‘Youngins’, ‘The Morning After’ and ‘Death of a Whistleblower’ top Safta 19 winners

The 19th annual South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) celebrated the best in the industry in Mzansi, with some actors receiving their first-ever awards.

The two-day award ceremony, previously scheduled for 2025 and postponed to March 15–16, due to changes within the National Film and Video Foundation, made a big comeback at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, bringing out some of Mzansi’s stars dressed to the nines to mark the occasion.

Actress Zenande Mfenyana, who took home the Best Supporting Actress award for her stint in Inimba, stood out during her emotional acceptance speech, with this award being the first she has received.

“To God be all the glory, praise and honour. Thank you for everyone who has supported me. My parents for believing in me. My child, thank you, baby. I know you’re watching from home. Mommy did it! Everything I do, I do for you,” she said.

Popular telenovela Youngins, The Morning After, and Death of a Whistleblower, also shone at the awards with three wins each.

Full list

Best Children’s Programme — Behind the Rainbow

Best Educational Programme — Ingono Yomsamo

Best Factual Programme — Confessions of an Assassin, Why I Killed Chris Hani — an Annika Larsen Special Report

Best Competition Reality Show — Plaasjapie (Seisoen 2)

Best Structured Soapie Reality Show — Young, Famous and African

Best Structured or Docu-Reality Show — Umkhonto Ogwazekhaya

Best Youth Programme — On the Base Roundtable

Best Online Content — Four Walls

Best Lifestyle Programme — Elders: Ligtoringroete

Best Current Affairs Programme — Carte Blanche

Best Made for TV Movie — Mr Easy Loo

Best International Format — Deal or No Deal Celebrity

Best Entertainment Programme — Yash’ingoma S3

Best Variety Show — Unfollowed Season 2

Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling - TV Comedy — How to Ruin Love Season 1

Best Achievement in Wardrobe - TV Comedy — the Morning After

Best Achievement in Sound - TV Comedy — How to Ruin Love Season 1

Best Achievement in Art Direction - TV Comedy — the Morning After

Best Achievement in Editing - TV Comedy — the Morning After

Best Achievement in Scriptwriting - TV Comedy — Magda Louw

Best Achievement in Cinematography - TV Comedy — Mabaso Family Reunion

Best Achievement in Directing - TV Comedy — Magda Louw

Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling - TV Drama — Reyka S2

Best Achievement in Wardrobe - TV Drama — Niggies (Cousins)

Best Achievement in Art Direction - TV Drama — Catch Me a Killer

Best Achievement in Special Effects (Sfx) in Hair and Make-Up - TV — White Lies

Best Achievement in Sound - TV Drama — White Lies

Best Achievement in Original Music/score - TV Drama — Niggies (Cousins)

Best Achievement in an Original Song - TV Drama— White Lies

Best Achievement in Editing - TV Drama — Go!

Best Achievement in Visual Effects(vfx) - TV— Soon Comes Night

Best Achievement in Cinematography - TV Drama — Reyka S2

Best Achievement in Scriptwriting - TV Drama — Law, Love & Betrayal (Llb)

Best Achievement in Directing - TV Drama — Catch Me a Killer

Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling - TV Soap/telenovela — Skemergrond

Best Achievement in Wardrobe - TV Soap/telenovela — Genesis S1

Best Achievement in Art Direction - TV Soap/telenovela — Suidooster

Best Achievement in Editing - Telenovela — Youngins

Best Achievement in Original Music/score - Telenovela — Youngins

Best Achievement in an Original Song - Telenovela — Kelders Van Geheime

Best Achievement in Sound - TV Soap/ Telenovela — Blood Legacy

Best Achievement in Scriptwriting - Telenovela — Inimba

Best Achievement in Cinematography - Telenovela — Blood Legacy

Best Achievement in Directing - Telenovela — Youngins

Best Achievement in Scriptwriting - TV Soap — Suidooster

Best Achievement in Directing - TV Soap — Scandal!

Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hairstyling — Feature Film — the Fix

Best Achievement in Costume Design - Feature Film — Just Now Jeffrey

Best Achievement in Production Design - Feature Film — Just Now Jeffrey

Best Achievement in Special Effects (sfx) in Hair and Make—Up Feature Film — the Fix

Best Achievement in Sound Design — Feature Film — the Fix

Best Achievement in Editing - Feature Film — Death of a Whistleblower

Best Achievement in Original Music/ Score — Feature Film — a Kind of Madness

Best Achievement in an Original Song — Feature Film — Sabbatical

Best Achievement in Visual Effects(vfx) - Feature Film — the Fix

Best Achievement in Cinematography - Feature Film — Death of a Whistleblower

Best Achievement in Scriptwriting — Feature Film — a Kind of Madness

Best Student Film — Leapt Niches

Best Animation — Jungle Beat 2 the Past

Actors

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Soap — Vele Manenje (Skeem Saam)

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Soap — Litlhonolofatso Litlhakanyane (Scandal!)

Best Supporting Actress in a Telenovela — Zenande Mfenyana (Inimba S1)

Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela — Anele Matoti (Gqeberha — the Empire)

Best Actress in a TV Soap — Londeka Sishi (Scandal!)

Best Actor in a TV Soap — Aubrey Poo (Generations: the Legacy)

Best Actress in a Telenovela — Nelisiwe Sibiya (Ithonga)

Best Actor in a Telenovela — Bonko Khoza (Ithonga)

Best TV Soap — Scandal!

Best Telenovela — Youngins

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama — Michelle Botes (Tuiskoms)

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Drama — Jabulani Mthembu (Catch Me a Killer)

Best Actress in a TV Drama — Gail Mabalane (Unseen — Season 2)

Best Actor in a TV Drama — Frank Opperman (Nêrens, Noord—Kaap Deel 2)

Best TV Drama — Reyka 2

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Comedy — Shoki Mmola (How to Ruin Love Season 1)

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Comedy — Tobie Cronjé (Pronk Primêr)

Best Actress in a TV Comedy — Desire Gardner (Magda Louw Season 2)

Best Actor in a TV Comedy — Hannes Van Wyk (Magda Louw Season 2)

Best TV Comedy — the Morning After

Best Short Film — Why the Cattle Wait

Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film — June Van Merch (Die Kwiksilwers (The Quicksilvers)

Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film — Neels Van Jaarsveld (Snake)

Best Actress in a Feature Film — Sandra Prinsloo (A Kind of Madness)

Best Actor in a Feature Film — Ian Roberts (A Kind of Madness)

Best Achievement in Directing - Feature Film — Death of a Whistleblower

Best Feature Film — Death of a Whistleblower

Best Natural History and Environmental Programme — Day of the Dragon

Best TV Presenter (Public Vote) — Fezile Mkhize (Top Travel)

Most Popular TV Soap or Telenovela (Public Vote) — Inimba S1

Lifetime Achiever Award — Bobby Heany, Magic Hlatshwayo

Youth Achiever Award — Sandulela Asanda Biyan

Oustanding Provincial Contributor Award — Kraal

Emerging Filmmaker Award— Ntokozo

Outstanding Person with Disability Contributor Award — Erik Holm

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