DStv Shares Packed Holiday Content Slate

South Africa’s festive season is synonymous with sun, sand, shisa nyama and staycations with friends and family.

Through DStv’s new festive campaign #TGIFestive (Thank Goodness It’s Festive), Africa’s Most Loved Storyteller is adding a jam-packed line-up of new local and international content to the list of South African traditions.

From the end of November through to early next year, a range of DStv’s channels will serve fresh movies, music specials, sports and kids festivals to viewers.

“Thank Goodness It’s Festive!” says Yolisa Phahle, CEO General Entertainment & Connected Video.

“South Africans can collectively breathe a sigh of relief that it is nearly the end of this uniquely challenging year. Finding moments of joy and connecting with family and friends has never been more important as this is a big part of what many of us lost during the various levels of lockdown.”

The #TGIFestive campaign taps into the joy, love (sometimes love-to-hate) and nostalgia of spending time with different characters within one’s family and community.

“Watching some great festive entertainment with loved ones is what will make the holidays special once again,” says Phahle.

WHAT’S COMING

Loving Local

M-Net comes bearing the best content treats to entertain the entire family. Leading the line-up are six new local Christmas movies on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) and M-Net Movies 1 (DStv Channel 104). These feel-good family flicks feature established and breakthrough South African acting talent, with SA’s breathtaking scenery across different provinces and cultures as a backdrop. Premiering in December, the list of original titles include:

  • A Zulu Christmas (cast:Deli Malinga, Sphumuzo Sidzumo and Ayanda Banda),
  • A Christmas Chorus (cast: Bianca Flanders, Namisa Mdlalose and Dean Balie),
  • A Boere-Krismis (cast: Lara Toselli, Johann Vermaak and Albert Maritz),
  • A Twisted Christmas (cast: Kate Liquorish, Euodia Samson and Abduragman Adams),
  • Herb & Moon (cast: Robert Whitehead, Katherine Neethling and Keenan Arrison),
  • Home Affairs: A Christmas Tale (cast: Hilton Pelser, David Viviers and Bronté Snell).

Internationally Yours

Alongside the local festive movies, families can tune in daily at 17:00 to M-Net Movies 1 (DStv Channel 104), weekday from 08:00 to 17:00 to M-Net Movies 3 (DStv Channel 107), and every Friday night to M-Net to catch soon-to-be favourite holiday movies. The line-up of brand new festive movies made in 2020 includes Last Christmas, Lucy Shimmers and the Prince of Peace, A New York Christmas Wedding and Christmas Ever After.

DStv Compact Plus, Compact, Family and Access customers can enjoy three movie channels – M-Net Movies 1 and 2 and FliekNet by signing up for the new ‘ADD movies’ product launched in September.

Lynn ‘Glammy’ Forbes –  motivator and lifestyle influencer, and mother to rapper AKA –  will host a large slate of festive film fun on Lifetime (DStv Channel 131). Highlights include Merry Liddle Christmas, The Christmas Pact, A Very Vintage Christmas and A Christmas Gift.

Caption: A Very Vintage Christmas with Tia Mowry on Lifetime

Music Specials

Also on M-Net, audiences can sing along to music specials from Sam Smith, Michael Bublé, Bon Jovi and The Royal Variety Performance.  Viewers can also watch The Voice S19 Christmas Special.

On kykNet (DStv Channel 144), viewers can enjoy Songs Of Hope: Acoustic From Groote Kerk, André in Worship with André Venter and Kersfees & Koortjies met Jonathan Rubain on kykNET & kie (DStv Channel 14

Caption: Kersfees & Koortjies met Jonathan Rubain on kykNET & kie

Daily kids festive festivals

M-Net will also be delivering fan-favourites with the return of its Animania (M-Net Movies 1) and Kids Club (M-Net Movies 4) festivals, which have been entertaining kids and the young at heart with great curated experiences for years. The line-up includes all the Spy Kids movies, The House with a Clock on its Wall, Man of the House, Daddy Day Camp and Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.

Other great kids offerings include Master Moley By Royal Invitation: Xmas Special on Boomerang (DStv Channel 302) and Holiday Movie Week on Nickelodeon (DStv Channel 305) with films such as Rufus, Rufus 2, Albert and Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Binge-worthy box-sets

Party of Five, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Lord Bird, FBI: Most Wanted and Comey Rule are among the bingeable box-sets landing this December.

DStv customers can connect their Explora to the Internet or download the DStv app and binge full seasons of their favourite shows anywhere, any time.

Sporting summer

SuperSport also has it covered throughout the festive season with a calendar exploding with content. There is a surplus of great sport, including 197 soccer matches across 30 days, starting on December 19 including UEFA Champions League, Premier League, DStv Premiership, LaLiga, Serie A and English Football League fixtures.

For the first time, Tri-Nations and  Currie Cup rugby will run into December, with a Boxing Day match (Bulls v Lions) sure to keep fans happy. Cricket fans will have much to enjoy on the domestic front with the Proteas against England in T20s and one-day internationals. The traditional Boxing Day Test will see South Africa host Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park. For good measure, the World of Champions also has the Australia-India series.

SA Open golf, WWE action, championship boxing, Formula One and Premiership rugby are also lined up. SuperSport sport is available from DStv Channel 200 to 225.

Caption: Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes will be in action over the festive season on SuperSport

Food feasts

My Kersfeeskombuis on VIA (DStv Channel 147), Holiday Gingerbread Showdown on Food Network(DStv Channel 175), Celebrity Chef Christmas Specials featuring Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey and Mary Berry on BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174), Inside the Factory: Inside the Christmas Factory (DStv Channel 184) and Buddy vs Christmas on TLC (DStv Channel 135) will all help inspire you to create festive feasts that deliver all the feels.

Caption: Buddy vs Christmas on TLC

Get #TGIFestive in the palm of your hand with the DStv app – download to enjoy all the movies, shows and festivals wherever you are this season.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb