M-Net buys Generations, Isidingo

Weekday soaps Generations on SABC1 and Isidingo on SABC3 have been sold to M-Net for use on one of the pan-African pay TV broadcaster's AfricaMagic channels, with both soaps set to start on Monday, 28 May 2012.

The deal comes as Southern African countries outside of South Africa will soon be deprived of the "free" SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and e.tv channels which viewers in Zimbabwe, Botswana and others have been watching illegally for years.

Earlier this year the court found that the South African parastatal signal distributor Sentech failed to properly encode and protect the broadcasters' TV signals outside of South Africa.

Viewers in these Southern African countries are set to start losing these signals from the end of this month.

The SABC TV channels and e.tv are often some of the most popular - yet illegally watched - TV channels in other African countries where very little choice in channels and new entertainment programming exists.

'Great benefit to our audiences'

The "colonisation" of the rest of Africa with South Africa's popular culture as a sought-after TV export product, will now continue "legitimately" from Monday, 28 May.

Viewers will be able to tune in on satellite for Generations which is set against the backdrop of South Africa's advertising industry, and Isidingo which is set against the backdrop of the fictitious Horizon Deep community and South Africa's TV, hospitality and mining industries.

Generations will be shown on weekdays at 21:30 on AfricaMagic Entertainment (channel 128 on DStv) with repeats the following day at 13:00, and a Generations omnibus on Saturdays.

Isidingo will be shown on weekdays at 22:00 on AfricaMagic Entertainment with repeats the following day at 16:00, and an Isidingo omnibus on Saturdays.

"The fact that we will be screening the latest episodes shortly after the SABC is a great benefit to our audiences," said Biola Alabi, M-Net Africa's managing editor.

"As in all soaps, rivalry, treachery and blackmail between siblings, friends and foes alike make Generations one of the most forceful dramas South Africa has ever produced," she said.

"The structure of the mining community from the miners to executive management reflects South African society as it is in the new millennium,” she said of Isidingo.


- Channel24