African Couch Potato

Our first in-studio guest for 2025. In this week's offering, after chasing him for months, Gino finally gets a one on one with Ntokozo Mlaba, acclaimed film director, social activist and cultural curator of multiple artistic disciplines, and gets the lowdown on the short film The Passage . “ The Passage is not just a film. It’s a mirror, a reckoning, and a call to action,” says Ntokozo. “I wa...

As January drags through its 11½ months with the speed of a government oversight committee, the best way to get to your next payday is with some good old binging. In today's episode Gino gives us a quick throw forward to what's coming up between now and Valentine's Day. (For the guys, there goes the salary again as the prices of roses and chocolates suddenly become more expensive th...

It’s already the middle of January and we are all broke. Whatever salary we got in December was finished in December. The only thing that remains is shrivelled up carrots and half an onion in the fridge plus a packet of noodles that you and the kids will have to fight over.  A lot of us are back at work, depressingly so.  Our lack of cash, however, does mean that we have a lot of time on our hands...

Welcome to 2025! As we move into the New Year, many people are heading back to work, holidays done and time to get back to the grindstone, but fear not, for there is plenty of entertainment comimg your way in 2025. Today's episode highlights the best to look out for, broken down month by month, followed by what else is going to pop up on your screens this year. Here is the full list of 100 (b...

As 2024 rolls to a close, Gino takes a look back over the year at what we have achieved. 78 episodes down and we have grown considerably, establishing African Couch Potato as a podcast recognised on the global stage. Before we turn the lights out on the past year, we also take a look at some of the outstanding titles that came out in 2024 on our streaming services Spooksoeker Soft Life Wyfie Shaka...

Hosting the Christmas Lunch This year Gino is bravely hosting his family for the first time, with all that that entails. The preparation, the food, the drink, the decorations, the music. All potential areas of disaster. In this episode Gino tells us how he navigates that difficult path. We take a break with a "what to watch" on Netflix and Showmax, before heading back to Gino's for...

In today's episode Gino chats to Nthabiseng Mokoena via Zoom from her home after a long day on set. Her love for story telling has increased her ability to be able to interchange her role between director and producer. She is currently busy directing Soft Life on Showmax. Nthabiseng is a Wits University graduate with a BA in Drama and Film. She has huge experience in television - both as dire...

From the Emmy-winning animation of the last episode, this time Gino ventures into the world of the supernatural as he catches up with multi award-winning actor Joshwin Dyson via a Zoom call to Cape Town (voices in the ether, anyone?). 22 year-old Joshwin has been cleaning up on the awards front: in 2019 he won the KyKnet National Acting Competition, in 2022, Most Promising Actor in the Zabalaze Th...

For a second year in a row, South Africans took home the prize at the International Emmys held recently in New York. Cape Town based directors Jac Hamman and Sarah Scrimgeour won in the Kids:Animation category for their work on the BBC animated Christmas special, Tabby McTat . In 2023, the award was won by The Smeds and The Smoos , directed by Daniel Snaddon and Samantha Cutler.  In this episode G...

Nambitha Ben-Mazwi is the first South African to notch up 6 international Netflix credits; a testament to her star quality. Nambitha has been working as an actress and broadcaster since 2007. In this episode we get some insight into just what makes her such a successful performer as we join Lady Nam for her Showmax Masterclass. Nambitha’s acting career began with a notable role as Unathi Mweli in...

We all know Gino's stand on Tyler Perry, so you're maybe asking yourself WTF is going on with Beauty in Black? In this episode Gino gets into just what is happening with his latest TV offering. Oh the allure of the strip club! Are awards worth it, what do they actually mean? And what about the award ceremonies? The local Promax Awards get's its own special review with a swipe at the...

Many of you out there are under the not unreasonable impression that Gino does nothing but sit and watch TV all day. This is not true, he also does actually do some work and in fact has just got back from a production shoot at the coast for an upcoming reality show.  From pitch to production, concept to completion, Gino takes you through the whirlwind that is marketing reality shows for a major br...

" Hi I'm Magpie, like the bird..." says a distorted voice through a small hole in a wall. A wall in Arkham, the Batman world's infamous mental hospital. Why do you care? Because this voice is not your average American actress but that of our very own Marié Botha.    In a link up to New York, Gino gets to chat to Pretoria born actress Marié Botha who plays “Magpie” in The Pengui...

Kelsey Egan is a multi-SAFTA nominated, American-South African writer, director and performer. She joins us all the way from London via Zoom and Gino got to talk about her latest work, the action sci-fi horror The Fix, which premieres on Showmax this Halloween.  Kelsey grew up in Wisconsin, USA, where she learned to ride horses and value good weather. She graduated from college in 2005 with Genera...

Social Media - for some a way of life, while for others, an uphill struggle to keep up with the constantly changing digital platforms. What to post, when to post it. What is SEO? Do I need it? How do I keep up? That's when you need a social media manager.  This week finds Gino chatting to Tanya Maswaure, assistant lecturer at Gino's old alma mater, Rhodes University, about studying Multi...

Finally, there is something to watch on the world’s biggest streamer! In this episode Gino tells it like it is about 5 surefire watch or don't watch titles on Netflix, plus a number of others that he has only started watching (so, a bit early to rate). The Menedez Brothers - In 1996, the Menendez brothers faced trial for killing their parents, a case that captivated America. Years later, they...

Shakespeare wrote "All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players", and we were lucky enough to get one of them for this episode. Gino spends time with actor, musician and dancer Anelisa Phewa, talking Shakespeare, philosophy and of course the gripping legal drama Law, Love & Betrayal , now streaming on Showmax. In Law, Love & Betrayal, Anelisa, known for his p...

In S2 Episode 7, we reviewed what was new on Africa’s biggest streamer, Showmax. In S2 Episode 11, we checked out what NOT to watch on the world’s biggest streamer, Netflix. And, in this episode, Gino gives you the lowdown on what's on the world’s most ignored streaming platform, Disney.  Free Guy - When Guy, a bank teller, learns that he is a non-player character in a bloodthirsty, open-worl...

In this episode Gino (a past SAFTA Winner) takes a look at some of this year's nominees from the local film and television industry’s most prestigious event: the South African Film and Television Awards. Here are the categories covered, you have to listen to find out who the nominees are. 1. Best Achievement in Sound - Documentary    Best Achievement in Editing - Documentary     Best Achievem...

Nothing on Netflix? - No, actually there's lots, but is it always worth it. In this episode Gino takes a trawl through what's good and what really isn't.   Madame Web - Cassandra Webb is a New York metropolis paramedic who begins to demonstrate signs of clairvoyance. Wang In There, Baby! - Phil Wang riffs on reheated rice, octopus intelligence and the importance of fact-checking in...

A new platform is in town and we want to know all about it. freevision provides an all-in-one streaming experience of current affairs, entertainment, sports, info-and-edutainment, live! and on demand. Keep up with your favourite tv channels and tune in to your loved radio stations from any internet enabled device at no subscription cost, no decoder and with no hassle. In this episode, Gino chats t...

Back on your screens in a big way is Vuyo Dabula, as Saul in The Butcher's Soul now on Showmax and Gino had the chance to catch up with the model-turned-actor. Vuyo had been off the scene for a while after being shot in 2022, but now he is back. He is most famous for his role of Kumkani Phakade in the SA soapie, Generations . Vuyo also appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and he played...

It being Women's month here in SA, Gino has been chatting to various ladies; this week it is the turn of Beáta Bena Green. Beáta is a South African actress, model, and entrepreneur. She was crowned Miss Teen South African 2013 but she is best known for playing Shady in the award winning South African Soapie, 7de Laan , Sienna in the international production, Deep State, and Kim Claasen in Kyk...

In this week's episode, Gino's bad knee forces him onto the couch where he gives you a run down of what shows and movies have just landed on Africa's biggest streamer. 016FM To save their community radio station from closing, two polar opposite DJs prepare to compete in a radical, live on-air program battle - unaware that a syndicate has infiltrated the station. The Butcher's S...

Staying with True Crime, this episode finds Gino chatting via Zoom to True Crime South Africa 's creator and host Nicole Engelbrecht. Nicole's podcast delves into South African true crime cases, both solved and unsolved. She meticulously researches each case using media coverage, trial footage, social media sources, and often interviews individuals involved. Her work aims to bring awaren...