The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Anele Mdoda leads exclusive two-part Inimba roundtable ahead of season 2
Mzansi Magic viewers are invited to an exclusive sit down with Anele Mdoda and the cast of Inimba, as they unpack the moments, tensions and turning points that defined season 1, while building momentum for the much-anticipated season 2, starting 2 March.
Inimba: Inside the Magic brings 947 Breakfast Show host and devoted fan of the show, Mdoda, into conversation with the stars of the beloved telenovela in a special two‑part roundtable. She promises to steer the special with the energy fans know her for, stirring up the big questions as she engages Lunathi Mampofu (Zoleka), Sisa Hewana (Hlathi), Zenande Mfenyana (Thumeka), Loyiso MacDonald (Lazarus), Siyabonga Shibe (Sydney) and Ayakha Ntunja (Qhawe).
“Inimba is part of our daily lives, we pick apart the drama, all because we want answers. This is the first time that a platform is given for the fanbase to get answers directly from the cast…it’s like our own Inimba commission.” sayid Mdoda who hosts the Inimba: Inside the Magic roundtable.
Viewers can expect “answers, accountability, a deeper understanding of each character’s point of view, loads of laughter, anger and some surprising takes on things we thought had been resolved kanti…it’s only starting and there is also a major announcement to look forward to,” Anele teases.
People moves
Tiger Brands appoints new chief marketing and strategy officer
Tiger Brands has appointed Lorraine de Graaff as chief marketing and strategy officer effective 1 March 2026. De Graaff will report to the CEO, Tjaart Kruger, and will lead the Group Marketing and Research and Development team, partnering with the business on enabling growth across Tiger Brands’ iconic brand portfolio.
“We are very pleased to have Lorraine join the Tiger Brands executive committee. She is a strong leader who is extremely focused on inspiring, developing and enabling the teams that she leads. As Marketing Director Bakeries, she consistently demonstrated her Marketing, Strategy and Commercial capabilities to reposition the Albany brand and deliver various cost-efficiency and value engineering initiatives,” said Tjaart Kruger, CEO of Tiger Brands.
Prior to joining the company, De Graaff held Senior Marketing Executive roles at Whirlpool EMEA, SC Johnson, Kimberly Clark, Novartis, Beiersdorf SA and Robertson’s Homecare and has more than 20 years of experience in delivering growth across South Africa, the rest of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
NAB announces 2026 executive leadership
The NAB is pleased to announce the appointment of Philly Moilwa, head of policy and regulatory affairs at the SABC, as chairperson of its executive committee (Exco), and Lara Kantor, general manager of regulatory affairs at MultiChoice, as deputy chairperson. These appointments were confirmed at the NAB’s first Exco meeting of 2026.
Both Moilwa and Kantor are highly respected industry leaders with extensive experience and longstanding involvement in the NAB and its Exco. The Exco is made up of non-executive members and serves as the organisation’s principal decision-making body, representing the NAB’s diverse membership from across the broadcasting sector. The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson are elected for a two-year term.
NAB Executive Director Nadia Bulbulia expressed appreciation to outgoing chairperson Nick Grubb, the chief executive of Radio at Kagiso Media, for his exemplary leadership and dedication in representing NAB members during key industry processes.
- Commercial radio committee: • Chairperson: Kgothatso Mampa (Primedia Broadcasting)• Deputy Chairperson: Judy Monyela (SABC)
- Television committee: • Chairperson: Philippa Rafferty (e.tv) • Deputy Chairperson: Greg Clur (Faith Terrestrial)
- Technical committee: • Chairperson: Andy Louis (Telemedia)• Deputy Chairperson: Thato Toko (Sentech)
- Community radio committee: • Chairperson: Franklin Huizies (Jozi FM) • Deputy Chairperson: Wilma van Schalkwyk (Radio Pulpit)
Boomtown strengthens leadership team with the appointment of Zahra Mirza
Independent South African agency Boomtown has announced the appointment of Zahra Mirza as group managing director and Nigel Matthews as executive creative director (ECD), marking a significant leadership milestone as the agency enters its next phase of growth, creative ambition and continental expansion.
The dual appointments reflect Boomtown’s intent to strengthen both its operational engine and creative output, while reinforcing its position as a leading independent agency with a distinctly African growth vision.
“This role is both stewardship and growth,” said Mirza. “It’s about ensuring the business is operationally strong today, while deliberately building what it needs to become tomorrow. Growth of people, growth of profit and growth of our footprint are all central to my mandate, particularly as we explore opportunities for expansion across the African continent.
Business moves
Africa’s OTT and streaming industry to gather at OTT Content and Streaming Summit
Africa’s growing OTT and streaming ecosystem will be under the spotlight at the 06th OTT Content Streaming Summit, convened by Broadcast Media Africa (BMA) in media partnership with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
The Summit will take place on 24–25 February 2026 at the Capital 15 On Orange in Cape Town, gathering industry leaders, policymakers, broadcasters, telcos, fintech’s, content creators, and global streaming platforms.
With SABC as the official Media Partner, senior SABC leaders will join the programme as panellists, offering insights into the evolving role of public broadcasting in Africa’s digital future, particularly in supporting local content creation, accessibility, and public value in a competitive streaming environment.
“As Africa’s biggest public broadcaster, the SABC has a critical role to play in ensuring that the continent’s digital and streaming future is inclusive, locally relevant, and sustainable. Partnering with the OTT Content Streaming Summit allows us to engage meaningfully with industry stakeholders to shape policies, partnerships, and content strategies that reflect Africa’s diverse audiences and realities,” said Lungile Binza, COO at SABC.
SABC Plus adds two community TV channels to offering
The SABC has announced the addition of TBN Yetu and Mpuma Kapa TV to SABC Plus, the public broadcaster’s digital streaming platform that provides audiences with free access to live television, radio services and on-demand content across multiple devices.
The inclusion of these two Eastern Cape-based channels forms part of SABC Plus’ ongoing content acquisition strategy, aimed at expanding the platform’s diversity of local, relevant and community-driven content while increasing access to South African stories beyond traditional linear broadcasting.
By onboarding TBN Yetu and Mpuma Kapa TV, SABC Plus is further strengthening its offering of locally produced content and creating opportunities for regional broadcasters to reach wider and more diverse audiences through the scale and accessibility of the platform.
SABC Plus currently hosts more than 25 SABC television and radio channels, as well as selected third-party services, reinforcing its role as a growing digital hub for South African content.
MultiChoice Group adds the Pulse to the 8th Joburg Film Festival Feel the Frame
MultiChoice Group, a CANAL+ Company, returns as a proud sponsor of the Joburg Film Festival’s 8th edition, taking place from 3–8 March 2026, as the festival invites audiences to Feel the Frame and experience cinema not only as entertainment, but as a sensory, collaborative art form shaped by hundreds of hands behind the camera.
MultiChoice Group’s Pulse strategy is designed to deepen audience connection to the craft behind the frame by spotlighting through supporting the disciplines and career pathways that bring African stories to life.
“Joburg Film Festival’s Feel the Frame is a powerful reminder that film is made in community,” said Nomsa Philiso, director content, general entertainment, English & Portuguese-speaking Africa at MultiChoiceGroup. “The MultiChoice Group Pulse is our way of honouring the craft, the collaboration, and the creative economy that makes great African storytelling possible, while inviting audiences to step closer, look deeper, and truly feel what goes into every frame.”
JBX Talks 2026: Africa’s Creative Xchange Hub in the Heart of Johannesburg
JBX Talks 2026 returns as a central pillar of the 8th edition of the Joburg Film Festival, taking place from 3 – 8 March 2026 in Johannesburg under the theme Feel the Frame. Hosted from 4 – 6 March at the Sandton Convention Centre, JBX – The Joburg Xchange – continues to operate as the festival’s creative and commercial engine: a space where storytelling craft, industry knowledge and future-facing business ideas converge, and where African cinema is actively positioned within global conversations.
“JBX Talks is deliberately positioned at the intersection of the film and television industry, creativity and visual culture,” says festival manager Taryn Joffe. “Aligned with Feel the Frame, it operates as a vibrant knowledge and exchange hub within Johannesburg’s fast-paced screen ecosystem, a place where ideas circulate freely, where audiences and practitioners engage with leading filmmakers and representatives from diverse festivals, production and post-production companies, and where the artistic and technical decisions behind powerful storytelling are considered in an open and reflective environment.”
Disney+ launches Paradise Official Podcast ahead of season 2
Disney+ announced that the Paradise’ Official Podcast hosted by series star and super fan Ryan Michelle Bathé will premiere with a season 1 recap episode on Monday, 16 February on Disney+ in South Africa. New podcast episodes drop weekly timed to each new show episode release.
The nine-episode podcast will debut on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally, with audio episodes on all audio platforms, tied to the Season 2 premiere of Paradise. The podcast will feature interviews with the cast, creative team and scientific consultants from the series as they break down the twists and turns, share exclusive behind-the-scenes moments, and tease what’s to come in the rest of the season.
Podcast guests include Paradise creator Dan Fogelman; executive producer and star Sterling K. Brown; and series stars James Marsden, Shailene Woodley, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Krys Marshall, Jon Beavers, Thomas Doherty, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Enuka Okuma, Charlie Evans and Aliyah Mastin.
Good Things with Brent Lindeque Podcast announces BetterBond partnership
One of South Africa’s most uplifting and influential podcasts, Good Things with Brent Lindeque, has announced a new partnership with BetterBond, marking a significant milestone in the podcast’s continued growth and evolution.
After more than 12 years in podcasting, Lindeque has built a trusted platform dedicated to amplifying positive South African stories that inspire connection, heart and hope. Over the past year, the podcast has grown substantially, driven by its expansion into a visual format across major social media platforms in 2025. The move has brought a new depth to conversations, allowing audiences to engage more meaningfully with the people and stories behind the headlines.
The partnership brings together two brands with a shared belief in progress and impact. As South Africa’s leading home loan specialists, BetterBond helps thousands of South Africans move closer to the dream of homeownership, a milestone that represents stability, security and long-term wellbeing.
“Partnering with the Good Things with Brent Lindeque podcast allows us to combine the power of positive storytelling with real-world impact,” says Colette Van Dyk, chief marketing officer, BetterHome Group. “Together, we’re celebrating good news while supporting South Africans on their journey toward owning a home.”
Planet Fitness turns a music collab into a brand movement
Planet Fitness has released a piece of brand content that deliberately avoids the traditional January advertising playbook.
Their collab with Freshlyground’s new lead singer, Mbali Makhoba, reimagines Etta James’ 1962 classic Something’s Got a Hold on Me as a powerful, locally rooted music video that looks and feels more like movement culture than marketing.
For Planet Fitness, the collab was never about launching a campaign in the conventional sense. It was about creating something people would choose to watch, share, and move to, whether or not they were thinking about gyms at all.
“Brand marketing has shifted,” says Jenna Rivera, Head of Marketing at Planet Fitness. “People aren’t engaging with content because a logo appears on their screen.
They engage when something reflects how they feel, how they move, how they want to live. Our job isn’t to interrupt that. It’s to participate in it.”
The collab taps into movement, rhythm, and collective energy. Elements that sit at the heart of both music and training. By treating the content like a music video first and a brand expression second, Planet Fitness places itself inside culture rather than alongside it. The result is work that stands on its own, without explanation.
Skeem Saam hits a record breaking 4-5 million viewers
Popular daily soapie, Skeem Saam, produced by Peu Communications, has reached a major milestone, pulling in a record-breaking 4.5 million viewers, reaffirming its position as one of South Africa’s most-loved television dramas.
The impressive viewership highlights the show’s continued ability to connect deeply with audiences across the country, thanks to its relatable characters, emotionally driven storytelling, and storylines that reflect everyday South African realities.
Recent episodes have kept audiences glued to their screens, with gripping developments unfolding, from intensifying rivalries and personal reckonings to moments of hope, love, and redemption that have sparked conversations both on and off screen.
This milestone is a testament to the unwavering support from audiences and the hard work of the cast, crew, writers, and production team who bring the story to life every weekday.
Tempo Africa Launches a Proudly African Platform to Stay, Live and Work across the Continent
Tempo Africa has officially launched its all-in-one digital platform designed to simplify how Africans find places to stay, live and work – all through one trusted app built on the continent, for the continent.
Proudly African and African owned, Tempo Africa was developed to reflect the realities, rhythms and aspirations of everyday life and work across Africa. Unlike global booking platforms built for other markets, Tempo Africa is grounded in local context, offering solutions that understand African cities, payment systems, property dynamics and mobility patterns.
The platform brings together short stays, long term rentals, office spaces and hotels within a single ecosystem designed for Africa’s diverse markets. Users benefit from verified spaces, secure transactions, local payment options and the ability to engage directly with property providers without reliance on brokers.
Three stories, one dreamer: Jung von Matt crafts character-led automotive storytelling
Jung von Matt has developed and produced a global product campaign marking the first major international product push for MINI under its new creative lead agency. Built around a modular storytelling system, the work showcases three distinct vehicles through the imaginative lens of a single, unlikely protagonist, a car wash worker who dreams himself behind the wheel of each MINI model that enters his bay.
The narrative follows a car wash attendant whose daily routine takes a cinematic turn as he begins to fantasize about the lives he might live in each of the three MINI Cooper models he washes. Each vehicle triggers a different story, reflecting the unique personality of the car:
Together, these three daydreams form a playful yet powerful expression of the MINI Cooper range. Each model offering a different way to experience the road, and a different version of yourself.
Making moves
isiZulu takes centre stage as Warner Bros. Discovery’s Kids’ shows launch in local language
Warner Bros. Discovery is strengthening its connection with South African families by introducing isiZulu dubbing for fan‑favourite Cartoon Network and Cartoonito shows, a major step in making its kids’ content more accessible and culturally relevant for the local market.
Building on the brands’ existing local productions and on-ground marketing initiatives, the rollout also includes new local channel voice‑overs and multilingual Cartoonito on‑air greetings. Together, these elements celebrate cultural inclusivity, support local talent, and respond to the growing demand for authentic local voices in kids’ entertainment, making Cartoon Network and Cartoonito’s content more accessible and relevant than ever before.
These initiatives build on the strong connection Warner Bros. Discovery Kids already enjoys with South African audiences. Cartoon Network has once again been voted the #1 Coolest Kids’ Channel in the Sunday Times GenNext Youth Survey, while Cartoonito ranks as the #1 channel in the DStv Family package.
During DStv’s 30th Anniversary Open Window promotion in November, Cartoonito also soared to the #1 kids’ channel across the platform. Cartoon Network remains one of the strongest and most popular kids’ channels on pay‑TV, available from the DStv Access package upwards¹. With beloved shows such as Teen Titans Go!, Regular Show, Mr Bean and Zig & Sharko, the brands continue to deliver the content kids love — now with an even stronger local touch.
Cynthia Gonçalves Afonso, Warner Bros. Discovery senior manager, programming and presentation, Kids Channels, explains, “By introducing local languages into our kids’ channels, we’re not only making our content more accessible, but also ensuring it stays relevant to the everyday lives of South African families.”
