SAFTAs 18 Announces Date and Theme: Honouring Excellence in South African Film and Television with the theme Back to Basics . Johannesburg, South Africa Wednesday, 2 October 2024 The South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) are returning for their 18th edition, honouring the very best in South African film and television. With this year's theme, Back to Basics, Celebrating South Africa's Golden Narratives (Back to Basics), SAFTAs18 will focus on celebrating the fundamental pillars of creativity, quality and excellence that have shaped the industry since its inception.
This year South Africa is celebrating 30 years of democracy, while the SAFTAs is turning 18. This milestone marks a significant revolution in time, akin to an 18-year-old's experience of growth, maturity during this distinct period which opens doors to new opportunities. This, parallel the 30 years of democracy is a true pinch me moment!
To commemorate these momentous occasions, the theme Back to Basics: Celebrating South Africa's Golden Narratives reflects the SAFTAs commitment to the fundamental principles of storytelling and filmmaking while embracing innovation and creativity in the digital age. As we reflect on our rich heritage and cultural identity, we also look ahead to the future of South African entertainment.
The SAFTAs, established in 2005 under the guidance of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), continues to be a vital platform for promoting entrepreneurship and discovering new talent. By showcasing the achievements of both established and emerging voices in the industry, the SAFTAs strive to empower the future of South African film and television.
Black Swan Media, headed up by media maven Relebogile Mabotja and industry expert Bruce Townsend, has been appointed as the production company for SAFTAs18, selected through a competitive tender bidding process. Known for their high-quality productions and creative expertise, Black Swan Media will be bringing the SAFTAs18 vision to life, ensuring a spectacular celebration of the talent that drives South Africa's creative industries.
Black Swan Media's Executive Producer, Relebogile Mabotja, says, I have been pitching to work on the SAFTAs since 2013 before I became an Executive Producer and before joining Black Swan Media. It has been years of trying and not getting the gig. 11 years later, we finally got it! To produce for the first time this year as we celebrate 30 years of freedom and democracy and 18 years of SAFTAs is particularly special to us, on the back of winning our first SAFTA as a business last year. We are beyond excited to be working on an industry event that brings together our peers and celebrates them and all of their work under the leadership of the team at the NFVF and the great partners at the SABC and Multichoice. We look forward to producing a great project while bringing Mzansi along for the ride! The SAFTAs18 will take place over two days in two separate events:
Craft Awards: Friday, 25 October 2024, streamed live on the SAFTAs YouTube channel.
Red Carpet: Saturday, 26 October 2024, simulcast at 19h30 on Mzansi Magic (Channel 161) and SABC 2..
Main Show Awards: Saturday, 26 October 2024, simulcast at 20h00 on Mzansi Magic (Channel 161) and SABC 2,
In keeping with the SAFTAs tradition, each award recipient will be honoured with the coveted Golden Horn' trophy, symbolising the collective effort and collaboration that is the cornerstone of the film and television industry. The three heads of the Golden Horn represent community, teamwork, and the recognition of individual talent within the broader industry framework.
As we go Back to Basics, SAFTAs18 aims to remind us of the importance of creativity, dedication, and unity within the industry, encouraging all stakeholders to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and storytelling. The SAFTAs Awards remain a beacon of recognition, honouring the brilliance that defines South African cinema and television.
For more information, visit the NFVF website https://www.nfvf.co.za/about-the-saftas/ or follow us on social media.
ENDS
For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
NFVF Representative:
Lerato Mokopanele
Marketing and Communications Manager
National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF)
leratom@nfvf.co.za
011 483 0880
Officials are also encouraged to support the SAFTAs
Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Instagram/YouTube.
Twitter: https://x.com/SAFTAs_1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saftassa/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saftassa/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/southafricanfilmandtelevisionawards
This press release is issued by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), celebrating South Africa's film and television industry through the SAFTAs.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
06/12/2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A new survey from Pixitmedia by Datacore revealed a major shift in the Media & Entertainment industry in media archiving, with 85% of resp...
06/12/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. LiveU has announced that the national public broadcaster Czech Television has completed one of the largest LiveU live production deployments fo...
06/12/2025
NEW YORK The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the Excellence in Production Technology Emmy Award to NASA+ and Dr. Tom Leight...
05/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nati...
05/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Veritone's Sean King on the Power of Mining Video, Audio DataThe company's Data Refinery offers users total control and governance over da...
05/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: Inside the Nashville Predators' Unified, Flexible, Sca...
05/12/2025
Netflix Reaches Agreement To Acquire Warner Bros. Following Planned WBD SplitThe deal does not include WBDs sports assets like TNT Sports (US, UK, LatAm), Euros...
05/12/2025
FOX Sports Returns to Indianapolis for Primetime Broadcast of Big Ten Championsh...
05/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Digital Engagement & Monetization Workshop Tackles the ...
05/12/2025
Atlanta United Lights Up New Emory Healthcare Studio With First Live Broadcast f...
05/12/2025
As Messi Takes the Pitch, MLS, Apple, NEP Roll Out Largest MLS Cup Production Ev...
05/12/2025
ESPN Enters College Football's Most Intense Month With Elevated Workflows fo...
05/12/2025
It's about that time! Awards season is in full swing, and the Film Independe...
05/12/2025
Every year, Spotify Wrapped offers a personalized look back at the audio that defined your year. It's a snapshot of your listening habits, designed to tell ...
05/12/2025
In 2025, Spotify's EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA , and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking record...
05/12/2025
In our latest blog, we explain how Wi-Fi 7 rollouts can drive consumer loyalty with value-add services such as consumer cybersecurity. We also explore how this ...
05/12/2025
LOS ANGELES Netflix announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsens Gracenote has launched Gracenote Content Connect, a new ad platform that provides agencies, brands, supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-si...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK In an most important update to the workings of deal-based programmatic advertising, IAB Tech Lab has released version 1.0 of its Deals API for public c...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Pass the turkey. Pass the stuffing. Pass the cranberry sauce. All are common requests of Americans celebrating Thanksgiving Day with family and f...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. Netflix announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has approved AT&T's $1.02 billion acquisition of spectrum from UScellular in a decision that was issued sho...
05/12/2025
The Best Coldplay Songs: 21 Tracks That Shoot for the Stars From Yellow to Viva La Vida, Fix You to Paradise, this playlist goes back to the start.
December ...
05/12/2025
Zafris Lecture Series Brings Nabil Ayers to Berklee The 32nd annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series was held on Thursday, November 13, with guest...
05/12/2025
Friday 5 December 2025
A new Game of Thrones Tale: Official trailer for Sky Exc...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Don Lee, Lee Jin-uk, and Lalisa Manobal to Star in Netflix Act...
05/12/2025
Tis the season of giving once again and this year we've taken our Give Back Fridays' concept and turned it on its head.
In the autumn we were approach...
05/12/2025
Brayden Gogis doesn't remember a time when he wasn't completely fixated on games in all forms. In preschool, when they asked us to dress up as what we ...
05/12/2025
The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025
Tune in tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and worldwide on RT Player
#LateLateToyShow...
05/12/2025
RT Announces New Presenters of Flagship News Programmes
New RT Six One News co-presenter Tommy Meskill
Sarah McInerney & Justin McCarthy join Morning Ir...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & ...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir AJA Ki Pro Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & just:in linux
More Details:Starting with version 5.5, both just:in mac pro and just:in linux sol...
04/12/2025
Wangu Kanuri from Kenya and Godwin Asediba from Ghana are two of this years finalists for Thomsons Young Journalist of the Year Award. The pair are runners-up i...
04/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: ProximaVision's Claudio Lisman on Why Tethered Drones Could Be...
04/12/2025
SVG Campus Shot Callers: Imry Halevi, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Co...
04/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: LiveU Lightweight Sports Production: A Step Change in Spor...
04/12/2025
London to Riyadh: DAZN brings the boxing glamour to new production levels for Be...
04/12/2025
Analysis: Paramount bets on the battering ram' with Champions League play By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 10:12
Print ...
04/12/2025
Space City Home Network Launches SCHN DTC App for Astros and RocketsThe Rockets and Astros were previously the lone NBA and MLB teams without a DTC appBy Jason...
04/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Content Workflows Workshop Spotlights Evolution of Spor...
04/12/2025
New Sponsor Spotlight: Geotech's Patrick Wambold On the Unreal Engine Revolu...
04/12/2025
Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nationally and RegionallyBy Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 1:52 pm
Print This Sto...
04/12/2025
(L-R) Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Mohammadreza Eyni, Sara Khaki, and Judith Helfand att...
04/12/2025
SBS launches Future Frames initiative to support emerging First Nations video ed...
04/12/2025
Coronal mass ejections caused by eruptions on the surface of the sun can have fa...
04/12/2025
Gracenote Content Connect enables media ecosystem to precisely align ad campaigns and programming based on rich content signals
NEW YORK - December 4, 2025 - N...
SAFTAs 18 Announces Date and Theme: Honouring Excellence in South African Film and Television with the theme Back to Basics . Johannesburg, South Africa Wednesday, 2 October 2024 The South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) are returning for their 18th edition, honouring the very best in South African film and television. With this year's theme, Back to Basics, Celebrating South Africa's Golden Narratives (Back to Basics), SAFTAs18 will focus on celebrating the fundamental pillars of creativity, quality and excellence that have shaped the industry since its inception.
