African Couch Potato

In this episode Gino continues with our link to Showmax's Catch Me A Killer , as he chats to the hit show's Production Designer, Warren Gray. Born in Cape Town, Warren earned a bursary while studying industrial design and qualified in 2000 at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He has since won multiple awards and was accepted into the British Film Designers Guild in 2023. He has ac...

Many of us have heard of Art Therapy; using art to work through problems and issues, but how many of you know about Drama Therapy? In this episode Gino talks to Minenhle Msane who is busy studying for her Honours in Drama Therapy. The use of theatrical techniques to promote healing, foster change, and develop personal growth has been around since the 60s but has only recently been acknowledged. It...

Happy birthday to us, Happy birthday to us, Happy birthday African Couch Potato - the Mash-Up, Happy birthday to us. A year of lessons and laughing. A look back on the year that was and a look forward to the future. We also celebrate our very first nomination, and it's from across the continent. Our first nomination - we are finalists in the African Podcast and Voice Awards so please vote for...

This week's episode finds Gino sitting down with an actress who has gone through more roles than Connie Ferguson. Born of a Zulu mother and an Italian father in 1993, she was raised by her mother, who instilled in her a strong sense of self-worth and resilience. Angela Sithole has certainly made her mark on the South African film and TV landscape. She currently stars as Winnie Bhodoza in the...

Welcome to African Couch Potato season 2. In this episode Gino goes full fanboy as he gets the chance to chat to Dr Micki Pistorius, advisor for the TV adaptation of her autobiographical Catch Me a Killer . This hit true crime TV series is based on cases worked on by Micki in the 1990s in her role as forensic psychologist and South Africa's first police profiler. It stars British actress Char...

In 2021 the MultiChoice Talent Factory South Africa Scriptwriting Incubator hosted 12 interns who would be mentored by Tshedza Pictures in association with the Wits University Film & Television Department and included practical workplace experience over the course of 12 months, with a mixture of virtual and physical sessions.  One of those interns was Khanyani Luhlongwane, and this week Gino s...

In this episode Gino takes on the role of job interviewer with AFDA graduate Ofentse Mojapelo in the hot seat.   Ofentse studied Motion Picture Medium (Television Production) at AFDA from 2016, majoring in TV Directing, Writing & Producing, graduating in 2019.  Taking a break from television production, she completed her Bachelor of Laws degree before taking up a position at Red Pepper as a te...

  Dave Levinsohn's on-the-spot skills often make it look like he’s making it up as he goes... that’s because he is!    This week Gino has a front row seat with one of SA's top comedians. Find out how far Dave will go, why he likes it when people don't laugh and how not to introduce him at your braai.  This popular and original comedian has been honing his skills as the host at the C...

Award winning broadcaster and creative momtrepreneur Lebang Kgosana joins us this week for some insight into her 15 years of experience in the media and  entertainment industries. With a degree in Marketing and Communications, followed by her training at the YFM Academy, Lebang’s expertise includes advertising, broadcasting, and events management. Lebang began her career at the Creative Counsel wh...

We take a break from in-studio guests to have a look at Showmax. This is what to check out on Africa’s biggest streamer. Chasing the Sun 2 The Springbok journey to the Rugby World Cup final 2023. Empini Set against the backdrop of the dangerous private security industry, Empini is a high-stakes drama that follows Ndoni Themba, a deeply troubled private security bodyguard on a quest for answers. Th...

In today's episode we reach new heights when Gino gets the opportunity for a one on one with the legendary Mandlankayise Walter Dube. Director, producer, co-screenwriter, Mandla (to his friends) is a writer and award-winning South African cinematographer. His diverse work includes documentaries, shorts, theatre and feature films. Mandla’s work in feature films includes Tsotsi , The Italian Jo...

 Ever wondered who takes the leap off a building or crashes cars in movies while the stars take the credit? That’s the work of a stuntman.  Special effects teams, directors, and cameramen all rely on the expertise of stuntmen to realize their creative ambitions. This collaboration creates the pulse-pounding moments that keep audiences on the edge of their seats.  In this episode Gino gets an insig...

When you are watching stuff on the screen, big or small, there is one thing that tells you where you should be emotionally; tells you whether you should be sad, or happy, or terrrified. That is the score, the music that takes you on the emotional journey that you are watching. Today Gino finds out more about what goes into scoring music for television and film as he chats to  Modiakgotla Keatile S...

We recently received a VIP invite to a preview screening of local movie Just Now Jeffrey . On the back of that, Gino now has the chance to chat to Brett Morris, co-director and co-writer of this coming of age South African comedy. Brett has had a long career as a creative in the advertising world, ranked in the top 5 by his peers. He is a published fiction, non-fiction and feature film script writ...

On Spring Day, 1 September 2023 SABC TV Licences launched the Win A Holiday Experience competition campaign in an effort to encourage South African customers to pay (or renew) their TV Licences. For their efforts, customers would be rewarded with weekly prizes such as smart TVs, Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones and laptops. This was done by a random selection automated by a dedicated micros...

Former minister of Arts and Culture, Pallo Jordan, once called today's guest "a South African writer to look out for". Palesa Mazamisa is a published playwright, author and producer. Before entering the world of theatre and film, she worked in the publishing industry and has touched on journalism while remaining a human rights and gender activist. Palesa spent her childhood in The N...

"This time around Gino hooks up with the producer of Netflix's Inkabi - who also happens to be an old school colleague, in the person of Princess Zinzi Mhlongo; both of them hailing from eMalahleni, Witbank in Mpumalanga. Her professional theatre directing debut was a production of And the Girls in Their Sunday Dresses presented at festivals in the UK.  In 2010 she was selected to be one...

Three lucky kids from Thokoza will soon be winging their way to Portugal to represent South Africa as part of the CinemaTAKE filmmaking project. This week's episode finds Gino chatting to Emilie Demon and Mpumi Mcata (BLK JKS) from Cinema TAKE, an association born out of the friendship of film lover Emilie Demon and Muriel Huet, a presenter at the BFI (British Film Institute), among many othe...

This week Gino dives into the world of Post-Production, where all the component parts of a film or television programme are pulled together and given that extra polish that makes then stand out on our screens.  To get more insight, Gino is chatting with Johnny Nkgapele. Having graduated at the University of Witwatersrand, Johnny wasted no time getting into the South African Film Industry. He start...

Love it or hate it, there is no denying that reality TV has changed the face of popular viewing. In this week's episode, Gino chats to Portia Hlubi, the founder of @Milk and Honey TV - a Black - Female Creative Agency that has crafted a spectacular reputation for itself on Africa’s TV landscape. Portia began her career as a commissioning editor but has really established her career with her i...

37 episodes down the line and it is now a good time to catch up with the latest news about the raft of guests we have featured over the last 8 months. We have also included the link for each guest's episode, so you can easily refresh your memory as to what was going down back then. Guests: Sparky Xulu - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2220442/episodes/13356214 Jefferson Tshabalala - https://www.bu...

With 2024 well and truly established, it is time for a quick look at what's been happening on our own proudly South African doorstep. Gino casts his eye over 15 local productions from this year that have hit our screens. We've also added a Noteworthy section of an additional 5 titles (not all local) that are worth a look. Youngins - Showmax Red Ink - Showmax A Soweto Love Story - Netflix...

As part of our ongoing journey through all aspects of Film, TV, Theatre and many other forms of media, Gino sits down with multi-award-winning production designer Karabo Legoabe. Karabo has a Naledi Award, an Independent Theatre Award and was listed as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian in 2021. She studied drama at the National School of Arts then received her Bachelor...

Today, Gino chats to Kari Sekati, co-founder of Stage Fabrics, supplying wardrobe and styling to both individuals and the TV and Film industries. From single day shoots for an ad to months spent on the set of a feature film, it all seems a far cry from Kari's background of business management and property investment. Kicking off in 2017, Stage Fabrics was built on a friendship through school...

In this episode Gino relates the ups and downs of having a few days off in Dubai. With useful tips on where to shop, how to save money and the best way to get about, this episode is your one-stop advice shop.   Established in the 18th century as a small fishing village, Dubai grew into a regional trading hub in the early 20th century and grew rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries with...