S'phiwo
Channel: 1Magic (DStv 103)
TX Time: 20h30
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
S'phiwo (Gift) is a fantasy drama series about two students who find themselves drawn into a campus murder mystery, discovering that they have an undeniable and profound connection.
In a world where storytelling meets the spiritual contracts of ancestors, S'phiwo offers a viewpoint through the connected lives of two extraordinary girls destined to fulfil a legacy much greater than themselves.
Nothando is vibrant and eager to experience university life to its fullest, Zodwa is a young sangoma whose spiritual depth and seriousness make her stand out from the crowd.
An unexpected rooming mishap brings their worlds together, triggering a series of incidents that reveal the undeniable power of their connection.
The drama intensifies with a murder mystery on campus that draws them closer to their true calling – a bond destined by the ancestors.
The story is one of self-discovery, a battle against unseen forces, and proof of the idea that we are all connected in profound ways.
The series stars Zenokuhle Maseko as Nothando and Nozuko Ncayiyane as Zodwa, along with Sabelo Nkosi as Solomzi, Ngele Ramulondi as Takalani and Obakeng Makube as Nathi.
S'phiwo is produced by Penguin Films.
TVSA Show Page: S'phiwo
Huang's World
Channel: eReality (Openview 108)
TX Time: 17h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Food
This series, hosted by Eddie Huang, focuses on the concept of "exploring identity using food as an equalizer," as Huang travels around the world and experiences local culture and politics.
Meet Eddie Huang.
He went to law school, got hired, got fired, told jokes, sold weed, did molly, opened a restaurant, wrote a New York Times bestseller, and now he's here, drinking burgundy in Burgundy, eating anciently in Istanbul, and dropping lines like "the politics is in the plate."
Deadly Mission Shark
Channel: BBC Earth (DStv 184)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Wildlife, Documentary Series
Natural history presenter Steve Backshall takes 12 children on an extraordinary oceanic adventure in the Bahamas to save the world's sharks.
With 70% of oceanic sharks lost in the last 50 years, sharks are heading for extinction and a new generation of shark advocates is needed.
Under Steve's supervision, 12 children will be chosen to undertake a 10-day boot camp at a shark sanctuary in the Bahamas where they will learn about the challenges sharks face and how they could help save them in the future.
During the boot camp, the team will learn how to dive and how to interact with sharks.
The young advocates will also be actively involved in hands-on conservation projects, benefit from interactions with marine biologists, grasp the significance of shark habitats, and dive deep into Bahamian culture.
Abandoned 3
Channel: 1Magic (DStv 103)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Reality
Actress and TV presenter Phumeza Mdabe hosts Abandoned, a show that helps orphans who were abandoned as toddlers to track down their family members.
Mdabe helps those who were left on park benches, commuter stations or at orphanages to search and reconnect with those who abandoned them – their mothers or fathers – in a reality show that seeks to help them find a sense of belonging.
The show also gives those that gave up their children an opportunity to find and reconnect with their offspring.
Every week, the show tackles different dynamics, and helps the abandoned children ask questions like: Did my mother or father love me?
How do they go to bed knowing that I am out there? Did they ever try to find me or how will my life change when I find them?
The show first seeks to explore what the abandoned child has gone through all these years, before Phumeza sets off to locate their parents to get them to respond to the child's unanswered questions.
The final part of the show sees Phumeza attempt to reunite the two in a physical or virtual meeting to find a sense of closure and way forward.
Projek Dina
Channel: kykNET & kie (DStv 145)
TX Time: 20h30
Genre: Police Procedural, Drama, Afrikaans
Drama series which follows three totally different personalities in one team, a multitude of missing persons cases in Cape Town and personal lives which are barely held together.
In South Africa a child is reported missing every five hours. Approximately 30% of missing children are never found, while 50% of missing adults are never seen again, according to the SAPS Missing Persons Bureau, 2013.
Projek Dina is set in the work and living environments of a rapid response task force, where the pressure is sky-high and the margin for error miniscule.
Now that this task force has been newly-assembled by the Western Cape police, in an attempt to curb the rapidly growing number of missing persons in South Africa, the members of the team are left with a nearly impossible task: finding the missing persons in Cape Town and bringing them home, one by one.
During the course of these attempts, we witness how three detectives - specially selected by Brigadier Patricia Dlomo - work days on sleepless nights, make and receive calls at all hours, and brave Cape Town's most dangerous corners.
Team leader, captain Deon Visagie (Tim Theron), is a strategist and sleuth by nature. He obsesses over the smallest detail, but his capacity for reading people falls miserably short.
He has particular trouble with sergeant Lux Dladla's (Chumani Pan) approach to detective work, which relies strongly on intuition and the ability to build and utilise a large network of contacts.
The task force enlists the help of a non-official informant, the talented and efficient hacker, Charlene "Charlie" Botha (Kay Smith).
However, even Charlie soon realises that these cases place her in more danger than she ever could have expected. And the information she supplies is not always reliable...
Deputy Officer Ronel Oosthuizen (Chanelle de Jager) is the one that keeps the team together. She is an honest, hard-working, family-oriented person, but certainly not one to be trifled with.
She doesn't abide trivialities and often gets stuck in the middle when Deon and Lux butt heads, but knows exactly how to handle them. She is also the one that dubs the task team "Projek Dina".
Other actors in the series include Lee-Ann van Rooi, Jana Kruger, Wilhelm van der Walt, Nadia Valvekens, Pierre van Pletzen, Jane de Wet, Zenobia Kloppers, Crystal-Donna Roberts, Christia Visser, Mila Guy, Neels van Jaarsveld, Paul du Toit, Trix Vivier, Elsabé Daneel, Illse Roos and André Roothman.
Former Hawks inverstigator Marcell van der Watt, as well as Nicky Rheeder and Bianca van Aswegen from Missing Children SA, acted as consultants for the series.
Projek Dina is inspired by true stories and was developed from the combined knowledge of Van der Watt, Rheeder and Van Aswegen.
The series is produced by Penguin Films.
TVSA Show Page: Projek Dina
Growing Up Animal
Channel: Nat Geo Wild (DStv 182 / StarSat 221)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Wildlife, Documentary Series
The intimate and extraordinary adventure of baby animals, from the safety of the womb to the uncertainty of birth and their tentative first steps.
Each episode sees the incredible transformation of a different iconic animal, full of wonder and emotion.
Growing Up Animal is the magical story of a mother's instinct to nurture and her infant's drive to survive.
In one episode, a female bear named Fern, for instance, is busy hunting enough salmon to sustain her as a pregnant mama in the hibernation months to come.
We see the bears developing in vitro, their umbilical cords pumping blood and nutrients to their bodies.
When her babies are born during the months she's hibernating, they nurse and are sustained while she continues to sleep.
Upon waking, Fern and her two cubs must go into the wild to find food and enough safe territory for the cubs to grow.
This is the theme that runs throughout these episodes: pregnancy, embryonic development, birth, growth, care, survival, and relationship.
Animals are not so different from humans after all.
The series is narrated by actress Tracee Ellis Ross.
Border Security 16
Channel: CBS Reality (DStv 132)
TX Time: 12h25
Genre: Docu-Reality
With extraordinary access to the Australian Border Force and the Biosecurity agency, this program highlights the work of officers as they protect Australia from illegal immigrants, drug smuggling and biosecurity hazards which threaten this country.
For the last decade, the cameras have been capturing the dedicated men and women as they work to keep the country safe.
Shot in many of a Australia's points of entry, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth airports, as well as Container Examination Facilities and Mail Centres, this factual series takes you on an exhilarating journey, providing an in-depth exploration of the country's border security operations.
The show captures the intensity of these environments, showcasing the officers' sharp instincts and rigorous training as they identify potential threats, intercept contraband and uncover biosecurity risk.
In the Season 16 premiere: An American couple admit to using medicinal marijuana at home in California and officers suspect they may be trying to smuggle drugs into Australia.
Zoe Bakes 2
Channel: Food Network (DStv 175)
TX Time: 16h05
Genre: Food
Zoë François bakes and cooks her favourite recipes, from easy main dishes to delicious desserts, with a little help from her friends and family.
In the Season 2 premiere, "Breakfast Basics": After walking her poodles on a chilly weekend morning, Zoë prepares a grab-and-go breakfast favourite, blueberry muffins.
She also visits a favourite café whose motto is "Simple is best and just as delicious", inspiring her to prepare a cinnamon star bread.