MultiChoice: The TV Pop Culture Moments That Defined 2025
2025 was a good year for South African television fans – a year where local productions delivered impact across genres and platforms, from high‑end drama to reality favourites, from breakthrough performances to major sporting broadcasts. The locally owned channels within the MultiChoice Group, now part of CANAL+, together with streaming platform Showmax, were responsible for producing over 240 new titles in 2025.
It was also a year defined by exceptional talent: Lunathi Mampofu kept audiences glued to Inimba as Zoleka, steering the telenovela to a much-deserved Season 2 renewal. Jeani Swiegelaar won Best Actress at the kykNET Silwerskerm Festival for My F*k, Marelize! as the film broke post COVID box office records. Thembinkosi Mthembu delivered a powerhouse run across Shaka iLembe S2, Adulting S3 and Homecoming. Govan Whittles expanded his range from Carte Blanche to Govan Ontbloot on kykNET, and Reandi Grey took the reins of Boer Soek ‘n Vrou’s record breaking 17th season before closing the year in the festive miniseries Ek, jy en Hy.
The year’s first pop-culture tremor erupted when Uthando Nes’thembu reentered the national conversation as Musa Mseleku unveiled wife number five – a season that generated more than a billion impressions online. Big Brother Mzansi S5 captured the country’s imagination with 293 million votes and 302 million mentions on X on the finale that crowned Sweet Guluva as the nation’s newest favourite star.
Powerful performances
High drama shaped much of the year: kykNET’s true crime series Niggies premiered to 10/10 reviews. This gripping true‑crime drama – based on the 1966 murder of two young cousins – delivered record-breaking audience numbers, boosting Tuesday night viewership by 40% and driving a 200%+ surge in Catch Up and streaming figures. Google searches related to the case and the series increase by 1 340%. Adulting ended its celebrated run as Showmax’s most‑streamed title of 2025, with viewers feeling the heartbreak of Tsiki Tsiki’s onscreen death and later mourning the real‑life passing of TV icon Nandi Nyembe. The year also carried another loss, as the nation grieved the death of Tsotsi star Presley Chweneyagae. Thabiso Ramotshela delivered a standout performance in Youngins S3 as Mahlatse, while Outlaws introduced Buang, played by Mamodibe Ramodibe – who brings intense chemistry and a hint of chaos to the series.
No series dominated 2025 quite like Shaka iLembe. Season 2 became a full-scale cultural event – from a gold carpet premiere and activations across various cities to four National Film and Television Awards, including Best Scripted TV Series. It was the death scene itself – with Thembinkosi Mthembu’s portrayal of King Dingiswayo’s final moments – that emerged as one of the most talked‑about scenes of the year.
Riveting Reality
The reality-TV ecosystem thrived with moments that kept the country talking; Married at First Sight Mzansi went viral for Tshepo counting the Lemon Creams in the cupboard, Sponono’s surprise arrival, and a season whose fallout continued long after the reunion. Showmax’s Untied made headlines as South African women shared powerful stories of healing and reinvention, while kykNET’s Die Brug delivered one of the year’s most emotional reality TV endings when Hirome Shigeaki won – and shared his R720 000 prize. The Real Housewives of Durban took over timelines with the most explosive reunion of the year and Sorisha Naidoo taking the crown for the most reunion appearances. She’s the only Housewife to appear in every single reunion since the franchise launched in 2021.
Sporting excellence
In sport, the Proteas made history at Lord’s by winning the ICC World Test Championship -South Africa’s first major ICC title. Siya Kolisi became only the ninth Springbok to reach 100 Tests in a triumphant 32–17 win over France. The Proteas Women reached their first ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final, with Laura Wolvaardt earning Player of the Series. All four major women’s sports events that were played this year showed increased viewership compared to previous editions on Your World of Champions: Women’s Rugby World Cup, Women’s ICC Cricket World Cup, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and Women’s EUROs.
Big Screen success for Feature films
Afrikaans films excelled both locally and globally this year. At the kykNET Silwerskerm film Festival, three of the six competition titles screened at major festivals: Carissa (Venice), Finding Optel (London) and The Heart Is a Muscle, which won an award in Berlin and became SA’s Oscar entry. while the sexy Afrikaans film Khaki Fever dominated headlines and Showmax; and arthouse horror Hen earned rave reviews.
The year also delivered a historic five International Emmy nominations for South Africa across Chasing the Sun S2, Koek, School Ties, Catch Me a Killer and Play Room Live.
DStv turned 30, kykNET 26, Mzansi Magic 15, Showmax 10, Binnelanders 20, and Suidooster celebrated 10 years with a special episode featuring Early B.
Telenovelas and soaps deliver on drama and cameo’s
Telenovelas and soaps remained essential viewing, with Mzansi channels introducing four new titles. Storylines that gripped audiences included iThonga’s exploration of isiZulu twin ceremonies, Inimba’s exploration of male infertility through Lazarus, and Suidooster’s powerful postpartum mental health arc led by Jawaahier Petersen.
Inimba delivered the wedding of the year as Thumeka and Hlathi tied the knot in a spectacularly dramatic celebration. Cameos also lit up screens, including LaConco and Dr Rebecca Malope in Genesis and Bobby van Jaarsveldt and Chris Vorster in Binnelanders.
2025 also delivered compelling documentary storytelling across DStv and Showmax- from the chilling true crime impact of The ABC Killer to Slay Queens, Helderberg, Unspoken War, and SuperSport Giants, a gripping behind-the-scenes look at Orlando Pirates.
As strong as 2025 was, the road ahead looks just as promising Local adaptations of The Office and Superstore and new titles like the docuseries Beloofde Land set the stage for another standout year of local storytelling. Award‑winning favourites are returning, with Shaka iLembe concluding in its third season, alongside new seasons of Big Brother Mzansi, Koek, Een Keer om die Son and Spinners.
