Docu-reality directors excited to fly SA flag high in Spain with doccie on drugs

Lungelo Dhladhla and Sbu Ngobeni are South African TV producers who will be flying the South African flag high at the International Public Television Conference (Input) in Barcelona in Spain.

Their show Kick It a docu-reality show, will be screened at Input from May 9-13. Kick It aired on SABC1 and it shone a spotlight on substance abuse and the affect it has on families and communities.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Lungelo and Sibusiso said they were honoured and humbled by the recognition.

“We found out in March, we knew that the show was a good show but to be honest I wasn't aware that it was that good. We found out two weeks ago through email.

“I jumped like a little kid, I was happy, but I also felt humbled at the same time that 'oh my God the international community recognises our work'. So I'm very grateful that we were able to put on a really good show that has received nods from across the world because this is international people from various parts of the world. It means we are producing work of exceptional international standard so for us it was really a humbling experience,” said Sibusiso.

Lungelo said this kind of recognition opened their eyes to aim higher when it comes to their work.

“The only thing that we were gunning for was a Safta. I think our levels of achievement when it comes to our stuff is very low, and I think God was like 'listen here there is a lot that you are doing, and I think you need to elevate your achievements and your goals in terms of what you wanna reach'.

“To be honest, we knew there was this conference called the Input Prestige but we never thought we could be part of it. It's not something that producers are allowed to come and apply, so it's actually national broadcasters of different countries that apply on our behalf.”

Sibusiso said it was important that shows like theirs that highlight social ills be created for awareness and this recognition is the first of its kind.

“The SABC commissioning editor said they always used to complain that their shows as the SABC education department always gets overlooked ... and if I'm not mistaken I think it's the first time in a while where a show has actually been selected to be screened at Input. It's always drama and that kind of stuff so we are one of the very few, very high-concept docu-reality shows that you can find in Africa.

“We went with a very engaging style of narrative so that we could bring in younger audiences because that's what the show was really aiming for.”

Lungelo said they found their unique niche that has set them apart and she hoped this would inspire others to know that advocacy content can be commercially viable. 

“We are the kind of producers that don't just produce anything and everything, we have a great passion when it comes to community development, so we are very much community workers.

“We use the tool of medium to create awareness and to mirror society whether it's television, brand activation or it's a conference. We just believe we need to use our company to really work towards advocacy content that works and empowers the community.”