{"id":24474,"date":"2026-01-02T16:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T14:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=24474"},"modified":"2026-01-02T16:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T14:06:22","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-4-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2026\/01\/02\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-4-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 4 January 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/CIQkk6fQjuM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Under the Counter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They come in their hundreds, day in and day out; smugglers, hauling illegal cigarettes across the border. On the ground, it\u2019s a warzone as landowners face a choice: pack up and go, turn a blind eye, or take a cut. A multibillion-rand criminal economy is bleeding the nation\u2019s coffers dry. South Africa\u2019s illicit cigarette trade outperforms the legal market, robbing the state of billions every year in lost taxes. Corruption and porous borders keep the trade thriving, despite government promises to crack down. From the border to spaza shop counters, we trace the illicit cigarette trade and lift the lid on the hidden supply chain that keeps it alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Nicky Troll | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli<\/strong>\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/3-UEA9wE2zY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Death Behind Bars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In an overcrowded Cape Town prison, an awaiting trial inmate lies naked and severely beaten. Hours later, he\u2019s declared dead. The official report: the alleged gangster died in a prison fight. But leaked information suggests the story may be far more sinister. What really happened that day? From horrific photos to reports of broken security cameras and attack dogs\u2026 Whispers swirl and more questions are raised than answers. Carte Blanche investigates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Marion Edmunds | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/UNOHf-Xo7Z8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Spinning Right \u2018Round<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s the face of a viral phenomenon that started right here at home. Spinning: it\u2019s part-motorsport, part-stunt. It\u2019s uniquely accessible, welcoming participants from all backgrounds and communities. And like spinning itself, Samkeliso \u201cSam Sam\u201d Thubane has emerged from local roots to dominate the world stage. Growing up in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, Sam Sam\u2019s passion and talent for motorsports was evident from a tender age. This year, he performed at the opening of the Red Bull Hangar-7 in Salzburg, Austria. Carte Blanche spends a day in the life of a global superstar on the rise \u2013 a young man spinning not only cars, but culture, identity, and possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Nicky Troll | Presenter: Govan Whittles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JOIN THE #CARTEBLANCHE CONVERSATION<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Please note: Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change. Stories can be viewed at www.carteblanche.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facebook: Carte Blanche<\/a> #CarteBlanche<\/a>
Bluesky: @carteblanche.co.za<\/a>
TikTok: @carteblanchetv101<\/a>
Youtube: carteblancheTV #CarteBlanche<\/a>
Instagram: @carteblanchetv<\/a> #CarteBlanche<\/a>
Twitter \/ X: @carteblanchetv<\/a>
Threads: carteblanchetv<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Under the Counter They come in their hundreds, day in and day out; smugglers, hauling illegal cigarettes across the border. On the ground, it\u2019s a warzone as landowners face a choice: pack up and go, turn a blind eye, or take a cut. A multibillion-rand criminal economy is bleeding the nation\u2019s coffers dry. South Africa\u2019s… Continue reading Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 4 January 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24475,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,10],"tags":[65,21],"class_list":["post-24474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online","category-television","tag-carte-blanche","tag-mnet","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CarteBlanche2026-banner.jpg?fit=600%2C222&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}