Kwa Baba
Channel: Mzansi Magic (DStv 161)
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Telenovela
A telenovela rooted in themes around tradition and passion which follows the story of how far one son is willing to go when love is tested by family expectations, traditions and dealing with the weight of the past.
Set in Msawawa, Diepkloof Ext, the story follows a first born son who must step into leadership, confront his past and honour the legacy left by his father.
As he learns to love, build a family and lead with courage, he must also take on his role as Inkosana.
At the centre of the story is Zwelakhe Mkhize (played by Vuyo Biyela), a young, driven businessman who is on the brink of success and ready to settle down with his chosen woman, Bahumi Motaung (Rorisang Mohapi).
However, he quickly discovers that before taking that next step, he must deal with a past traditional obligation tied to his late father's unpaid debt.
For Zwelakhe, living in a world where love is never enough, he is forced to confront a truth that could either restore or destroy his family, leading to the question: how much can one sacrifice for the people they love?
Then there is MaMbokazi (Hlengiwe Lushaba-Madlala), Zwelakhe's mother, a respected, faith-led matriarch with a complicated past, fighting to keep her family and her reputation intact.
Dealing with long-buried pain are the Motaung family who represent love and stability, but with some hidden truths.
Devoted patriarch Solomon Motaung (Mpho Joseph Molepo) has built a warm and nurturing home with his wife Dikeledi (Helen Lebepe), a fiercely protective mother shaped by past heartbreak.
The telenovela also stars Lindani Nkosi as Dumisani, Nkanyiso Mzimela as Musa, Kwanele Mthethwa as Khethiwe, Sparky Xulu as Mhlaba and Phumzile Mlangeni as Zandile.
Main Characters
Zwelakhe Mkhize
Played by Vuyo Biyela
The firstborn son of the late Bab'Mkhize, Zwelakhe worshipped the ground his father walked on.
A hard worker and a big dreamer, his dream is to build the Mkhize empire and leave a legacy for his family.
Bahumi Motaung
Played by Rorisang Mohapi-Grootboom
Bahumi is a confident and self-assured young woman. She is kind and beautiful, and sees the best in everyone.
Bahumi wants a man who can love and see her for who she really is. She is the first-born daughter of Solomon and Dikeledi Motaung.
Slindile "MaMbokazi" Mkhize
Played by Hlengiwe Lushaba-Madlala
The flawed matriarch is a redeemed woman and a fully-fledged umama womthandazo, who has taken so many wrong turns in the past.
She's an important member of the community and is well respected. She leads the church women's guild and is seen as the mother of the nation.
MaMbokazi is also mother to Zwelakhe, Musa and Khethiwe and lost her husband a while back.
Khethiwe Mkhize-Khumalo
Played by Kwanele Mthethwa
Khethiwe is the middle child and only daughter to MaMbokazi. Her mother has always been overprotective with her and raised her like a princess.
She adores Zwelakhe and looks up to him. She is married to her brother Zwelakhe's best friend.
Musa Mkhize
Played by Nkanyiso Mzimela
The second born son of MaMbokazi, Musa has demons that pull him down the wrong path occasionally and his brother Zwelakhe tries to steer him back in the right path.
Musa feels that his late father cared more for Zwelakhe and feels rejected by a man who was always away, living his life in a truck.
He is also a ladies' man and is a father of two.
Solomon Motaung
Played by Mpho Joseph Molepo
A loving father who married Mme Dikeledi. He is a girl dad with three daughters: Bahumi, Dinana and Tsholo.
His daughters are his world and he lives for them. And after so many years, he treats his wife like a queen and teaches his children what love really looks like.
Dikeledi Motaung
Played by Helen Lebepe
She is the Motaung matriarch who guards her nest like a hawk.
Before she met Solomon, she went through so much heartbreak and would do anything to protect her daughters.
Dumisani Mkhize
Played by Lindani Nkosi
Dumisani is a tyrant with an explosive temper and harbours resentment that his life didn't turn out the way he wanted.
He is Zwelakhe, Musa and Khethiwe's uncle, and father to Mhlaba and Nhlanhla.
Dumisani has a grudge against Zwelakhe for being seen as the leader of the Mkhize clan. How far will he go to prove that he is the leader of the family?
Zandile Mkhize
Played by Phumzile Mlangeni
Married to Dumisani, she plays her role of a supportive wife and holds her husband in high regard.
She believes her sons Mhlaba and Nhlanhla can surpass Zwelakhe's success and despises that MaMbokazi does not see her as an equal.
Mhlaba Mkhize
Played by Sparky Xulu
Mhlaba is the first-born son to Dumisani and Zandile Mkhize. He is stubborn to a fault, but he always puts family first.
A doting husband and father, he struggles to live up to the Mkhize household expectations.
Kwa Baba is produced by Singa Vision Productions.
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TVSA Show Page: Kwa Baba
Mother of All
Channel: e.tv
TX Time: 21h30
Genre: Drama
Drama series which revolves around an ex-cop who survives a 10-year prison sentence and resolves to walk the straight and narrow, only to be forced to be ruthless when her daughter is framed for murder by a local gangster.
She raises an all-women army of ex-convicts to save her daughter, but they find themselves in an endless battle with the gang as bodies pile up – a cure potentially worse than the disease.
Ex-cop Nolwazi "Nono" Mathebula (Zenande Mfenyana) walks out of prison resolving to be an exemplary daughter to her religious mother.
She is also determined to be an amazing mother to her celebrity daughter and become a model citizen through gainful employment.
Even when both her mother and daughter reject her, and the South African job market proves to be just as unforgiving, Nono remains steadfast in her resolutions.
But when a local gangster slits her daughter's married boyfriend's throat and makes sure her daughter's fingerprints are on the murder weapon to blackmail her into submission, Nono has no choice but to be as ruthless as she was in prison.
This ex-cop survived a 10-year sentence amongst dangerous inmates intent to kill her every night, because only killer whales can survive shark-infested waters.
Now, a side of Nono that she hoped her mother and daughter would never see is about to be revealed.
To save her daughter, Nono raises an all-women army of ex-convicts, all rejected by their respective families, and all searching for redemption.
When the local gangster proves to be the ground floor of a skyscraper, Nono and her posse find themselves in an endless battle, piling bodies on every floor - a cure potentially worse than the disease.
Mother of All is an eVOD Original.
TVSA Show Page: Mother of All
Hardcore Pawn 3
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 18h10
Genre: Reality
Hardcore Pawn takes you behind the scenes at American Jewelry and Loan in Detroit.
As customers bring in everything from alligators to prosthetic limbs, each pawn ticket has a story, and there are more than 45,000 stories in the warehouse.
At the centre of American Jewelry and Loan are owner Les Gold and his staff, including his son, Seth; his daughter, Ashley; and his trusted manager, Rich.
Together, they have to be ready to deal with the unexpected and the often unbelievable.
As each episode of this series reveals, haggling over a price can quickly escalate into an all-out conflict.
In the Season 3 premiere, "Hot Rods, Raging Tempers": Les is tempted by a vintage Hot Rod with a high price.
Then, when a customer tries to sell his dead wife's diamond ring, the Golds surprise him by turning the item into a priceless pendant.
And later, Ashley butts in on a heated negotiation sending Les through the roof.
Feeling betrayed and hurt, she confronts Les in the back room and tears quickly turn into a full-out family feud.
The Contenders 2
Channel: eReality (Openview 108)
TX Time: 17h00
Genre: Documentary Series, Sport
The ultimate guide for the 2026 World Cup, previewing all the competing teams, players and developments as North America unites to stage sport's biggest event of 2026.
In the Season 2 premiere, "Julian Alvarez": Tunisia did not concede a goal during qualifying, Julian Alvarez is ready to lead the changing of the guard for Argentina, and we salute two World Cup master tacticians.
Great Continental Railway Journeys 8
Channel: BBC Earth (DStv 184)
TX Time: 17h15
Genre: Travel
Michael Portillo explores Europe's most beautiful, historic and enchanting regions by rail, uncovering how nature and history have shaped the continent.
In Season 8, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Normandy and Brittany are his destinations.
From the Alps to the Adriatic, the Atlantic to the Baltic, Michael uncovers how geography and history have shaped life in some of Europe's most enchanting settings.
In the Season 8 premiere, "Pula to Pazin": Michael begins a journey across the Balkan countries of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Armed with shield and sword and weighed down by a heavy helmet, he mounts a valiant defence against fierce latter-day Roman gladiators in the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre at Pula on Croatia's Istrian peninsula.
He also:
- assumes the duties of stationmaster at Vodnjan,
- explores an organic olive farm at Chiavalon,
- and rides in the presidential Cadillac to the summer residence of Marshal Josip Tito, the communist president of Yugoslavia until his death in 1980.
He finishes this leg of his journey in the town of Buzet, where he discovers some beautifully preserved 15th-century frescoes in a tiny church.
The priest explains how they depict the dance of death.
Heartland Docs, DVM 5
Channel: Nat Geo Wild (DStv 182 / StarSat 221)
TX Time: 18h00
Genre: Docu-Reality, Wildlife
In Hartington, Nebraska, Drs. Ben and Erin Schroeder put thousands upon thousands of miles on their truck as they crisscross America's Heartland, employing their expertise to treat all creatures great and small.
From furry pets at the clinic to herds of cattle by the hundreds, few vets have the skill and heart to take on the unique challenges that come their way every day.
Whether they are up against intense summer heat, bitter cold, white-out blizzards or impassable roads, the Schroeders will do whatever is necessary to treat animals in distress.
This includes opening their clinic on the weekends with the help of their sons Chase and Charlie and making farm calls in the middle of the frigid night.
The Schroeders' dedication to their hometown, and the animals that are a part of it, is what makes them invaluable members of their local community.
In the Season 5 premiere, "Moovin' Out": Doctors Ben and Erin prepare to say goodbye to their college-bound son Charlie the Schroeder way: by having him chase down a flighty mini horse.
Death in Paradise 15
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Murders and mojitos. Fresh off the plane, a British detective joins the police force on the luscious Caribbean island of Saint Marie.
Selwyn's return to Saint Marie is disrupted by a suspicious death at Government House, where a man has fallen from the roof.
It looks like a suicide, but DI Mervin Wilson suspects foul play.
However, no one was on the roof with the victim when he fell, and he had locked the roof door behind him.
So, if this man was pushed, how did it happen?
Meanwhile, Mervin is anxious to finally meet his half-brother Solomon, the other son of the mother Mervin never knew.
Granted, the pair have never met before, but family's family.
Surely they'll get on like a house on fire?
Lobola Lama 2000
Channel: Mzansi Magic (DStv 161)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Miniseries, Comedy-Drama
After running into issues with his uncles, a Gen Z accountant is left with no choice but to send his friends to represent him in his lobola negotiations.
Kgosi (played by Khensani Chauke) is ready to marry the love of his life Lindelwa (Nolwazi Tsebesha).
Her family has spent days preparing for the lobola negotiations, but things get flipped when everything falls apart - the lobola delegation of omalume cannot make it on time.
This forces Kgosi to come up with creative contingencies which could be a solution or the worst idea ever - roping in his young and inexperienced friends to save his future nuptial plans as lobola negotiators or destroy them completely.
uMbali 2
Channel: e.tv
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Drama
With her sugar daddy Robert in jail and facing financial ruin, Mbali is kicked out of the plush mansion and plunged back into desperate poverty, where she must move back home and live with her mother and conceited sister.
Unbeknownst to Mbali, Robert's hostile wife Mpho plots revenge by getting Mbali's dangerous and angry thug boyfriend Siya out jail, hoping to weaponise his anger.
When it looks like Mbali's enemies are meeting to destroy her, she has a chance meeting with Cyril, an ailing billionaire and they strike up a relationship that threatens Cyril's heirs and creates new enemies for Mbali with deadly consequences.
In the Season 2 premiere, "Scratch My Back": Mbali is forced to go home, but Phindile takes her revenge.
She visits Siya (Austin Shandu) and tells him what Mbali's been up to.
Also, Phumla (Diana Maseko) accepts Peter's (Tiisetso Thoka) lifeline.
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uMbali 2 Teasers - June 2026
TVSA Show Page: uMbali 2
Egypt's Unexplained Files
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 19h25
Genre: Documentary Series, Science, Technology, History
Despite being one of the most studied civilizations, rich in history, culture, science and art, much of Ancient Egypt remains a great mystery.
Many modern-day customs and technologies have their roots in Ancient Egypt, yet the details about their way of life remain a mystery.
In Egypt's Unexplained Files, experts dive deep into the secrets of Ancient Egypt, and use cutting-edge archaeological technology to reveal the hidden truths that could potentially answer questions that have befuddled Egyptologists for generations.
The premiere episode tells the story of the Great Pyramid at Giza and examines the image of Egypt's most famous Queen, Cleopatra, and how experts are literally recreating what she may have looked like using the latest technology.
The episode also investigates the legend of the controversial Pharaoh, Akhenaten, and whether the glorious Utopia that he built was not what it seemed.
Other episodes explore:
The mysteries behind the Ancient Egyptians' obsession with death and the afterlife and unearths new evidence that exposes the complex job of embalming mummies;
The mysteries of Ancient Egypt's Elite, including how Ramesses II battles a biblical drought, searches for the lost tomb of Imhotep, and looks to find out who was Ancient Egypt's first female pharaoh;
The science that is revealing new insights into belief and superstition in the land of the Pharaohs, from finding the long lost 'Land of Punt' to solving the mystery of the Curse of King Tutankhamun;
The brainpower behind ancient Egypt's revolutionary breakthroughs in varied fields, from medicine to engineering.
Examining their colossal cities, their artistic masterpieces and their surgical procedures, this was a culture whose breakthroughs have helped shape the modern world.
The truth and lies behind ancient Egypt's best known and loved icons, including the Great Sphinx, Tutankhamun or the lost city of Tanis.
Guy's Grocery Games 13
Channel: eReality (Openview 108)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Reality Competition, Food
The GGG games return, and this time it's up to former Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives champion chefs to compete in Flavortown as the new season launches with a Triple-D Tournament.
Which chef can conquer the unique set of culinary challenges set for them by host Guy Fieri?
After five exciting rounds of DDD face-offs, the challenges turn sweet with a chocolate competition.
Guy then tightens the purse strings for a budget bonanza that sees chefs struggling to create winning breakfasts, lunches and dinners for four on a budget of only $60.
With the triple G crown – and a $20,000 prize – on the line, who will emerge a winner?
In the Season 13 premiere, "Grocery Grudge Match": Returning chefs get ready to take on their former rivals in three grudge matches.
In the first match, two chefs who were originally forced to team up go head to head in a challenge using only ingredients that start with the same letter.