AGP Executive Report

Proteas Triumph: South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs at Newlands to seal a 2-1 Test series win, with Simon Harmer taking 10 wickets in the match. The victory also returned the Proteas to the top of the Test rankings. Cape Town Theatre: Zingara’s new show, Melanina: Return to Origin, is running at Century City through January, while a student cast brings Sondheim’s dark fairy tales to life in Into the Woods. South African Film: Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story is drawing praise, and filmmaker Imran Hamdulay has wrapped a new family drama in Cape Town. Local Style: Soweto Fashion Week put South African designers in the spotlight with its Spring/Summer 2026 showcase. Music Abroad: Uncle Waffles took her amapiano sound to Las Vegas, performing at Megan Thee Stallion’s Hottieween celebration.

South African Film: Imran Hamdulay’s next film has wrapped in Cape Town, while Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story is earning praise for its emotional storytelling and polished production. Screen and Stage: Homba Mazaleni has won the Top Billing presenter search, and the State Theatre’s Ingoma-busuku is drawing audiences into the history and sound of isicathamiya. Creative Tech: Cape Town-based immersive storyteller Rick Treweek has won an Emmy for Uncanny Alley: A New Day and plans to widen access to virtual-reality tools. Fashion: Soweto Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer showcase runs November 5–7, bringing emerging and established local designers to the Soweto Theatre. Music: Ndlovu Choir will bring its African Christmas show to Emperors Palace from December 11–13, blending carols with South African summer hits.

Music: Mawelele has released his 16-track album PGLTM, while Thakzin and Tete’s new single “Maputla” celebrates their long friendship through dance music. Jimmy Nevis is bringing his new show, Roses & Thorns, to Baxter Theatre. Screen & Stage: Homba Mazaleni has won the Top Billing presenter search, and MultiChoice and Stained Glass TV have teased a new psychological thriller. Visual Arts: William Kentridge’s Orpheus exhibition has opened at Greece’s National Archaeological Museum, bringing his contemporary work into conversation with ancient art. Festivals: Cape Town International Jazz Festival plans a city-wide programme for March 2027, while 5FM is the official radio partner for ULTRA South Africa 2027. Industry: South African TV is mourning producer Pumla Hopa, known for her work on Isidingo. Zanele Mbatha is also drawing attention for combining stage and screen work with community arts education.

Television: Homba Mazaleni has won SABC 3’s Top Billing presenter search, joining the show’s comeback after nearly seven years off air. Durban Diwali: The Suncoast festival runs through Sunday with live music, dance and cultural performances, alongside an interfaith walk against gender-based violence. Festival Circuit: Cape Town International Jazz Festival is planning a citywide programme for March 2027; Zanzibar’s Sauti za Busara moves to March 19–21, with South African artists Yugen Blakrok, Linda Sikhakhane and Zawadi Yamungu on the bill. Industry Tribute: South African television is mourning Isidingo executive producer Pumla Hopa, remembered as a formidable talent. Global Stage: Uncle Waffles is set to join Megan Thee Stallion’s Hottieween event in Las Vegas.

Jazz: Cape Town International Jazz Festival will spread across the city throughout March 2027, with concerts, masterclasses, exhibitions and fashion events, including free performances in Langa and Greenmarket Square. Film: Idris Elba’s Akuna Group has opened applications for a free 50-week AI filmmaking programme for creators in South Africa and four other African countries; applications close on 15 November. Live Music: Mafikizolo joins the Cape Town line-up for January’s WAV Festival, alongside Ty Dolla $ign, KWN and local acts. Miss South Africa: The 12 finalists are set for the 14 November finale at Sandton Convention Centre. Young Artist: Nine-year-old Shaka Madida is exhibiting his work in the Netherlands, carrying his art from a first solo show in Johannesburg to an international audience. Tributes: The industry is mourning Isidingo executive producer Pumla Hopa, while Cape Town gospel singer Simon Seekoei has died aged 70.

Gospel: Cape Town preacher and singer Simon Seekoei has died at 70 after battling stage 4 prostate cancer. Family and fellow artists are remembering a life devoted to ministry and music. Screen and Streaming: DStv is rolling out new packages across African markets from 5 November, with some subscription prices cut by up to 42%; Nigeria’s top price is unchanged. Miss South Africa: The 12 finalists for the 2026 crown have been revealed. They’ll compete at the Sandton Convention Centre on 14 November and support youth programmes through Empower Youth Africa. Cape Town Events: Nasty C, Liquideep, Jazzwrld and Thukuthela are among the acts set for the city’s Festive Lights Switch-On. Meanwhile, espAfrika has launched a month of events celebrating the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Film Training: Idris Elba and Google have announced a free 50-week AI filmmaking programme for African creators.

Cape Town Jazz: The Cape Town International Jazz Festival will spread across the city in March 2027, with performances at venues including Artscape, the Company’s Garden and Guga S’thebe. Organisers promise 20 local and 20 international artists. Live Music: Sean Paul brings the Scorpion Kings to GrandWest on 3 December, pairing dancehall with amapiano. Pageant: Miss South Africa has named 12 finalists for the 14 November finale at Sandton Convention Centre. Theatre: Musical comedy First Date is playing at Cape Town’s Avalon Theatre, revisiting the awkward world of meeting strangers before dating apps. On the International Stage: Amapiano star Uncle Waffles will join Megan Thee Stallion at her Hottieween party in Las Vegas on 31 October. Gospel: Dumi Mkokstad and his wife, Ziphozenkosi, have announced they’re expecting their fourth child.

Screen Story: Coming-of-age film Al Wat Ek Weet brings Marita van der Vyver’s novel to Cape Town, exploring heritage, romance and grief through a teenager’s eyes. Music and Memory: A Kimberley pub’s joyful dance to Brenda Fassie’s “Vul’indlela” has gone viral, showing the anthem’s lasting pull across generations. Fashion: SA Fashion Week mixed sentiment and storytelling, with Gert-Johan Coetzee making an emotional return and Fundudzi championing sustainability. Theatre: Themba Mkhize’s Ingoma-busuku / Nightsong blends isicathamiya and Western classical music to explore ancestry and belonging; it runs at the State Theatre until November 1. Film Skills: Idris Elba’s Akuna Group has launched a free AI filmmaking programme for creators in five African countries, in collaboration with Google. Publishing: Puseletso Tsotetsi has turned her six-minute TikTok love story into the novel Good Things Keep Happening to Me, after viewers urged her to continue the tale.

Film: Sam Pollard’s Oscar-contending documentary Tutu, about Desmond Tutu’s life and anti-apartheid work, has announced theatrical releases in the US and UK. Tribute: South African arts mourn the death of SAFTA-winning writer and actress Sibusisiwe Gugu Manqele, 35. Fashion: South African Fashion Week put storytelling and sustainability in the spotlight, with Gert-Johan Coetzee making an emotional return and Fundudzi championing sustainable design. Creative Skills: Idris Elba’s Akuna Group has opened applications for a free AI filmmaking programme for creators, including in South Africa; applications close November 15. Music: The University of Pretoria’s TUKS Camerata and Missouri State University have released a joint choral album, The Cardinal and the Roller, featuring African and American songs. Stage and Screen: Mamma Mia! has extended its Johannesburg run at Montecasino to November 29, while broadcaster Tim Modise has received an honorary doctorate from North-West University.

What’s On: Cape Town’s weekend calendar features a free V&A Waterfront Busker Festival, the city’s Zombie Walk and other events across South Africa. Fashion: Gert-Johan Coetzee made an emotional return to the SA Fashion Week runway after brain surgery, while Fundudzi put sustainability in the spotlight. Remembering Gugu Manqele: The award-winning actor and screenwriter has died at 35, prompting tributes from across South Africa’s creative industry. On Stage: Mamma Mia! has extended its Johannesburg run at Montecasino to 29 November. Television: M-Net is marking 40 years on air, with familiar faces reflecting on the channel’s place in South African pop culture. Music: Four new South African releases to hear include tracks from Maali, Jabulile Majola and FKA Mash.

Tribute: South African TV and film mourns award-winning writer, actor and producer Sibusisiwe Gugu Manqele, who died aged 35 after a cardiac condition. Her work helped shape shows including Skeem Saam, Gomora and House of Zwide. AI and Publishing: Writer Coral Hart is defending her AI-assisted process after publishing more than 370 books in 20 months, and says the technology is changing the industry whether authors welcome it or not. Television Milestone: M-Net marked 40 years on air with the premiere of local crime thriller Hit Point, celebrating a channel that helped shape South African television. Fashion: Gert-Johan Coetzee made an emotional return to Fashion Week with a theatrical collection of bold colour, sculptural shapes and futuristic details. Creative Opportunities: A free AI filmmaking programme backed by Google and Idris Elba’s Akuna Group has opened applications to creators in South Africa and four other African countries. Podcasting: East Coast Radio earned 15 finalist nominations at the 2026 South African Podcast Awards, led by SA Rescue: Out Alive and African Story Magic.

Television: M-Net marks 40 years on air, with former presenter Ashley Hayden reflecting on the channel’s early days and the shared viewing memories South Africans still cherish. Live Music: King Monada’s Tembisa performance was cut short after bottles were reportedly thrown at the stage; Makhadzi left without performing. Film: Rapper Maglera Doe Boy makes his acting debut in Mzansi, filmed in South Africa and Mozambique, with a YouTube screening set for November 2 and a Johannesburg premiere on November 9. Music: A jazz bassist has earned a Grammy nomination for an album dedicated to the Cape Flats. Theatre: The Market Theatre’s 50th-anniversary year gains a new chapter with a Queer Festival, while the Cape Town Jazz Club is going independent with a fresh November line-up.

Jazz: Cape Town bassist and composer Benjamin Jephta’s Homecoming Revisited is in contention for three Grammy categories, including Best Jazz Instrumental Album; “One for the Plein” honours the Cape Flats. Theatre on Screen: Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller star in National Theatre Live’s Frankenstein, screening at selected Ster-Kinekor cinemas on 31 October and 1 and 3 November. TV: Spinners returns for season two, moving its story from Cape Town to Johannesburg and Soweto. Publishing: South African writer Coral Hart says she has sold more than a million books produced with AI, reigniting debate over technology and authorship. Live Arts: Cape Town Jazz Club is going independent with a fresh November line-up, while Joburg Ballet’s Celestial Bodies is heading to Cape Town. Music: Tyla has released a new video for “That Girl.”

Style and Craft: Cape Town’s 2026 Wear the Hope winner, Inez Shaw, is creating a festive top from rescued yarn with help from a community of makers. The city will reveal it at its November 29 Festive Lights Switch-On. Music: The Kota Festival brought Ringo Madlingozi, Amanda Black, Mlindo the Vocalist and Young Stunna to a lively cross-generational bill. Awards: Soweto-born designer Bob the Stylist was among the South African Style Awards winners, recognised for fashion shaped by township style. Live Shows: Cape Town Jazz Club is going independent with a November line-up, while Olivia Dean is confirmed for Milk + Cookies Festival dates in Cape Town and Johannesburg in 2027. Stage and Screen: Joburg Ballet’s Celestial Bodies is coming to Cape Town; meanwhile, South African reality shows are competing for top honours at the 2026 National Film & TV Awards. Festival News: Ty Dolla $ign, KWN and Mafikizolo will headline WAV Festival 2027, which is expanding to two cities.

Creative Industry: Fame Week Africa brings more than 200 speakers to Cape Town from 28–30 October, connecting film, TV, music and fashion creatives with buyers seeking African stories. Live Music: Cape Town Jazz Club is going independent in November after hosting more than 50 shows; its new programme includes ticketed Thursday and Sunday performances and free Wednesday jazz sessions. Festival Line-ups: Olivia Dean is confirmed for Milk + Cookies Festival South Africa 2027 in Cape Town and Johannesburg, while WAV Festival expands to both cities in January, with Mafikizolo, Ty Dolla $ign and KWN among the headliners. Stage: Joburg Ballet’s Celestial Bodies is heading to Cape Town, and Carmen is set for Pretoria. New Release: Tyla has shared a new video for her song “That Girl.”

Dance: Joburg Ballet brings Carmen to Pretoria’s State Theatre on October 24–25, following a 10-performance Johannesburg run. The anniversary-season production features debut performances in the lead roles. Music: Tyla has released a video for “That Girl,” while Moonchild Sanelly steps into Afro House with new single “Khetha.” Olivia Dean and Zee Nxumalo are among the acts announced for Milk + Cookies Festival South Africa 2027. Fashion: Engen’s Xtreme Kouture collection turns discarded lubricant packaging into designs inspired by South African spinning culture; GuguByGugu is also blending mohair with streetwear and African heritage. Books: A South African author is defending her use of AI after publishing 370 books in 20 months, reigniting debate over creativity and authorship. Film: Eight Cape Town animation studios have been selected for a UNDP accelerator, offering support to local creative businesses.