Coming up on Carte Blanche‎ – The Christmas Special – on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 18 December 2022 at 19:00.

Solo’s Strength
Solomzi “Solo” Nqweni was a man with big dreams: he’d moved to Scotland to play first class cricket – a stepping stone on a path he hoped would lead to selection for the Proteas. But a rare autoimmune disorder stopped him in his tracks. Bedridden, unable to walk, and fighting off deadly infections, Solo was in the fight of his life. And fight he did! Now, two years later, Solo is stepping into the next chapter of his extraordinary story of perseverance.

Producer: Sinethemba Nogude
Research: Ayanda Charlie
Presenter: Claire Mawisa

From Boetie to Hollywood Baddie
Boetie first went to the border, and then to Hollywood. Actor Arnold Vosloo has become a household name, not only here but worldwide. With more than 90 appearances on the big and small screen, including blockbusters like The Mummy movie franchise, and a role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond, there is no doubt that Vosloo has become a local legend in his own time. Despite global fame, Vosloo’s love for South Africa remains firmly in place, having returned home to film two productions in the past five years. Two legends meet this Sunday when Derek Watts catches up with the Hollywood star.

Producer: Hein Kaiser
Presenter: Derek Watts
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Bringing the ‘Gees’
The stage was set: the Springbok A rugby side was facing a dangerous French Barbarians team at the spectacular Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. It was billed as a clash of titans that would be played in front of an army of chanting spectators. But the stadium was empty… Alarmed, avid rugby supporter and patriot, Chulumanco Macingwane, made a few calls that would ultimately birth a new movement: the Gwijo Squad. The concept was simple: bring together a group of sports fans who would raise the roof at stadiums across the country. Now, almost a thousand strong, the Gwijo Squad is singing its way into the hearts of sports lovers.

Producer: Sinethemba Nogude
Presenter: Derek Watts
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Opera’s Child Prodigy
It started as nothing more than proud parents posting a sensational video of their daughter on Facebook. But as more and more people started listening to the little girl with a very big voice, it soon became clear: Gugulethu Ndzendze is no ordinary nine-year-old. With the confidence of an accomplished maestro and an extraordinary command of the big stage, Gugulethu is hitting the high notes and claiming her place as the country’s next opera sensation.

Producer: Sinethemba Nogude
Presenter: Claire Mawisa
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The Draadkar Grand Prix
It’s early November in a small town in the eastern Karoo. In the distance, screams from young children break the morning silence as the thunder of running footsteps draws closer – salvaged wire, tin-can tyres, and a mad dash through the streets of Philipstown in the Northern Cape. They call it the Draadkar Grand Prix, a mesmerising festival of Karoo culture and expertly hand-crafted wire cars “driven” by children of all ages. The event even has a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The prize? Local fame and absolute glory. Carte Blanche heads to the Karoo to experience this exhilarating spectacle.

Producer: Stenette Grosskopf
Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
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Carte Blanche: The Podcast
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Please note Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change.