By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
French media giant Canal+ has confirmed that both Genesis and iThonga, the Mzansi Magic telenovelas have concluded their productions.
Genesis will continue to air until April 2026, while iThonga will also reach its natural conclusion on Friday, 27 February at 8:30pm.
“We are so excited to see how fans enjoy the rest of the respective seasons of Genesis and iThonga,” says Tebogo Matlawa, Head of Scripted Content: Middle & Mass at MultiChoice Group a CANAL+ company.
“These shows were written with fixed storylines and character arcs in mind and produced to the highest level of quality for our viewers to enjoy. As those stories have now run their charted courses, they’ll take their place in the Mzansi Magic library of thrilling telenovelas, with exciting new shows in the works to take their place”.
Genesis, which has captured the hearts of Mzansi viewers with its portrayal of the world of the gospel music industry, was first of its kind in Mzansi. “Now that production is complete, we have to applaud the incredible writers from Singa Vision Productions who used all 260 episodes to their absolute full to tell the powerful, well-researched and impactful story of these amazing characters,” says Matlawa.
Reflecting on iThonga Matlawa said: “iThonga has continuously showcased incredibly versatile storytelling in fully embracing some of the culture’s most sacred customs and playing them out on screen with sensitivity and respect. The cast did a phenomenal job – particularly Bonko Khoza in his dual role as twins Banele and Sanele – and portrayed traditional rituals like burial rites to issues of surrogacy, and dealing with grief, with such honour and faithfulness”.
“Both shows are still set to deliver plenty of drama before they conclude. We are also pleased to share that we are in pre‑production on next Mzansi Magic telenovela, and we look forward to introducing viewers to this new world and story soon,” Matlawa concludes.
This raises questions about whether DStv viewers should expect more translated and dubbed movies and TV shows from the US and France.