We take a break from in-studio guests to have a look at Showmax. This is what to check out on Africa’s biggest streamer. Chasing the Sun 2 The Springbok journey to the Rugby World Cup final 2023. Empini Set against the backdrop of the dangerous private security industry, Empini is a high-stakes drama that follows Ndoni Themba, a deeply troubled private security bodyguard on a quest for answers. The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip SA Various members of the "Real Housewives" franchise from acr...
Jun 03, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 48
In today's episode we reach new heights when Gino gets the opportunity for a one on one with the legendary Mandlankayise Walter Dube. Director, producer, co-screenwriter, Mandla (to his friends) is a writer and award-winning South African cinematographer. His diverse work includes documentaries, shorts, theatre and feature films. Mandla’s work in feature films includes Tsotsi , The Italian Job , Strike Back , Silverton Siege, Angel Heart , and Heart of the Hunter. His 2017 feature film, Kalushi ...
May 27, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Ever wondered who takes the leap off a building or crashes cars in movies while the stars take the credit? That’s the work of a stuntman. Special effects teams, directors, and cameramen all rely on the expertise of stuntmen to realize their creative ambitions.This collaboration creates the pulse-pounding moments that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. In this episode Gino gets an insight into the world of these unsung heroes. We chat via Zoom to Katja Hopkins and Craig MacRae of Cape Tow...
May 20, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 46
When you are watching stuff on the screen, big or small, there is one thing that tells you where you should be emotionally; tells you whether you should be sad, or happy, or terrrified. That is the score, the music that takes you on the emotional journey that you are watching. Today Gino finds out more about what goes into scoring music for television and film as he chats to Modiakgotla Keatile Shole, better known as Modia. Modia, who holds a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, began his...
May 13, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 45
We recently received a VIP invite to a preview screening of local movie Just Now Jeffrey . On the back of that, Gino now has the chance to chat to Brett Morris, co-director and co-writer of this coming of age South African comedy. Brett has had a long career as a creative in the advertising world, ranked in the top 5 by his peers. He is a published fiction, non-fiction and feature film script writer and shares his insights about cinema and just what it took to bring Just Now Jeffrey to the scree...
May 06, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 44
On Spring Day, 1 September 2023 SABC TV Licences launched the Win A Holiday Experience competition campaign in an effort to encourage South African customers to pay (or renew) their TV Licences. For their efforts, customers would be rewarded with weekly prizes such as smart TVs, Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones and laptops. This was done by a random selection automated by a dedicated microsite that was set up to monitor the competition entries. In order to qualify for the prizes, the cust...
Apr 29, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Former minister of Arts and Culture, Pallo Jordan, once called today's guest "a South African writer to look out for". Palesa Mazamisa is a published playwright, author and producer. Before entering the world of theatre and film, she worked in the publishing industry and has touched on journalism while remaining a human rights and gender activist. Palesa spent her childhood in The Netherlands before continuing her education in the US. From there she was "head hunted" back to South Africa. Follow...
Apr 22, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 42
"This time around Gino hooks up with the producer of Netflix's Inkabi - who also happens to be an old school colleague, in the person of Princess Zinzi Mhlongo; both of them hailing from eMalahleni, Witbank in Mpumalanga. Her professional theatre directing debut was a production of And the Girls in Their Sunday Dresses presented at festivals in the UK. In 2010 she was selected to be one of 12 theatre producers from across the world to participate in the Theatre Foreman Festival in Germany. In 20...
Apr 15, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Three lucky kids from Thokoza will soon be winging their way to Portugal to represent South Africa as part of the CinemaTAKE filmmaking project. This week's episode finds Gino chatting to Emilie Demon and Mpumi Mcata (BLK JKS) from Cinema TAKE, an association born out of the friendship of film lover Emilie Demon and Muriel Huet, a presenter at the BFI (British Film Institute), among many other jobs, along with film director Mpumelelo Mcata. The association’s main objective is to bring cinema to ...
Apr 08, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 40
This week Gino dives into the world of Post-Production, where all the component parts of a film or television programme are pulled together and given that extra polish that makes then stand out on our screens. To get more insight, Gino is chatting with Johnny Nkgapele. Having graduated at the University of Witwatersrand, Johnny wasted no time getting into the South African Film Industry. He started by editing LoveLife commercials and went on to editing reality shows and music videos, having work...
Apr 01, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Love it or hate it, there is no denying that reality TV has changed the face of popular viewing. In this week's episode, Gino chats to Portia Hlubi, the founder of @Milk and Honey TV - a Black - Female Creative Agency that has crafted a spectacular reputation for itself on Africa’s TV landscape. Portia began her career as a commissioning editor but has really established her career with her involvement in reality TV. Gino gets a first hand understanding of just how you go about finding the indiv...
Mar 25, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 38
37 episodes down the line and it is now a good time to catch up with the latest news about the raft of guests we have featured over the last 8 months. We have also included the link for each guest's episode, so you can easily refresh your memory as to what was going down back then. Guests: Sparky Xulu - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2220442/episodes/13356214 Jefferson Tshabalala - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2220442/episodes/13476229 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2220442/episodes/13510659 Shonisani Mas...
Mar 18, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 37
With 2024 well and truly established, it is time for a quick look at what's been happening on our own proudly South African doorstep. Gino casts his eye over 15 local productions from this year that have hit our screens. We've also added a Noteworthy section of an additional 5 titles (not all local) that are worth a look. Youngins - Showmax Red Ink - Showmax A Soweto Love Story - Netflix Trading Places - Netflix Reyka 2 - Netflix Ekhaya Backpackers - Showmax The Mommy Club 2 - Showmax The Real H...
Mar 11, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 36
As part of our ongoing journey through all aspects of Film, TV, Theatre and many other forms of media, Gino sits down with multi-award-winning production designer Karabo Legoabe. Karabo has a Naledi Award, an Independent Theatre Award and was listed as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian in 2021. She studied drama at the National School of Arts then received her Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts Honours at Wits University majoring in Production Design and Arts Manageme...
Mar 04, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Today, Gino chats to Kari Sekati, co-founder of Stage Fabrics, supplying wardrobe and styling to both individuals and the TV and Film industries. From single day shoots for an ad to months spent on the set of a feature film, it all seems a far cry from Kari's background of business management and property investment. Kicking off in 2017, Stage Fabrics was built on a friendship through school at LISOF. The two young women have business, marketing and more importantly fashion qualifications which ...
Feb 26, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In this episode Gino relates the ups and downs of having a few days off in Dubai. With useful tips on where to shop, how to save money and the best way to get about, this episode is your one-stop advice shop. Established in the 18th century as a small fishing village, Dubai grew into a regional trading hub in the early 20th century and grew rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries with a focus on tourism and luxury. It has the second-most five-star hotels in the world , as well as the t...
Feb 19, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 33
It's almost Valentine's Day and you still haven't got anything for your beloved. Better get a move on. But can you afford it? In this episode Gino looks at what you could or should be earning in the Media industry. The episode is divided into three categories: Creative, Marketing and Social Media. Within these categories, Gino talks about the remuneration for various job titles. These are further broken down into beginner's, medium experience and heavyweight salaries, as well as the difference b...
Feb 12, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 32
We have all heard of speed dating, but did you know that Christian speed dating was a thing? This week we are joined by Chantel Andile who tells us all about an upcoming event; Christian Speed Dating brought to you by Kingdom Matters. Chantel takes us through what's involved, how to get tickets, what's expected and why it's happening. Chantel is also into movie fantasy, her favourite at the moment being the Marvel Cinematic Universe which she is busy revisiting, following the MCU's timeline as o...
Feb 05, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Gino opens up about his biggest heartbreak and how he has since turned to soppy love movies when he faces tough times. Our story takes us back to 17 years ago with a boy who was cool in his school marimba band. At the same time there was a girl who was hot in her school marimba band. Like Romeo and Juliet they came together, although not in Verona, Italy, but at the National Marimba Competition held annually in Boksburg. A classic love story in the making. . . Gino's Hot Heartbreakers: The Pursu...
Jan 29, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Are you sitting comfortably? Because this episode is really three seperate sections all joined together by the supernatural. The first part tells the strange story of a young Emalahleni (Witbank) girl who kept appearing to strangers on the anniversary of her tragic passing. The second part is the story behind a documentary Gino discovered on Apple TV, about a poltergeist in north London, UK. And last but not least, just when you thought it was safe, Gino unleashes his Hot Horrors, a list of 10 m...
Jan 22, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Ok, enough of 2023, time to look ahead, but ask yourself, has Hollywood run out of fresh ideas? 2024 looks like a year of many familiar titles. . . This week Gino singles out some of the hot new releases coming at you in 2024. 1. Mean Girls , a remake of the 2004 comedy, came out just recently. 2. Argylle with John Cena, Dua Lipa and Samuel L. Jackson comes out in February. 3. Madame Web is from the Spiderverse and stars Dakota Johnson as the female hero who can see into the future. In March : 4...
Jan 15, 2024•6 min•Season 1Ep. 28
There's nothing better thank kicking back and settling down with a great comedy, and so this week Gino runs through 20 of the greatest Black Comedies of All Time. And if that doesnt tickle your funny bone, there's two extras to get you laughing into 2024. Here we go! 1. Friday (1995) - Ice Cube, Chris Tucker and Nia Long 2. Coming to America (1988) 3. Barbershop (2002) - Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer and Eve 4. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) - Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield and Bob...
Jan 08, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Welcome to the first podcast of the year, on the first day of the year. 1 January 2024. Happy New Year to all of you, wherever you are. Let’s take a look at 2023. Episode 01 of African Couch Potato - the Mash-up entered the digital arena on the 18th of July, Nelson Mandela's birthday. It is now listened to from Johannesburg to San Francisco, from Toronto to Tokyo, Across Africa, the United States, through Europe and into Asia - not bad for six months. We are available on over 15 different stream...
Jan 01, 2024•7 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Welcome to the Christmas Edition of African Couch Potato: The Mash-up. Today is our 25th episode… on the 25th day of December! When Christmas lunch is done, and all the presents have been given or received, what better way than a movie to round off the day. So, to celebrate this time of year, Gino has selected a list of 25 feel good Christmas movies to snuggle up to with your loved ones. Chapter 1 On Netflix: 1. Yoh! Christmas (local, new) 2. Best. Christmas. Ever. 3. How To Ruin Christmas (3 se...
Dec 25, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Zola Hashatsi is no stranger to controversy and the tabloids and he has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. This household name was recently accused of impersonating a medical practitioner at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital but the case was later withdrawn. Coincidently, In 2022, Zola revealed that he had decided to answer and accept the call to serve as a healer. Zola's performing career took off in 2006 when he started presenting on Craz-E. Soon after, he moved to Frenz-E before blooming...
Dec 18, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Another episode, another Masterclass. This time we turn our attention to the frantic world of television promos, those mini promotional videos that get squashed in between the adverts. This episode finds Gino talking to Pearl Shozi, Executive Creative Director at Birthmark Agency, where he gets the lowdown on what it takes to produce those short trailers for all those TV shows. Originally from Durban, Pearl moved to the City of Gold in 2016 to expand on her video production career, starting out ...
Dec 11, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Gino first met Mfanelo Njoko in 2013 at Tulip High School where he was one of the participants in Gino's community journalism programme. Fast forward 10 years and Mfanelo is the proud founder of Film To Kasi - an initiative that screens films in townships across South Africa. In this episode Mfanelo speaks about the determination it took to get this project off the ground as well as the people that helped him along the way - including the Gauteng Film Commission. Yes? No? Send us a text Let us k...
Dec 04, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 22
In this episode, Gino chats to multi award nominee Chad Pop about editing, from his early days at AFDA to a six year stay at one of South Africa's top advertising agencies to finally stepping out into the big wide world with his own company. Chad was privileged to be nominated for Best Editor at the AFDA graduation awards as well as for the Rocket award at the 2017 Promax Africa Awards. In 2018 he was ranked number 11 in the Best Editor category by the Loeries Africa/Middle East Awards. Chad dis...
Nov 27, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Gino takes a quick look at South Africa's streaming platforms and gives us a review on one production from each platform. 1. Spinners (Showmax) Ethan is a 17-year-old driver working for a local gang. Disgusted with gang life, Ethan discovers a possible way out via spinning, an extreme motorsport. But the looming gang war jeopardises that hope. 2. The Burial (Prime Video) Inspired by true events, a lawyer helps a funeral home owner save his family business from a corporate behemoth, exposing a co...
Nov 20, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Bringing a list of even more films that Gino has not yet seen, Banele P. Mtebele runs several film clubs and a post-production suite called The Village Post Office. Banele talks of the importance of screening films to the community through his film club in Alex, as well as weekly film classes to inspired young would-be filmmakers. He also takes us through some of the films that have shaped his life growing up: Amores Perros (Life's a Bitch) by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu A Reasonable Man by Gavi...
Nov 13, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 19
