Coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 24 December 2023 at 19:00.

Christmas Cheer
What’s Christmas without song? In Alberton, Gauteng, beloved choir master Ida Strydom and her merry band of choristers are turning the town into their own rehearsal stage as they prepare for this year’s Christmas celebrations. Tannie Ida is a bubbly 72-year-old with an incredible passion for music dating back to 1994 when she founded The Cantare Children’s Choir. But she didn’t stop there and, through her passion for music, she’s impacted the lives of many children. Recently, Harmonia – a choir full of talented young women – performed at the beautiful Thaba Eco Hotel and Tussen Twee Koppies. This Chrismas Eve, Tannie Ida and her Harmonia Choir give us something to smile about.

Producer: Sinethemba Nogude
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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Lessons in Solitude
It’s the most gruelling unassisted solo yacht race around the world. Attempted by only the world’s finest sailors, the Golden Globe Race is designed to push skills to the limit and challenge an athlete’s mental fortitude. With no navigational tools or weather reports, Kirsten Neuschäfer battled the elements and intense loneliness for 235 days to cross the finish line a day ahead of her competitors. Now, after winning the world’s toughest sailing competition the old-fashioned way, she’s back on home soil and getting her feet stuck into her next solo adventure.

Producer: Liz Fish
Presenter: Erin Bates
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Tractor Tannie
Mom of two, Corné Else, has brought a new twist to the moniker “soccer mom”. For 13 days this year, Corné drove the family’s battered 59-year-old tractor close to 2000 kilometres through some of the country’s smallest towns. She was raising money to send her daughter to a sporting World Championships. Not soccer, though, or even netball. No, this was funding for tug-of-war. Corné’s daughter, Marconette, is a South African champion and she’d been invited to the World Champs in Switzerland. But, in the absence of government funding, Corné – with a little help from generous friends and family – devised a cunning plan to get her daughter to Europe.

Producer: Tarryn Crossman
Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
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IronMac: The Finish Line
It’s one of the most unforgiving long-distance triathlons in the world. The IRONMAN Championship comprises an exhausting 3.8km swim, a grueling 180km cycle, and an intense 42km marathon. Undertaken after years of training by only the world’s toughest athletes, IRONMAN tests the physical, mental and emotional fortitude of every contender. But for Carte Blanche’s resident cycling enthusiast, Macfarlane Moleli, it was a promise made to a departed friend that pushed him into this elite competition. With just six months of intense training, Macfarlane confronted the ultimate challenge.

Producer: Floris Kotze
Presenter: Derek Watts
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Carte Blanche: The Podcast
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Please note Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change.