Fremantle to Develop South African Crime Thriller with M-Net

African pay-TV operator MultiChoice and its flagship channel, M-Net, are teaming up with Fremantle to develop the contemporary South African investigative crime thriller Reyka.

Reyka is set against the tropical coastline and sugarcane fields of KwaZulu Natal. The eight-part series follows the life of Reyka Gama, a flawed but brilliant female detective, who is haunted by her past. The story begins in 1994, at the end of apartheid and the dawning of a new South Africa.

Reyka is created by screenwriter and showrunner Rohan Dickson. Jake Riddell (Death in Paradise, Suspects) joins Dickson as story consultant and writer.

Yolisa Phahle, CEO of general entertainment at the MultiChoice Group, said: “This partnership with Fremantle is the perfect way to shine the spotlight on the African film and television industry and provides compelling new stories for global audiences beyond African shores.

“With more than 13.5 million subscribers in Africa and several international awards for our scripted content, we are already the leading African storyteller on the continent. With an esteemed distributer like Fremantle at our side, we can now share our talent and unique content globally.”

Sarah Doole, director of global drama at Fremantle, added: “We are proud to partner with MultiChoice Group for our first South African drama. A compelling story, Reyka brings modern-day South Africa and its rainbow nation of different communities and cultures to the global stage.

“Reyka is a very distinctive lead and watching her complex life unfold in this diverse landscape adds a new dimension to the crime drama genre.”