SABC Brings Back South Africa’s Got Talent

Primedia Studios is working on a new treatment of South Africa’s Got Talent for public broadcaster SABC.

South Africa’s Got Talent originally debuted in 2009 on SABC 2 and ran for two seasons before moving to e.tv for a further six seasons. It has been off air in the country since 2017.

Set to return to South African screens in mid-2024, the series will be produced in partnership with presenter, radio personality, producer, businesswoman and author Anele Mdoda’s production company, Rose and Oaks Media.

SABC also picked up second seasons of Deal or No Deal South Africa and The Masked Singer South Africa from Primedia Studios, the former in partnership with Homebrew Films and the latter with Mdoda’s Rose and Oaks Media. The first seasons of both formats debuted this year on SABC. The Masked Singer South Africa, hosted by Mpho Popps, is currently SABC 3’s most-watched show of 2023.

Jan Du Plessis, president of Primedia Studios, said: “Our mission at Primedia Studios is to be a world-class audiovisual content hub, infused with the spirit of South Africa and driven by our exceptional homegrown talent. In less than a year, we’ve come further and achieved more than we ever dared hope—not least winning three major television format commissions from our country’s largest broadcaster. All three shows have the power to bring joy and improve lives while showcasing African talent and culture with passion and authenticity. It’s what we are born to do.”

Du Plessis added: “South Africa’s Got Talent will allow more exceptional local entertainers to tap into this massive global phenomenon without having to travel abroad.”

Anahita Kheder, executive VP of formats and licensing for EMEA at Fremantle, said: “The Got Talent format continues to bring excellent entertainment whilst showcasing breathtaking talent to audiences worldwide. Through contestants showing off their unique skills and stories, Got Talent has become an unstoppable global phenomenon and continues to earn the title of TV’s most-loved talent show format. We are proud to be working with Primedia Studios and SABC to bring this much-anticipated program back to South Africa after six years off air.”