10-07-2025
Isibaya, Lockdown and Rockville make a comeback on DStv for nostalgia
Mzansi Magic is launching a pop-up channel to celebrate its 15-year milestone.
The pop-up channel will premiere on Saturday, 12 July and will feature themed viewing days.
The celebration will feature shows such as Isibaya, Rockville, Inkaba and Date My Family.
When Mzansi Magic launched back in July 2010, it debuted with three original shows to boost local productions. At the time, the channel was headed by film veteran Lebone Maema, who ensured that the spotlight was firmly placed on the SA entertainment industry.
The first three shows to air were: My Top 10@10, hosted by Thabo Mokwele in association with Kaya 959; Headline, hosted by the late media personality Kuli Roberts; and Redi on Mzansi, hosted by journalist Redi Tlhabi.
Since then, Mzansi Magic has grown to become a firm favourite among viewers, offering more local content with relatable stories and local languages.
Popular among them are Gomora, Isibaya, The Queen, Uthando Nes'thembu, I Blew It and Umkhokha: The Curse.
To celebrate the channel's growth and its 15-year milestone, MultiChoice is bringing back some of its iconic shows for nostalgia. This is set to be a heartfelt tribute to the shows, the personalities and the stories they told.
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DStv viewers can get ready to indulge in a trip down memory lane on a pop-up channel (channel 196), launching on Saturday, 12 July. The channel will feature Mzansi Magic's first drama, Inkaba, which premiered in 2012 and starred Dumisani Mbebe, Baby Cele, John Kani and Magic Hlatshwayo.
Another fan favourite that viewers have long been begging for is Isibaya, which first aired in 2013. The beloved series will bring back the world of the Zungus and the Ndlovus, filled with taxi wars, witchcraft, wealth and power.
Leading the cast were remarkable actors such as the late Menzi Ngubane, Siyabonga Thwala, Sdumo Mtshali, Abdul Khoza, Nomzamo Mbatha, Ayanda Borotho and Jessica Nkosi.
Ferguson Films, owned by celebrated actress, producer and businessperson Connie Ferguson and her late husband Shona, aired its first drama series, Rockville, on Mzansi Magic in 2013. The couple also co-starred in the show, which launched and boosted the acting careers of talents such as Minnie Dlamini, Tango Ncetezo, Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa and Boity Thulo.
Industry veterans Nandi Nyembe, Brenda Ngxoli, Sello Maake kaNcube and Hlomla Dandala were also part of the drama, which ran for five successful seasons. The show will also make a return on channel 196.
Shows like Lockdown and Date My Family will also be making a brief return for viewers to relive the magic.
Shirley Adonisi, the channel's director for local entertainment channels at M-Net, said Mzansi Magic was always about telling real and raw South African stories.
'This pop-up channel is our way of saying 'siyabonga Mzansi' for 15 unforgettable years. Our channel was raised by the audience and we are grateful for their commitment and we want to celebrate with them,' Adonisi said.
We're throwing it back, remembering the icons and moments that shaped us, yet still looking forward to the next chapter.
Shirley Adonisi
CEO of general entertainment Nomsa Philiso said Mzansi Magic stories evolved and resonated with people, and the channel was a platform where authenticity met ambition.
'For 15 years, Mzansi Magic has stood at the heart of South African entertainment, where themes of family, resilience and identity are brought to life through bold storytelling and unforgettable characters. From intimate, niche productions that quietly become cult favourites to large-scale, high-impact narratives that capture the national imagination, our storytelling continues to evolve and resonate,' said Philiso.
