We’re always a little biased when it comes to applauding South Africa on the world stage, and we love being proven right. This year, with five nominations at the 2025 International Emmy Awards — the most ever achieved by an African country in a single year — the local television industry has shown it can stand proudly alongside the world’s best.
The shortlist, released by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, places South Africa third overall behind the United Kingdom and Brazil. It’s a milestone that belongs to a growing ecosystem of writers, directors, actors, and crews who are telling stories with a distinctly South African vision, supported by an encouraging network of broadcasters and producers.
What makes this year especially notable is the range of categories represented, with South African shows recognised in drama, documentary, comedy, sports programming, and children’s entertainment; a spread that reflects the sheer variety of stories being made for screen.
What makes this year especially notable is the sheer range of categories represented: South African productions were recognised in drama, documentary, comedy, sports programming, and children’s entertainment — a spread that reflects the depth and versatility of local storytelling.
Catch Me a Killer is a gripping true-crime drama adapted from the memoir of Micki Pistorius, South Africa’s first-ever serial-killer profiler. Set in the mid-1990s, the series follows Pistorius — played by British actress Charlotte Hope (Game of Thrones, The Spanish Princess) — as she battles skepticism from a largely male police force while tracking some of the country’s most notorious killers, from the Station Strangler to Stewart “Boetie Boer” Wilken. Hope’s powerful performance has earned her a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress.
Chasing the Sun 2 charts the Springbok’s 2023 Rugby World Cup journey, culminating in their historic fourth title — the most ever won by a single nation, and the pride of our nation. Across five parts, the series shows never-before-seen footage, interviews with more than 30 players and coaches, and match highlights, charting the team’s rise from an opening-game defeat to lifting the trophy in France. Directed and executive produced by Gareth Whittaker, the documentary embodies how sport continues to unite South Africa and inspire global audiences.
Koek, created by Christiaan Olwagen, directed by Johannes Pieter Nel, and produced by Wolflight, delivers a sharp, offbeat crime comedy rooted in Cape Town suburbia. When housewife Christelle Smit uncovers evidence of her husband’s affair with a stripper named Candy Floss, her investigation draws her into a world utterly unlike the neat domestic sphere she knows.
School Ties, a four-part documentary directed by Richard Finn Gregory and produced by true-crime pioneers IdeaCandy (of Tracking Thabo Bester, Devilsdorp, Rosemary’s Hitlist, Steinheist), confronts the grooming and sexual abuse of learners in some of South Africa’s most prestigious boys’ schools. The series unravels the trauma endured by victims, the culture of silence that enables abuse, and the inadequate responses from institutions and society. Its release has sparked a national debate on accountability in elite schools — proof of the power of documentary to drive urgent social conversations.
Play Room Live, nominated in the Kids: Factual and Entertainment category, celebrates curiosity and imagination. By centering young voices and creativity, it reminds us that South African television is shaping the media experiences of future generations.
MultiChoice, home to four of the five nominated shows, has pointed to the nominations as proof of the payoff from sustained investment in local talent. For creators, Emmy recognition carries prestige and unlocks opportunities for international distribution, co-productions, and career-defining collaborations. For audiences, it affirms what we’ve long known: South African storytelling deserves a global stage.
In recent years, local productions have gained growing visibility on international streaming platforms, bringing uniquely South African voices and perspectives to new audiences abroad. This year’s record-setting nominations make that trend undeniable.
The winners will be announced in New York on 24 November 2025, but the nominations themselves already mark a victory. Five nominations across five distinct genres show that South Africa has no shortage of stories to tell — stories of justice, triumph, humour, resilience, and imagination. Whatever the final results, South African television has made it clear: our time on the world stage has only just begun.
Written by Holly Beaton
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