African Couch Potato

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Today's episode lists Gino's top 50 South African films you have probably never heard of. Time to explore the incredible variety of home grown productions that are well worth watching.
Here they are in no particular order:
1. Mia and the White Lion (2018)
2. Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015)
3. The Color of Friendship (2000)
4. Poena is Koning (2007)
5. Storm Riders: The Story of Racheltjie De Beer (2019)
6. Flatland (2019)
7. 204: Getting Away With Murder (2014)
8. Max and Mona (2004)
9. Stander (2003)
10. 10 Days in Sun City (2017)
11. Fiela se Kind (1988)
12. Yankee Zulu (1993)
13. Forever Young, Forever Free (1975)
14. Van der Merwe (2017)
15. Running Riot (2006)
16. Alison (2016)
17. High Fantasy (2017)
18. Call Me Thief (2016)
19. Dis Ek, Anna (2015)
20. Frank and Fearless (2018)
21. The Windmill (2014)
22. Die Stropers / The Harvesters (2019)
23. Poppie Nongena (2019)
24. Die Pro / The Pro (2015)
25. Wonderlus (2017)
26. Elelwani (2012)
27. Recipes for Love and Murder (2022)
28. Slumber Party Massacre (2021)
29. Space Mutiny (1988)
30. Triggered (2020)
31. The World Unseen (2007)
32. The Naked Prey (1965)
33. Projek Dina (2020)
34. Hunting Emma (2017)
35. Revelation Road (2023)
36. Girl From Nowhere (2017)
37. Sleeper’s Wake (2012)
38. Kampvuur (2023)
39. Death of a Whistleblower (2023)
40. The Day We Didn’t Meet (2021)
41. Unsex Me (2018)
42. Donkerbos (2022)
43. Hand Off (2019)
44. You’re Next (2023)
45. Shark Attack 2 (2000)
46. A Good Man in Africa (1994)
47. Hell Trip (2018)
48. This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (2019)
49. Model (2020)
50. Shepherds and Butchers (2016)

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
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https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)
Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]
Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
© SANTE MEDIA 2025

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Gino gets to chat to one of his childhood heros in the shape of Jack Devnarain.
Jack studied Drama while completing his Law degree at the University of KZN, Durban. He joined the Police Force after completing his studies and spent 10 years as a cop, while continuing to accept acting commissions, as and when his schedule allowed.
In 2002 his second career, as an actor, took off and he had to make a tough choice. Happily for his thousands of fans, Jack left the police force and joined the cast of South Africa’s much loved daily soap Isidingo. Since then, Jack Devnarain has become one of South Africa’s most popular and successful film characters, both on the small screen and in international movies.
As chairman of The South African Guild of Actors, Jack champions enhancing actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits, and he has become a strong voice on behalf of artists’ rights.
If you want more info on SAGA click/tap the link below
SA Guild of Actors – A Powerful Unified Voice for Actors Rights

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
twitter.com/africancouchpot
[email protected]

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)
Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]
Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
© SANTE MEDIA 2025

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Nolwazi Shange is an actress who is equally comfortable both in front of
the camera as talent, as well as behind it as a casting director. Gino chats to
her about the fulfilment of both roles.
She played the role of “Nandi” on Outlaws which is currently
streaming on Showmax. You may have also seen her in
Scandal! on eTV, in Mzali Wami on Showmax as well as in
Intersexions: A Place Called Home, and in one of Gino's favourite films,
Otelo Burning which came out in 2011.
Nolwazi also talks about handling guns on set as well as letting us know her opinion on social media and going out in your gown. Don't do that!

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
twitter.com/africancouchpot
[email protected]

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)
Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]
Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
© SANTE MEDIA 2025

What do you think? let us know

Today's episode counts down GIno's top 5 shows for the week on all video streaming platforms.
Netflix:

1. Nowhere - A young pregnant woman named Mia escapes from a country at war by hiding in a maritime container aboard a cargo ship. After a violent storm, Mia gives birth to the child while lost at sea, where she must fight to survive.
2. Beckham - With never-before-seen footage, this docuseries follows David Beckham's meteoric rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom.
3. Fair Play - An unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a young couple's relationship to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement.
4. Sex Education - Season 4 of this hit comedy drama.
5. Big Vape - The Rise and Fall of Juul - In this docuseries, a scrappy electronic cigarette startup becomes a multibillion-dollar company until an epidemic causes its success to go up in smoke.

Apple TV+:

1. Calls - Told through a series of interconnected phone conversations, it chronicles the mysterious story of a group of strangers whose lives are thrown into disarray in the lead-up to an apocalyptic event.
2. The Afterparty - When a high school reunion's afterparty ends in a death, everyone is a suspect. A detective grills the former classmates one by one, uncovering potential motives as each tells their version of the story - culminating in the shocking truth.
3. Platonic - Former childhood best friends reconnect as adults and try to get past the rift that led to their falling out.
4. Stephen Curry: Underrated - The coming-of-age story of Stephen Curry, from an undersized basketball player at a small college, to becoming a larger-than-life NBA superstar.
5. Messi Meets America - The career of Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer (MLS) and at Inter Miami CF.

Showmax:

1. Outlaws - Set in the lush but lawless land on the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal, Outlaws is the story of two families at war with each other.
2. Blessers - As a powerful CEO, with a big house, a successful spouse, a family and expensive recreational habits, Jacob feels like life will always be this easy.
3. 3. Poppie Nongena - Based on Elsa Joubert's novel "The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena," regarded as one of the best African novels of the 20th century.
4. Sew The Winter To My Skin - In a racially-charged and violent 1950's rural South Africa, a liberal journalist recounts the epic chase, edge-of-your-seat capture and intriguing trial of a flamboyant, native "Robin Hood".
5. Mapimpi - Makazole Mapimpi stole the hearts and minds of South Africans after the country won the Rugby World Cup in 2019 because of the challenges he overcame to be the best in the game.

Prime Video:

1. John Wick Chapter 4 - John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table.
2. The Burial - Inspired by true events, a lawyer helps a funeral home owner save his family business from a corporate behemoth, exposing a complex web of ra

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
twitter.com/africancouchpot
[email protected]

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)
Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]
Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
© SANTE MEDIA 2025

What do you think? let us know

Welcome to African Couch Potato: The Mash-up...
Top 5
Our Top 5 for this episode are all from Netflix. These are suggestions of what to watch and in each episode your host, Gino, will feature titles from various platforms such as Showmax, DStv, Prime Video, Disney Plus and SABC Plus.

• Survival of the Thickest, created by comedian and actress Michelle Buteau.
• Unseen with Gail Mabalane.
• iNumber Number: Jozi Gold.
• Country Queen - set in Kenya.
• Trees of Peace explores the lives of four women trapped in a basement during a genocide in Rwanda.

Main Review

Shaka Ilembe is the latest TV sensation to hit South African screens, featuring Nomzamo Mbatha, Lemogang Tsipa and Ntando Zondi, who plays the young Shaka. We get into what's hot about this new production about Africa's greatest warrior.

Gino's Golden Oldie

Catch A Fire, based on a true story, came out in 2006, but that is no reason to not re-look at this outstandingly beautiful story with its first class performances and its truly magical score.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
twitter.com/africancouchpot
[email protected]

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)
Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
[email protected]
Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay
© SANTE MEDIA 2025