The 19th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) 2026 nominations have officially been announced, celebrating the country’s most creative storytellers, performers, and craftspeople. This year, AFDA — The No1 School for the Creative Economy — continues its tradition of excellence, with alumni contributions earning over 50 nominations across all major categories at the nation’s premier screen awards.
From meticulously crafted television series and telenovelas to feature films and documentaries, AFDA alumni are recognised across the creative spectrum and in disciplines from writing and directing to cinematography, editing, music, and performance.
Television Excellence: Comedy, Drama, Soap & Telenovela
AFDA-trained creatives are strongly represented across TV categories:
Best Made for TV Movie nominations include Matilda en Matthys (The Film Factory, Danie Bester) and Mr Easy Loo (Black Brain Pictures, Mandla N).
In comedy, How to Ruin Love (Season 1) not only led nominations at this year’s SAFTAs but earned recognition for Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Comedy, with practitioners Lwazi Mvusi, Julian Koboekae, and Rethabile Ramaphakela credited for their outstanding work.
Mince Jou Hare was nominated for Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Comedy and Best Achievement in Directing – TV Comedy (Shimmy Isaacs).
Best TV Comedy itself celebrates How to Ruin Love (Burnt Onion Productions), with alumnus Thabo Malema earning a nomination for Best Supporting Actor – TV Comedy.
In the TV drama space:
Catch Me A Killer garnered nominations for Best Achievement in Directing – TV Drama (Rene van Rooyen & Brett Michael Innes) and Best TV Drama (Local Motion Pictures). AJ Cullinan’s performance also earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor – TV Drama.
Unseen Season 2 was recognised for Best Achievement in Wardrobe (Marne van der Burgh-Blaauw).
White Lies received nominations for both Best Achievement in Original Music/Score and Best Achievement in an Original Song (Edward George King).
Reyka Season 2 achieved nods for Best Achievement in Editing (Moliehi Chalale, Aluta Mlisana & Melanie Jankes Golden) and Best Achievement in Cinematography (Tom Marais).
AFDA alumni also made their mark in television crafts with nominations for editing (Siwelile Mbanjwa for Champions, iThonga, and Youngins) and original music (Mandla Ngcongwane for Isiphetho), alongside cinematography recognition for Blood Legacy (Sunel Haasbroek).
Furthermore, the telenovela Blood Legacy, produced by Gambit Films, an AFDA alumni production house — is nominated for Best Telenovela, while Neo Ntlatleng earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Telenovela. These achievements showcase AFDA’s deep impact across South African television storytelling.
Feature Films & Documentary Brilliance
The SAFTAs also highlighted AFDA alumni across big-screen and documentary categories:
Best Feature Film nominations include Old Righteous Blues, directed by alumnus Muneera Sallies, which also earned a nomination in Best Achievement in Directing – Feature Film.
Other feature film nominations through AFDA alumni include technical recognition in editing (The Fix, Richard Starkey) and cinematography (Death of a Whistleblower by Devin Toselli; Heart of the Hunter and The Shakedown by Trevor Calverley).
Greytown Girl earned a nod for Best Achievement in Production Design (Waldemar Coetsee).
In the documentary arena, Outside Lane, School Ties, and Steinheist, all directed by Richard Gregory from Idea Candy, are nominated for Best Made for TV Documentary or Documentary Series.
The spread of nominations across formats, scripted, factual, documentary, comedy, and drama, highlights AFDA alumni’s range and influence in South African screen content.
This year’s SAFTA nominations reaffirm AFDA’s role as a powerhouse of creative talent in Southern Africa. Not only are alumni making waves in front of the camera, but they are also shaping narratives behind the scenes, as writers, directors, cinematographers, editors, composers, and production leaders.
From comedy and drama to documentary and feature film, AFDA alumni continue to define the very best in South African screen storytelling, bringing nuanced, authentic, and compelling narratives to audiences at home and abroad.
Here is the full list of AFDA alumni nominations:
BEST MADE FOR TV MOVIE
Matilda en Matthys Production House: The Film Factory (Danie Bester’s Prouction company)
Mr Easy Loo Production House: Black Brain Pictures (Mandla N’s proction company)
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING -TV COMEDY
How to Ruin Love Season 1
Practitioners: Lwazi Mvusi, Julian Koboekae and Rethabile Ramaphakela
Mince Jou Hare
Practitioners: Shimmy Isaacs & Tristram Atkins
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – TV COMEDY
Mince Jou Hare
Practitioners: Shimmy Isaacs
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN WARDROBE – TV DRAMA
Unseen Season 2
Practitioner: Marne van der Burgh-Blaauw
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ORIGINAL MUSIC/SCORE – TV DRAMA
White Lies
Practitioners: Edward George King
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN AN ORIGINAL SONG – TV DRAMA
White Lies
Practitioners: Edward George King
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING – TV DRAMA
Nigges (Cousins)
Practitioners: Leon Visser
Reyka S2
Practitioners: Moliehi Chalale, Aluta Mlisana & Melanie Jankes Golden
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS (VFX) – TV
Spooksoeker
Practitioners: Corlia Ohlson De Fine, Megan Bagshaw, Anastasia Brodina & Megan Bagshaw
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY – TV DRAMA
Reyka S2
Practitioner: Tom Marais
Savage Beauty 2
Practitioner: Tom Marais
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – TV DRAMA
Die Nuusmakers
Practitioners: Jozua Malherbe
LAW, LOVE & BETRAYAL (LLB)
Practitioners: Lwazi Mvusi
Red Ink
Practitioners: Thishiwe Ziqubu
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – TV DRAMA
Catch Me A Killer
Practitioners: Rene van Rooyen & Brett Michael Innes
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING –TELENOVELA
Champions
Practitioners: Siwelile Mbanjwa
iThonga
Practitioners: Siwelile Mbanjwa
Youngins
Practitioners: Siwelile Mbanjwa
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN AN ORIGINAL SONG – TELENOVELA
Isiphetho
Practitioners: Mandla Ngcongwane
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY – TELENOVELA
Blood Legacy
Practitioner: Sunel Haasbroek
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – TV SOAP
Scandal!
Practitioners: Philasande Malunga
UZALO
Practitioners: Sinesipho Makaula
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE FILM
Greytown Girl
Practitioner: Waldemar Coetsee
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING – FEATURE FILM
The Fix Practitioners: Richard Starkey
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY – FEATURE FILM
Death of a Whistleblower
Practitioner: Devin Toselli
Heart of the Hunter
Practitioner: Trevor Calverley
The Shakedown
Practitioner: Trevor Calverley
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELENOVELA
Neo Ntlatleng (EMPINI)
BEST TELENOVELA
Blood Legacy Production House: Gambit Films (AFDA alumni production company)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA
AJ Cullinan (Catch Me A Killer)
BEST TV DRAMA
Catch Me A Killer Production House: Local Motion Pictures (Directed by Rene van Rooyen and Brett Michael Innes)
GO! Production House: Ten30 Pictures (Directed by Tristan Holmes)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV COMEDY
Thabo Malema (How to Ruin Love Season 1)
BEST TV COMEDY
How to Ruin Love Production House: Burnt Onion Productions (Alumni Production Company)
BEST SHORT FILM
LIMINALE
Production House: Idea Candy & Stage 5 Films (Marcelle du Toit, co-founder of Stage 5 films)
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – FEATURE FILM
Old Righteous Blues
Practitioner: Muneera Sallies
BEST FEATURE FILM
Old Righteous Blues (Directed by Muneera Sallies)
BEST MADE FOR TV DOCUMENTARY OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Outside Lane Production House: Idea Candy (Directed by Richard Gregory)
School Ties Production House: Idea Candy (Directed by Richard Gregory)
Steinheist Production House: Idea Candy (Directed by Richard Gregory)