A Journey Through the Lens: The Evolution of South African Film and Television

The story of South African film and television is a mirror held up to the nation itself. It is a chronicle of a country in constant flux, from the oppressive shadows of apartheid to the vibrant, often challenging light of democracy. Through the decades, the camera's focus has shifted from propaganda to protest, and finally to a bold, inclusive storytelling that is finding its place on the global stage.

The Formative Years: A Camera in a Time of Change (1916 - 1970s)

Early South African cinema was a fledgling affair, dominated by a handful of production companies and often focusing on documentaries and newsreels. The first South African-made film, The Great Kimberley Diamond Robbery (1916), marked the beginning. Yet, the industry truly took shape in the mid-20th century, where it often served the interests of the state. It was a time of limited scope, with content heavily influenced by racial segregation, setting a problematic precedent for the decades to come.

The Apartheid Lens: Propaganda, Protest, and Division (1970s - 1994)

With the advent of television in 1976, the apartheid government found a powerful new tool. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) became the official voice of the state, with programming in Afrikaans and English, deliberately excluding other local languages until later years. Content was heavily censored, promoting a sanitized, pro-apartheid worldview. Yet, in the shadows, a powerful counter-movement was born. Underground filmmakers, often working in exile or in secret, used film as a weapon of protest. Films like Come Back, Africa (1959) and Mapantsula (1988) offered raw, unfiltered critiques of the regime, becoming crucial historical documents and acts of defiance.

The Post-Apartheid Renaissance: Finding a New Voice (1994 - 2010s)

The dawn of democracy in 1994 ignited a creative explosion. Filmmakers were finally free to explore the complexities of a new national identity. Themes of reconciliation, truth, and the lingering scars of the past came to the forefront. This era produced cinematic masterpieces like Yesterday (2004), the country’s first Oscar-nominated film, and Tsotsi (2005), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Television also flourished, with shows like Yizo Yizo, which broke new ground by portraying the harsh realities of township life with unflinching honesty.

Being able to create freely after years of restrictions against filmmakers of colour, I imagine that would give a feeling of incredible liberation. A weight being lifted, and South African creatives snatched that chance and started creating stories from their perspectives without limitations, giving future generations the opportunity to authentic tell their own stories which is in itself liberating as well. 

The Digital Era: Streaming into the Future (2010s - Present)

The past decade has seen another seismic shift. The rise of streaming platforms like Netflix and Showmax has democratized access to content and created unprecedented opportunities for local storytellers. South African productions are now more accessible to global audiences than ever before. This new era has given rise to the hit series Blood & Water (2020) and films like Indemnity (2022), which have showcased a new generation of talent and storytelling that is both distinctly South African and universally appealing.

As South Africans we are born storytellers, even outside of the entertainment industry, and having more access to showcase these stories has truly shown what we can do if South Africa invests in their local talent. We have seen over the years, how many international filmmakers visit South Africa to shoot films and make great success, using the streets we walk on as a setting for their car chase scenes, but when you watch those films it never truly captures the essence of how the streets of South Africa feels, but when we see Ethan from ‘Spinners’ being chased by a gangster in the streets of Lavender Hill the amount of stress we feel is amplified, because we know what gangsters do to the youth. 

A Modern Take on Youth: From Yizo Yizo to Blood & Water

Few shows captured the post-apartheid moment with as much raw energy as Yizo Yizo. Premiering in 1999, the SABC drama was set in a fictional township high school and didn't shy away from depicting the violence, drug use, and systemic failure affecting a generation. It was a cultural phenomenon, a mirror reflecting a society struggling to heal and find its moral compass. Its characters were complex and its themes—the breakdown of family structures, the impact of crime on youth—were brutally honest. The show was a statement, a necessary shock to the system.

There hasn’t been anything else that truly captured the essence of South African youth since, the only honourable mentions that could be noted the hit Showmax Original ‘Youngins’ set against the backdrop of a Johannesburg boarding school, this hard-hitting new teen telenovela chronicles the journey of a young woman escaping a family tragedy in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Her arrival triggers a chain of events, ensnaring her in a scandal of epic proportions that challenges her past and threatens her future, which made noise on social media and gained traction new generation of South Africans telling authentic stories, often compared to the hit Netflix series Blood & Water which revisits themes of youth, identity, and complex family dynamics. While it also explores social issues, its tone is slicker, its production values higher, and its narrative is driven by mystery and intrigue. The show’s characters are navigating a modern, digital world with a new set of challenges and aspirations. While these shows are not a direct remakes, they are spiritual successors, exploring similar territory with a new perspective, showing how far South African television has come in its ability to produce sophisticated, globally-appealing content that still has a deeply local soul.

The journey of South African film and television is far from over. From the early days of silent film to the political resistance of the apartheid era and the subsequent creative explosion of a free nation, the camera has always captured our collective story. Today, in the digital age, we see a new generation of storytellers reclaiming the narrative, proving that the authenticity of a street in Lavender Hill can resonate more deeply than any international car chase. These productions are more than just entertainment; they are a testament to our inherent storytelling ability and our resilience. As the industry continues to grow, it is clear that our future lies not in imitating others but in telling our own truths, with all the complexity, joy, and raw emotion that makes South Africa's voice so unique. The lens has finally been turned back on us, and the world is ready to watch.