“I once spent a night or two on a sugar plantation in the Triangle region of Zimbabwe. It was in the run-up to an election that would further cement Mugabe’s grip on power, when widespread farm invasions had propelled the country precariously toward collapse. Not an ideal time to be in a business so heavily reliant on the country’s most contested commodity: land. KZN’s sugar industry now finds itself in its own existential crisis. And while comparisons with early 2000s Zimbabwe would be foolish, land is once again the catalyst.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Sugar-coated Collapse
For more than a century, sugar built an empire along the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, shaping communities and controlling valuable land. Now, global competition and the collapse of a corporate giant threaten its future. As cheap imports replace local product and liquidation looms, farmers face the loss of an existence that’s been in their families for generations. Over a million livelihoods and decades of history hover on the brink as the industry faces a bitter reckoning.
Producer: Anina Peens | Presenter: Claire Mawisa
Limpopo Deluge Revisited
For communities across Limpopo and Mpumalanga, the year began in chaos. As torrential rains swept the north of the country, roads were washed away, services cut off and families displaced. As government declared a national disaster, our crew was on the ground to hear stories of narrow escape and celebrate the heroes rebuilding bridges and saving lives. A month later, we revisit the damage to the Kruger National Park and get a glimpse of the recovery efforts through the eyes of an award-winning wildlife documentary filmmaker.
The Science of Laughter
In overstretched hospitals, a small band of entertainers is proving that laughter isn’t just comic relief: it’s an unlikely medicine. They arrive in emotionally and physically demanding spaces with jokes, oversized energy, and a simple goal: to make sick children laugh. A way to reclaim childhood in sterile hospital wards, a tool for dignity and relief in end-of-life care – laughter offers powerful healing. And for these children enduring long, invasive treatments, it’s more than a distraction: it’s a lifeline.
Producer: Sinethemba Nogude | Presenter: Claire Mawisa
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