Channels, which includes kykNET and M-Net. He was appointed director for kykNET channels after 20 years in the news media. His career started as news reporter for Die Burger, after which he opened the Media24 West Africa buro in Lagos, Nigeria, before joining the Sunday newspaper Rapport as editor. Until the end of 2021, he was the anchor of KN Verslag In Gesprek, an award-winning current affairs show on kykNET.

WIKUS

WIKUS DU TOIT currently serves as a commissioning editor at M-Net and kykNET, overseeing the production of films, dramas, and comedies, as well as international co-productions, including series such as Recipes for Love and Murder, Spinners, Devil’s Peak, and Reyka. He holds a Master’s degree in Drama, as well as a postgraduate Diploma in Tertiary Education and a second Master’s degree in Education, focusing specifically on promoting critical thinking and facilitating creativity in Film, TV, and Drama students. In addition, he is an executive producer of over 15 Afrikaans films, including Toorbos, Barakat, Gaia, Fiela se Kind, and Griekwastad.

tebogo

Tebogo Matlawa has over 9 years’ experience in the film and television industry, with a strong record in a wide range of essential functions. This includes production management, concept creation, implementation and strategy development, with a proven ability to build consensus and work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams. As the Senior Manager: Scripted Content for the Multichoice Group, he is a strategic decision-maker who continues to effectively translate strategy and planning into operational reality whilst identifying key developmental opportunities that are positioned for growth. More importantly, he understands, and can successfully navigate the complexities of the industry in order to achieve organisational objectives.

Terja

Terja Beney is a highly accomplished television professional. She has produced or commissioned a diverse array of non-scripted entertainment projects, including game shows, talk shows, live events, reality programs, documentaries, and current affairs. After 17 years at Endemol and 5 years at Multichoice, she has acquired a deep understanding of both production and broadcasting. Terja’s wealth of experience and practical mindset make her an invaluable industry asset. Her commitment to excellence and dedication to the craft reflect in the quality of her work. Known for her meticulous attention to detail, Terja consistently strives to deliver outstanding results and lasting impact. As the Senior Manager for reality and entertainment at Multichoice, Terja is at the forefront of shaping the industry landscape.

Duan

Duan Wanty is a content producer and director in the film and television industry. His experience spans more than a decade in various disciplines of the entertainment industry. His involvement with the Silwerskerm Film Festival includes producing short films such as the award-winning Fluit-fluit (2018), Binnelandse Sake (2019), and Thrift tot die dood (2023). With his current focus on reality series, he strives to tell stories that not only resonate with viewers, but also inspire and spark meaningful conversation. In the last four years, he has contributed to reality series for kykNet, M-Net, BBC and Netflix. If you’ve read this far, invite him for a glass of wine and a chat. He’d love that too!

Ingrid

Ingrid Engelbrecht is a content producer and director with over 15 years’ worth of experience in the television industry. She began her career in the publicity department at M-Net, managing communications for M-Net’s local productions before pivoting into production and directing. Passionate about showcasing uniquely South African narratives, Ingrid has content directed and produced stories on some of the country’s biggest unscripted local formats including My Kitchen Rules, Temptation Island, Come Dine With Me, Survivor SA and, most recently, Die Brug. She is currently in the pre-production phase of a new reality show format for Netflix, due for release in 2024. When she is not working, Ingrid enjoys pina coladas. She does not enjoy being caught in the rain, however. If you see her around at The Bay Hotel, feel free to say hi! She’d love to hear your story too, and tell you why the Antiques Roadshow is her favourite guilty television pleasure.

Frederick

Frederick Louw is a seasoned storyteller with a passion for visual storytelling. His TV journey began at Urban Brew Studios, on SABC’s YOTV. His first original actuality-reality format, Wildroom, broke daytime viewership records and earned numerous local and international awards. He excelled in the game show and reality genres, working on global BBC and Disney formats such as Friends Like These and Cartoon Cafe. Frederick’s expertise extends to original format development, with notable pitch-to-screen successes like Die Kontrak, Kwarantyn, and The Saturday Showdown. Additionally, Frederick’s passion for scripted content resulted in 14 films for kykNET’s storieFILM Project and a streaming feature for eVOD. Frederick’s lifelong dream of merging narrative storytelling and reality television has come to fruition with Die Brug.

MARGUERITE

Marguerite Albrecht is currently a commissioning editor for kykNET, overseeing Reality & Entertainment programmes, including series such as The Real Housewives of Pretoria and the Winelands, Plaasjapie, Kokkedoor, Op My Eish! Tarzan van George, Sex in Afrikaans and Die Brug. She graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BA Degree in Drama and a Performer’s Diploma in Speech and Drama, but early into her stage acting career realised her passion for storytelling through the moving image. During her 30-year career in film and television she has conceived, produced, and directed numerous television series, documentaries, short films, and feature films. Her work has been nominated for 106 local and international awards, of which she won 67. These include 3 Golden Camera Awards and 4 Silver Screen Awards from The United States International Film and TV Awards for It’s For Life (2005, 2006, 2007) and The Cut (2007), and a Silver Rose d’Or for the Best New Reality Series for Rize Mzansi (2008). In her role as commissioning editor at kykNET her work has won several SAFTA’s, ATKV Media Veertjies and the Daleen Bekker Prize for Scriptwriting (Die Boekklub) and an Honouree Medal for TV Drama Direction (Fynskrif) from The South African Academy for Science & Arts.

James

James Bassingthwaighte is a music producer, film composer and songwriter with experience in managing large projects that require efficient workflow and execution. Skilled in digital production (beatmaking), scoring for large orchestras and project management, James has been the music director for long-form television formats such as The Voice (in 3 different territories across Africa), X Factor and Coke Studio, supervised large film composition projects such as Kizazi Moto : Generation Fire for Disney+, produced top ranking albums and worked with artists such as Busiswa, Yemi Alade and Beyoncé. Additionally, his qualification from University of Cape Town as well as a host of courses through Berklee College of Music contribute to his holistic understanding of the music industry, both creatively and from a business perspective. He has certifications in Project Management and Data Analytics which have proven invaluable to managing music projects, ensuring that the process is not only inspiring and creative, but is also managed efficiently, within budget and always with an eye to making data-driven decisions, as opposed to relying on industry hunches. He loves and is deeply experienced in every bit of music from South Africa and has worked with most major artists, from Cassper Nyovest and Laurika Rauch to Phuzekemisi. When he isn’t perfecting his home-made pizzas (feel free to ask for the recipe), he loves to share his knowledge about the South African music industry through panel discussions related to the human application of copyright.

Pierre-Henri

Pierre-Henri Wicomb is a South African composer based in Cape Town. He originally started his compositional career as a ‘concert’ composer, but was introduced to the world of television and film soundtracks around 2017. This new direction was the result of many years working in theatre composing incidental music. Plays he wrote music for include Marat/Sade (P. Weiss), Samsa Masjien (W. Anker), Liewer (T. Kapp) and Mirre en Aalwyn (N. Hanekom). He won a Fleur du Cap award for best original soundtrack for Samsa Masjien and got a nomination for the play Marat/Sade. Wicomb completed the soundtracks for a few local series winning a SAFTA award for best original soundtrack for the TV drama Die Spreeus (The Starlings) and an ATKV Veertjie for his work on the two series Dwaalster and Die Spreeus. The short film This Country is Lonely (S. Hardy) for which he composed the soundtrack was his first film to break into the international market receiving a premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). His collaboration with the local director J. Bouwer was revisited in the scoring of the acclaimed eco horror Gaia, which first premiered at the South by Southwest festival in Texas. He received a Silwerskerm nomination for the soundtrack in 2022. The film, has since screened across the globe named one of the top horror films of 2021 Variety and Forbes. Wicomb recently completed the soundtrack for the animated short Surf Sangoma (dir. S. Mathambo) for Disney’s Kizazi Moto anthology. The series Spinners, a Canal+ Showmax collaboration, for which he completed the soundtrack in 2023 premiered at the Canneseries festival in France. Wicomb’s other musical endeavours, his contemporary classical music works has been featured at festivals in France, Germany, USA, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Brazil, Sweden and South Africa. He is the co-founder of the successful annual Purpur festival (Cape Town) hosting the works and performances of local and international musicians, already in its eight year. His music has been recorded on the Leo Records, Orlando Records, RMN Classical, Unexplained Sounds Group, MovieScore Media and Peer Music Record Labels.

Kabous

Kabous Meiring made her directorial debut at Silwerskerm Film Festival 2012 with the short film Drukkersbloed (commissioned by Life in a Bulb). It would take ten years for her to produce a full-length film with Go2Content and The Film Factory. Commissioned by KykNET, Kabous also directed Die tragiese saak van Pamina Vermaak. She is a full-time television presenter on Prontuit (Idea Candy) and also presented Megaboere (Khaki Productions) and Varstrap (Idea Candy), as well as various panel discussions at festivals and on other platforms. Kabous started as an AD on commercials and drama series (Dit wat stom is by Franz Marx). In the last 15 years she has directed inserts, profiles (Kwêla by Homebrew) and documentaries, notably the second installment of Die Afrikaners (Herman Binge), as well as the reality show, Leatitia’s Taxi (Via), and worked as content director on Saktyd (Homebrew).

Chris

Chris Gardner consults to DOP’s on the LED volume. His 20 year career started in lighting before moving into camera and engineering. He was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to direct, live to tape, talk shows for 6 years. He then moved over to the LED volume a year and a half ago. He feels at home and really enjoys using his broad knowledge base to its fullest. He finds it very rewarding to work side by side with producers and DOPs to create cutting edge footage.

Hennie

Hennie Pretorius is a seasoned professional with a passion for the creative arts and an extensive background in the film and events industry. With 24 years of experience, Hennie has honed his skills in various disciplines. Throughout his career, Hennie has delved into multiple facets of the industry, including lighting design and programming, set and stage design, and rigging. His expertise extends to audio-visual design, where he utilize cutting-edge technologies such as LED screens, projectors, and media servers to create immersive and captivating worlds. Currently, Hennie holds the position of systems engineer at Filmscape, a studio providing virtual production technology to the film industry.

Dian

Dian Weys is the writer and director of three short and three television films. His short films, Versnel, (2017), Plaashuis (2021) and Bergie (2022), have screened at more than sixty film festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs, Tampere, ZINEBI Bilbao and Message to Man. Versnel won Best Short Film and Screenplay in the 12-minute section at the 7th kykNET Silwerskermfees; Bergie won the Tanit d’Argent for Best Short Film at the Carthage Film Festival. He is currently a Ph.D candidate at the University of Groningen and lectures part-time at Stellenbosch University

Gabriella

Gabriella Blumberg is an award-winning South African producer and director with a drive to create compelling, impactful stories. Gabriella is the Producer of the Award Winning feature documentary “I Am Here” (2021) which has had global theatrical releases and won many awards including three South African Film and Television Awards (2022) and Best South African Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival 2021 – this qualified the film for Oscar consideration. “Leemtes en Leegheid (A Void)”, a beautiful narrative short film about grief, was produced by Gabriella and commissioned by kykNET. It won “Best Short Film” at the Silwerskermfees 2022. Gabriella, a Durban Talents alumnus, is extremely passionate about advocating for breast health awareness and has directed and produced short films such as “Near not Far” (2019) which successfully rallied the South African Government to set up a breast cancer screening unit in Mpumalanga. Her television adverts about breast health were screened on 200 slots on eTV and DSTV in both 2021 and 2022. Gabriella is committed to using storytelling as a means to break stigma and spark conversation.

Tertius

Tertius Kapp is known as a writer of films and TV series. In 2016 he received the SAFTA for his film adaptation of Dis ek, Anna. Griekwastad received the SAFTA for Best Film in 2020, and in 2022 4 Mure won the SAFTA for Best Drama Series. He also wrote Die Spreeus, Somerkersfees, Siende Blind and the internationally acclaimed Gaia, which he also produced. His most recent drama series is Juffrou X, which debuts at Silwerskerm Film Festival 2023.

Cait

Cait Pansegrouw is a South African producer and casting director that has worked internationally for the past 10 years. Cait is a multi-South African Film and Television Award-winner with work that has travelled to Sundance, Berlinale, Venice, Durban and FESPACO, to name a few. Inxeba (The Wound) screened at more than 60 festivals worldwide, winning 28 awards, including 6 SAFTAs. It was also selected as South Africa’s official entry for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018, making it to the December shortlist of 9 films. This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection was awarded the Jury Prize for Visionary Filmmaking at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered. This film has gone on to win 32 more awards and in 2020, it was announced as Lesotho’s first ever entry to both the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Cait serves as Co-founder and Director of Artistic Operations for the Realness Institute, which strives to foster a new wave of African cinema.

Nico

Nico Scheepers is a writer, director and playwright from Cape Town. As a writer-director, Nico has two series to his name, including the multi-awarded family saga Nêrens, Noord-Kaap (Multichoice, 2021) and the crime thriller Donkerbos (Showmax, 2022/2023). Donkerbos was the only African series selected for the Berlinale Series Market 2023. His fantasy short film, Die Maan Val Bewusteloos, won the award for Best Director at Silwerskerm Film Festival 2017. He is currently working on two new series and the development of his first film. As a playwright, Nico’s work has been published in South Africa, performed at the Fugard Theater in Cape Town, the Market Theater in Johannesburg, and at Aan De Braak in Amsterdam. He has won 5 Fiesta theater awards and received the Fleur Du Cap award for Best New Director in 2018.

Wim

Wim Steyn is the founding Director and Executive producer of IdeaCandy, a production company with expertise in various fields: content development, writing and creating, producing and directing. They are focused on creating cinematic visual content and telling the honest but truthful stories of the world we are currently living in. With this in mind the IdeaCandy-team ventured into the world of documentary storytelling in 2020. It had taken the team 8 years since inception to identify the right project to kick off their factual journey, which they did with Devilsdorp, IdeaCandy’s first documentary series. Wim is a multi-award winning director and producer (SAFTA, Promax Africa, ATKV Veertjie and Loerie Awards) in a wide variety of genres ranging from IdeaCandy’s documentaries to current affairs projects, and even promotional and design projects.

Elle

Elle Oosthuizen is an award-winning documentary producer and resident senior producer for documentaries at IdeaCandy. She has produced Devilsdorp (2021), which won a SAFTA for Best Documentary 2022, Steinheist (2022), Stella Murders (2023) and Rosemary’s Hitlist (2023). From 2011 to 2023 she oversaw the production 140 short films for the kykNET Silwerskerm Film Festival’s development project. From 2023 this includes the development and production of short documentaries to complete the offering at the Silwerskerm Film Festival.

Richard

Richard Finn Gregory is an award-winning South African filmmaker focussing on human-centred documentaries. His Masters thesis film, “Crumbs: Toppling the Bread Cartel” (2012), opened the Tri-Continental Human Rights Film Festival. His first independent feature documentary, “The Boers at the End of the World” (2015), won a South African Society of Cinematographers award for documentary cinematography, three South African Film & Television awards (SAFTAS), and a Medal of Honour from the South African Academy of Sciences and Arts. 2022 saw the release of two major projects: “The Radical”, a feature documentary about the world’s first openly gay imam, currently playing in festivals worldwide; and “Steinheist”, about South Africa’s biggest corporate scandal, which broke records for the most first-day views of a docu-series on Showmax. Richard has been a Board member of the Documentary Filmmakers’ Association South Africa, and has been a head juror for the SAFTAS for multiple years.

Muneera

Muneera Sallies, a 2009 AFDA graduate and award-winning filmmaker has been involved in the film and television industry for 20 years. Muneera has written, produced, and directed various film and television projects across various markets, some of her more recent work includes having Directed on a 26-part drama series called ‘Melody’ airing to high audience acclaim on The South African Public Broadcaster. In 2021 Muneera made her feature film directorial debut by co-writing and directing ‘Twisted Christmas’, a MNET offbeat family comedy. Muneera’s most recent work involves producing a short film titled ‘Straat Rotte’ as well as Directed her second feature film “Old Righteous Blues”, both films are set to premiere at the 2023 Sliwerskermfees in August.

Nadine

Nadine Angel Cloete is an independent filmmaker from Cape Town, South Africa. Her work focuses on themes of identity and history. Nadine’s work has screened on national and international broadcasters, streamers and global film festivals. Her documentary Miseducation premiered on the New York Times Op-Doc site and IDFA. It was created as part of the Why Poverty documentary series and looks at a very simple but complex walk to school. Nadine’s short documentary In Conversation screened as part of the Social Justice Film Festival, Seattle USA. It discusses access to safe abortion. Action Kommandant is Nadine’s first feature documentary. This film has travelled across Africa, Europe, and USA. It won the Audience Award at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival. It won Best Documentary at Africa in Motion, 2016. It was nominated for Best Documentary at the BlackStar Film Festival, USA, and a SAFTA nomination for Best Achievement in Directing a Documentary Feature. Action Kommandant has screened at many schools throughout the Western Cape and now finds its place on the online Showmax platform. Action Kommandant tells the story of liberation hero, Ashley Kriel. In 2019 Nadine branched out into fiction directing and Address Unknown is her first professional endeavour in this genre. Address Unknown premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival, USA and won the Audience Choice Award at the Durban International Film Festival. Address Unknown won the 2021 SAFTA for Best Short Film. The film places focus back on the apartheid-era forced removals in District 6. In 2019 Nadine received a Certificate of Appreciation from the African Union Youth Envoy. Nadine was also part of the 2019 and 2020 Queer Feminist Film Festival planning committee. Nadine’s short fiction film called Net Ons (Just Us) premiered as part of the Silwerskermfees in March 2022 and was nominated as best Southern African short film at the SOTAMBE film festival. Nadine has gone on to produce and direct The Last Speaker in 2022. This documentary was created as part of the Africa Direct series for Al Jazeera. The documentary follows Claudia Snyman and her grandmother, Queen Ouma Katrina Esau as they work on popularizing they dying N/uu language. Nadine is currently the Production and Development Non-Fiction and Animation Manager at the National Film and Video Foundation.

Quentin

Quentin Krog has been a Commissioning Editor at the M-Net Content Hub since February of 2022. With a slate of 20+ local commissions currently on his portfolio he specialises in premium Afrikaans scripted content for kykNET and Showmax. Some of his latest titles include Magda Louw, Die Byl 5&6, Projek Dina 3, Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor, Trompoppie and the Silwerskermfees Short Films ’23 & ‘24. Before working at the Content Hub, Quentin directed 90+ episodes of primetime TV and 4 feature films, having been involved in some of the most popular and beloved Afrikaans entertainment properties for the past 18 years; Vir die Voëls, Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling and Die Boekklub S1 to name a few. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Drama from Stellenbosch University in 2004.

Lucia

After two decades as a freelance line- and feature film producer, Lucia Meyer-Marais hung up her producer shoes and joined M-Net to step into a commissioning editing position. She exec-produces content over various genres, including, Diepe Waters, Steinheist, Donkerbos (Berlinale Series 2023, winner of Deleen Bekkerprys) and the kykNET Silwerskermfees scripted short films. Her production credits include i am ALL GIRLS, winner of the SAFTA Best Feature Film 2022, The Harvesters which premiered at Cannes Un Certain Regard, as well as the kykNET Silwerskerm Film Festival 2016 Best Short Film winner, Vlees Van My Vlees. It is currently being develop as a feature, with the support of the Dutch Film Fund and La Fabrique. Lucia is a member of SWIFT and an alumnus of Realness Creative Producers Indaba and Durban Film Mart. She holds a cinematography and producing degree from AFDA and resides in Johannesburg with cinematographer husband, Tom Marais, and their twins.

Lizette

Lizette Khan is currently a commissioning editor at Multichoice working with producers & writers on kykNET and Showmax projects. She has over 15 years experience in high end content delivery as a producer, director and radio presenter. Lizette also has as over a decade’s corporate experience. She has produced TV content for both the public broadcaster, (SABC) and pay TV, (DSTV) platforms in South Africa.

Merveline

Merveline Ferris is a commissioning editor at M-Net, specializing in reality and entertainment, actuality, and documentary programming. With a strong background in the television industry, she brings a unique perspective to her role. Merveline’s passion for storytelling and live performance led her to pursue an honors degree in film, focusing on live performance. Her previous experience as an actress and production manager for live and pre-recorded actuality programs for kykNET has provided her with invaluable insights into the industry. In her current position as a commissioning editor, Merveline has successfully commissioned a diverse range of compelling content. Notable recent projects include “”Arendsvlei,”” a captivating telenovela series that has captivated audiences with its engaging storyline, the “”Sex & Pleasure Documentary Series,”” a thought-provoking exploration of human sexuality and its societal impact, and “”Klop!,”” a human interest, community driven talk show.

Allan

Allan Sperling is a TV and Film Executive working both in the linear and OTT space. He is usually deeply engaged in international co-productions and development, and financing of both local and foreign films. Currently as of 2023 serving as Executive Head of Content for Comcast and Multichoice owned streamer Showmax. Allan worked for Viacom now Paramount in London and Amsterdam and before that, he was part of the Danish film industry in Denmark where he is from.

YOMA

YOMA hails from George and is a full-time artist who has rubbed shoulders with big names in the South African and international music industries. She has appeared on various television, magazine, newspaper and radio platforms in SA, the Netherlands, Germany and Namibia. She received several Ghoema nominations for her debut Moedertaal album and a Ghoema award for best hip-hop song “WilleKat” with Grandmaster Ready D (2018). She also received a Koker award for her work in Afrikaans (2018), and was nominated for a Safta for the title music of the telenovela Arendsvlei, which she composed with Murray. YOMA was a mentor for the ATKV-Crescendo project where she worked with existing and emerging musicians to help prepare them for the South African music industry. She is passionate, purposeful and unique. They call her the queen of hip-hop.

Charl

Charl Marais is the General Manager of Filmscape, South Africa’s pioneering virtual production studio. With over a decade of industry experience, Charl has helped establish Filmscape since its launch just over a year and a half ago. The studio has collaborated with esteemed clients such as Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon, and KykNET, leveraging Filmscape’s innovative capabilities for virtual production. Driven by a passion for storytelling and a deep understanding of emerging technologies, he along with his talented colleagues has continued to spearhead Filmscape’s mission to revolutionize the way films and TV shows are created in South Africa.

Loubser

Loubser Claassen is passionate about the latest technology and creativity. With 10 years’ experience in 3D printing and modeling and 8 years as a stage designer and LED screen specialist, Loubser is an expert creator of captivating visual experiences. Fueled by his love for computer games, Unreal Engine, Blender and virtual production, he is constantly exploring new frontiers in the fields of art and technology.

Lerato

Lerato Moruti was appointed Senior Manager Reality and Entertainment in September 2019. She is responsible for the overall commissioning strategy of unscripted content, encompassing Emo-tainment Reality, Competition Reality, Social Experiment Reality, Lifestyle Reality, Family based Reality, Music Shows, Lifestyle and Human Interest Documentaries. This role enables Mnet to partner with the production industry to deliver high entertainment content for mass market, keeping Show Max and the Mzansi Network as preferred suppliers of diverse hyper local content. Lerato is accountable for the editorial performance of the Reality and Entertainment Unit, empowering Commissioning Editors to deliver content aligned to the platform’s audience and positioning. Before taking on the role, Lerato worked in the television industry as a consultant and trainer. She created a Commissioning Editor Training Manual working with the Sobido Group to train Commissioning Editors at ETV and consulted for Soul City, Mirror Effect TV and Okuhle Media. Prior to this, Lerato occupied a number of positions at the SABC ranging from youth and children’s content producer for SABC Education, Commissioning Editor SABC Education, Snr Commissioning Editor SABC’s Content Hub and acted as Head of Genre for both SABC Children and Reversioning and Repurposing Unit. Lerato’s skills, acquired through her career from Bop TV, to SABC and now Mnet, include programme conceptualisation, managing development of television shows and their formatting, television production, strategy development, implementation plans, editorial skills, working closely with scheduling, marketing, PR and digital departments. Lerato has a degree in Psychology from the University of Witwatersrand, an advanced certificate in Professional and Business Coaching from GIB as well as a Leadership Certificated from the same institution. Her television career also benefited from programmes such as Conceptualising TV programmes for Children from Deutsche Welle Television in Berlin and Eurovision in Lucerne.

Scharl

Scharl van der Merwe has thirteen-years’ experience on the business side of television and filmmaking. He holds an honours degree in communication from UJ, and a MBA from Wits Business School. A filmmaker by trade, Scharl has worked on various types of television productions before he co-founded Nouvanaand Films and Nagvlug Films. Most recently he was Managing Director at Nagvlug Films before joining Mnet as a Commissioning Editor. His experience ranges from sports broadcasting and reality-TV to producing award winning feature films, television dramas and comedies.

Onke

As a seasoned private and public sector professional, Onke Dumeko is a multipotentialite Corporate Affairs executive, Operations executive and Keynote Speaker. She has extensive work experience spanning diverse yet complimentary disciplines and industries such as FMCG, commercial and luxury retail, media, publishing, content (film & tv) production and the public sector. This has culminated in a diverse skills-set which is pitched to provide unmatched organisational value. A recipient of the 2017 Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans, the 2018 Gauteng Government Film & Media Excellence Awards and Golden Key International Honour Society, Dumeko made a name for herself as the Strategic Marketing Manager of the country’s leading magazine platforms such as DESTINY, DESTINY MAN, ELLE, ELLE Decoration and SAWUBONA magazine under their original publisher, Ndalo Media. Having pursued a strategic role for a cosmetics retail house, Dumeko returned to the publishing world during 2018 with a stronger understanding of the client investment opportunities that would advance publishing into its next phase of existence. This led her to become the former editor-in-chief of DESTINY magazine and the founding editor of thebar. Magazine, a film & TV archival platform where she has hosted the YouTube show and podcast, The ForeverOnke Show. In keeping with her deep-set passion for the Film & TV industry, today she sees herself as the Head of Operations at the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. In this broad role, she leads a robust team that manages the following business units: Partnerships & Distribution; Marketing & Communications; Events & Activations; Legal, Policy, Compliance & Research, Facilities Management and Special Projects (PESP) at South Africa’s national film and audio-visual funding body.

Lorhren-Rose

Lorhren-Rose Joseph is a newly appointed commissioning editor. She is part of the Mnet Unscripted team. She has a background in journalism, factual entertainment, and at some stage of her life, chemical engineering. Lorhren-Rose believes filmmaking is the most consequential medium of the 21st century and her commitment to cinema and the intricacies of audience engagement has no bounds. ‘We don’t tell stories to make people blindly nod in agreement. We make films to find new meaning in the grey parts of our relentless dialogue…to recognise that inevitably there is commonplace despite our differences – even in a more nuanced and complex world.’

Nadine

Nadine Moonsamy is a publicity, communications, and marketing specialist with over a decade of experience in the industry. Currently serving as the Publicity Manager for M-Net Channels at MultiChoice Group, Nadine prides herself in building meaningful connections with audiences through experiential events and memorable communication campaigns. With a particular passion for local content and an extensive professional background in large format reality shows and international co-productions, Nadine is well-versed in all aspects of talent duty of care. A natural creative and communicator, her contagious energy is matched only by her tenacity, perseverance, and her unwavering commitment to excellence.