Giants: A story of faith, family and football

Mail & Guardian

a day ago

Olisa Ndah and Thabiso Sesane discuss the struggles of injuries. Photos: Supplied
In the fairy tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, a poor boy trades his family's cow for magical beans that sprout into the heavens and into the realm of giants. Many lessons can be taken from the story but one that stands out is that of faith and family.
The belief that magical beans can grow and uproot your family from suffering can be seen as whimsical and as far-fetched as the dream of making it as a professional footballer or, if you're a fan, that your team will march to victory.
Yet somehow this classic fairy tale beautifully parallels the football story told in the upcoming sports docuseries, Giants.
The latest in the roster of SuperSport Originals, Giants is produced in collaboration with the award-winning film company T+W to tell a story about faith, family and football.
In the five-part series scheduled for a five-season run, South African football teams will grant T+W exclusive access to document their league and cup campaigns.
Season 1 sees the production house and broadcaster lay bare the heart and soul of Orlando Pirates' 2024‑25 season in a raw and emotional narrative.
For Giants, think Netflix's Drive to Survive but for iDiski Times website. For the non-sporting people, imagine the American NBC comedy The Office but in the high-pressure, high-performance and unscripted world of football.
Yes, you get a laugh here and there, but ultimately on Giants you are seeing the most human aspect of athletes who, with their gladiatorial frame, often seem infallible. You don't see athletes, you see humans.
'Audiences today want more than match highlights — they want depth, emotion, context and humanity,' says series director Luthando Tshaya.
Director Luthando Tshaya
'With Giants, we aimed to shift the focus beyond the pitch. This documentary has to shine a brighter light on the players themselves, their personal journeys, the communities and families they come from. This was about capturing not just football, but life.'
'You connect with them and connect with their families; you start praying the same prayers as their moms,' adds executive producer Siyanda Manzini.
Bringing this behemoth of a production to life required self-sacrifice and dedication, meaning the team behind the scenes had to fall in love with telling a story of humanity through the lens of football.
'We captured everything from early-morning gym sessions and emotional family moments to high-stakes match days and tactical decisions behind closed doors,' says Manzini. 'It was about trust. And once we earned that trust, we unlocked gold.'
Trust was a vital cog in carving this viewing experience.
Imagine having a camera on you during that unnecessary Teams call for a presentation you're not prepared for at work.
That level of vulnerability is no laughing matter.
Equally daunting yet therapeutic for Lebo Lepasa, the sister of Orlando Pirates' striker Zakhele Lepasa, was opening up to the world.
'For me it was emotional, eye-opening and strangely healing. Sharing personal parts of our lives felt daunting at first but the crew created a space that was respectful and supportive. And it also made me appreciate just how powerful storytelling can be,' she says.
Tshaya describes the production as telling a story of 'faith beyond football', something Lepasa connects with deeply. As she sits in the stands or fiercely grips the nearest cushion on her couch at home, it's faith that fuels her support of her brother.
'Faith for us has really kept us anchored. It's what has carried us through the pressures, the wins, losses and criticisms of the fans. We kept reminding ourselves that the journey is bigger than football. It's about the purpose, discipline and the legacy,' she says.
Similarly, Phumzile Mbatha, the mother of Ezamagebula midfielder Thalente Mbatha, describes herself as shy, but she grew to enjoy the process of filming and the opportunity it gave her to reminisce about raising her son.
But being the support system to a player of one of South Africa's biggest clubs is not easy.
Pirates coach Helmi Gueldich appears in the football doccie Giants
'It's very challenging because Pirates is a very big team. Since joining Pirates from a smaller team, the biggest challenge is social media,' Mam'Mbatha says.
'People don't understand and don't choose their words wisely. People don't respect the feelings of other people and forget that the players are also human. That is what hurts my feelings, but it's a part of the game.'
Mam' Mbatha's resolution of criticism being a part of the game translates into a mental fortitude that her son exhibits in a diary entry that features on Giants.
'There's going to be a lot of critics [but] 'ikhonkotha ehambayo (dogs bark at moving vehicle).'
The anecdote is something that keeps the Orlando Pirates No 16 motivated and focused.
'If I wasn't playing, it means you wouldn't be talking. So ikhonkotha ehambayo,' he says.
The sporting and cultural weight of Orlando Pirates for South Africa is immeasurable, so the microscopic lens on all details of the club is to be expected.
Manzini spoke of the challenge of 'matching the rhythm' of a club she described as 'intsika' (pillar) of black excellence and township pride.
Tshaya 'felt the time was right to document what it truly means to wear the black and white jersey, to chase greatness, and to carry the hopes of millions'.
But for co-series director Wani Rantloane, Giants goes even deeper.
'What you will learn about Pirates when you watch Giants is that it's very rooted in family and growing communities. It's a club that is run by a family that instils family values.'
Rantloane and her co-creators are proud to archive South African football history, to showcase football as a place of joy and, in her words, 'immortalising greatness' through Giants.
'To become a giant, it's not just about being a talented footballer. It also comes with integrity, dealing with failures and challenges,' Rantloane adds.
'If we can start creating relatable and strong role models for our kids, it's going to mould how our society is built.
'People see the player but not the phone calls after a tough game and the prayers before every match. I hope people see the love, the resilience and the deep emotional labour that comes with being their [the players'] support system,' Lepasa says.
With the first episode on Sunday, 27 July, on Mzansi Magic, SuperSport and Showmax Premier League, Giants promises to be a beautiful family watch with tonnes of thrills and frills to cultivate lessons and, of course, drama. Brace yourself.
'Expect the truth. Not a scripted gloss-over, but the raw, layered truth of what it means to be a giant,' says Manzini.
Giants is meticulously structured to capture key turning points and spotlight different layers of what makes this club iconic.
Season 1 cinematically archives the trials, tribulations and triumphs of people who happen to play professional football. It is equally a memorable cinematic experience as it is a reflection of society.
It's sure to make that keyboard hater think twice before slandering Mam'Mbatha's son and Lepasa's brother. Though the outcomes of the story are well known to the public, the jeopardy is not lost because skilful storytelling immerses the audience in a recent past that feels like a lucid present.
'Each [episode] has its own heart and rhythm,' says Manzini. 'From the silent struggles to the loud celebrations, every episode brings something distinct, but connected by one powerful thread: legacy.'
Tshaya adds: 'You'll see the stories that humanise the badge. Whether you're a die-hard fan or newcomer to South African football, there's something universal in the story.'
So whether you choose to see it to decipher whether former coach José Ribeiro is a Michael Scott kind of leader or a Jay Pritchett one, whether you leave your couch having adopted the faith Jack had in his magical beans to help his family, you're sure to scale the heights of a deeply humanising journey and sit among giants.