Eight thousand jobs, more than 30 production companies, over 300 titles. Those are Netflix’s own figures for what its South African productions have delivered since the service launched in the country in 2016.
The company marked the ten years with a press showcase in Rosebank, Johannesburg, where executives, filmmakers and on-screen talent gathered to preview the next slate. It spans unscripted shows, thrillers, family drama and comedy.
“Ten years ago, we set out to share South African stories and voices with the world and today, we are proud to strengthen our partnership with the local creative industry,” said Ben Amadasun, Netflix’s VP of content for Middle East and Africa. The slate ahead, he said, adds “established names alongside bold new production partners.”
The record so far
The catalogue includes Blood and Water, Young, Famous & African, Unseen, Silverton Siege, Fatal Seduction, Disaster Holiday, How to Ruin Christmas, Beauty and the Bester, Marked, Kings of Joburg, Blood Legacy, The Polygamist and, most recently, Umthetho. Netflix says they were shot in 20 cities across eight provinces, with local casts and crews.
The biggest recent hit is The Polygamist, filmed in Johannesburg. It drew more than 24 million views in its first weeks, reached the Top 10 in 62 countries and went to number one in more than 21. It is based on Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi’s 2012 novel, and sales of the book tripled after the series arrived, over a decade after it was first published.
