Netflix Reveals Slate of Upcoming South African Titles

Netflix has revealed its slate of upcoming programming from South Africa for the end of 2023 and the start of 2024.

Set to premiere on September 15, the new young adult series Miseducation comes from Burnt Onion Productions. It follows a young, self-absorbed first-year varsity student who finds herself on the cancelled list after the police seize her family’s assets due to her mother’s corrupt political dealings.

Another new series coming to Netflix is YOH’ Christmas, produced by Johnny Barbuzano, Tiffany Barbuzano and Morishe Matlejoane for BBZEE Productions. More details about the holiday-season series will be coming at a later date.

Returning South African series are Blood & Water, Savage Beauty and Young, Famous & African. Season four of Blood & Water, from writer and director Nosipho Dumisa and Gambit Films, will launch in the first quarter of 2024. The second season of Savage Beauty, created by Lebogang Mogashoa and produced by Quizzical Picture, will debut in 2024 as well. Young, Famous & African, a pan-African reality series featuring cast from South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda, has been renewed for a third season, with production to begin soon.

South African films coming to the streamer include Kandasamys: The Baby, Heart of the Hunter and Soweto Love Story. From writer and director Jayan Moodley, Kandasamys: The Baby is the next chapter in the Kandasamys franchise and is set to premiere on October 20. Heart of the Hunter, based on the novel by Deon Meyer and directed by Mandla Dube, is slated to bow in the first quarter of 2024, as is Soweto Love Story.

Netflix also unveiled various partnerships with South African creators. The streamer has entered a multiple-title books adaptation partnership with Akin Omotoso and Ochre Media; a three-picture film partnership with Donovan Marsh; a multiple-title parternships across genres and formats with Gambit Films; a three-picture partnership with Jayan Moodley; a multi-title book adaptation deal with Stained Glass Productions, led by Gugu Zuma-Ncube and Pepsi Pokane; and a multi-title film and series partnership with Mandla Ngcongwane and Mpumelelo Nhlapo and their Black Brain Pictures.

Ben Amadasun, Netflix’s VP of content for the Middle East and Africa, said: “We are incredibly excited to continue with our investment in South African storytelling and to expand our relationships with these amazing storytellers. These long-term partnerships with local filmmakers have enabled us to uncover unique perspectives and diverse stories from South Africa to entertain our more than 238 million members around the world. This is why we’re committed to investing in South Africa’s creative industry and showcasing the incredible talent the country has to offer.”