Muvhango's replacement is produced by Bakwena Productions, which has been questioned for its ethics by the SA Background Actors Guild.
After closing the chapter on long-running soapie Muvhango this year, the SABC has confirmed its replacement, Pimville.
Muvhango last aired in August this year, after a 28-year run on SABC 2.
“It has been a privilege and an honour to create moments on television where the marginalised languages were at the centre of them all,” said creator and executive producer of the show, Duma Ndlovu, in a statement earlier this year.
By the end of 2024, the soapie had attracted just more than 900 000 viewers — a massive drop from the millions of onlookers it had attracted in its prime.
ALSO READ: ‘Muvhango’ axed by SABC 2 less than a year after relaunch
A new-questionable-era
Earlier this year, the SABC’s CEO, Nomsa Chabeli, confirmed that a replacement for Muvhango was underway.
“Come August, we are launching a new telenovela called Pimville on SABC2, and based on that, we will be really driving that audience share back to SABC2,” said Chabeli, speaking to TV With Thinus.
“We’re working hard to ensure that the script is relevant for the audiences and that the storyline is going to be effectively doing what we need it to do,” Nomsa Chabeli says.
However, contrary to Chabeli’s words, Pimville didn’t make its debut after Muvhango’s exit.
The telenovela will be screened in 2026, but the public broadcaster hasn’t disclosed exactly when the show will air, only saying “The telenovela is set to debut in the first half of 2026, Mondays to Fridays in the 21:00 slot.”
The series is produced by Bakwena Productions.
The move to hire Bakwena Productions was questioned by the South African Background Actors Guild (SABAG).
In an open letter in April, SABAG chairperson Louis Setabole criticised the move.
“In 2024, Bakwena Productions produced Pound 4 Pound but failed to make timely payments. Payments were only processed three months after the project concluded, and even then, some individuals received partial payment,” read the open letter shared on social media.
Bakwena Productions is behind productions such as the film Ingoma – The Song, available on Netflix, and the Losing Lerato films, among others.
“This matter has been publicly addressed, and it is deeply concerning that the SABC would choose to commission work from a company with such a track record of unprofessionalism and financial neglect.”
“Given these circumstances, SABAG demands answers and guarantees from the SABC regarding its collaboration with Bakwena,” noted the open letter.
NOW READ: How ‘Muvhango’ celebrated Tshivenḓa in a time of little representation
