South Africa has made history with a record-breaking five nominations at the 2025 International Emmy® Awards, the most ever for an African country in a single year.

The five nominations put South Africa in third place overall, behind only the UK and Brazil. 

Four of the nominations are for Multichoice titles, the fourth consecutive year MultiChoice has cracked the iEmmys shortlist, bringing its total to 11 nominations in eight years.

The nominated titles include Rugby World Cup documentary Chasing the Sun 2 (SuperSport); the Afrikaans crime drama Koek (Showmax); the powerful documentary School Ties (M-Net); and the gripping thriller Catch Me a Killer (Showmax), which earned a nomination in the Best Performance by an Actress category for Charlotte Hope. In addition, Play Room Live, on the Play Room children’s channel on DStv Channel 300, has been nominated in the Kids: Factual and Entertainment category.

The nominations come as MultiChoice expands its global footprint under new parent company CANAL+, signalling a bold new chapter in African content reaching audiences worldwide.

“We are incredibly proud of our content teams and producing partners, whose creativity, passion and commitment have earned MultiChoice a record four International Emmy nominations,” says Nomsa Philiso, Director of Content: General Entertainment, English and Portuguese-speaking Africa at MultiChoice. “These nominations mark a significant milestone for our industry – a moment where local stories, crafted with care and cultural depth, are being recognised on a global stage like never before.”

Here are the nominees:

Best Drama Series: Koek

Wolflight

When Cape Town housewife Christelle Smit discovers evidence her husband is having an affair with a stripper named Candi Floss, her investigation takes her to a world poles apart from the suburban utopia she knows. 

The Showmax Original stars Cindy Swanepoel as Christelle, with Sandra Prinsloo as the brandy-drinking, cigar-smoking, leopard-print loving, kidney-stealing mob boss she’s soon in debt to.

Created by Christiaan Olwagen, directed by Johannes Pieter Nel, and produced by Wolflight, the crime comedy was the most awarded TV series at Silwerskerm in 2024. 

Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awsbm6bKF5M

Best Actress: Charlotte Hope in Catch Me A Killer

Kowalski Films / LMP 51 / Showmax / Night Train Media

British actress Charlotte Hope (Game of Thrones, The Spanish Princess) stars in Catch Me A Killer as Micki Pistorius, South Africa’s first-ever serial-killer profiler.

Adapted from Pistorius’ memoir, the true-crime drama series is set in the mid-90s as the newly qualified forensic psychologist tries to prove to a largely skeptical, largely male police force that she can help profile and track down South Africa’s most feared killers, from the Station Strangler to Stewart “Boetie Boer” Wilken.

Produced by Kowalski Films, Night Train Media and Local Motion Pictures, the Showmax Original became the first South African series at Series Mania and won Best Production Design for Warren Gray at the British Film Designers Guild Awards. 

Sphere Abacus sold the series widely, including BritBox in North America, BBC First in Benelux and Poland, SBS in Australia, Alibi Channel in the UK, Mystery Channel in Japan, Cosmote TV in Greece, and Pickbox in Central and Eastern Europe. 

Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6X5pktY1ak

Best Sports Documentary: Chasing the Sun 2

T+W

Chasing the Sun 2 offers fans front-row seats to the Springbok’s awe-inspiring 2023 journey to their historic fourth Rugby World Cup victory – the most by any country ever. 

The five-part documentary series features never-before-seen footage, interviews with more than 30 players and coaches, and all the highlights from the Springboks’ nail-biting journey from first-game defeat to winning the final.

Chasing the Sun 2 is directed and executive produced by Gareth Whittaker and produced by T+W for SuperSport – earning their second International Emmy nomination in three years, after Two Sides (2023).

Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAtgExpKFjU

Best Documentary: School Ties

IdeaCandy

School Ties confronts the grooming and sexual abuse of learners in some of South Africa’s most prestigious boys’ schools. The M-Net series unravels the trauma endured by victims and the culture of silence that allows this to happen, as well as the responses of authorities, schools, and society at large.

The four-part documentary series is directed by Richard Finn Gregory and produced by local true-crime pioneers IdeaCandy (Tracking Thabo Bester, Devilsdorp, Rosemary’s Hitlist, Steinheist and the upcoming Unspoken War).

School Ties prompted a national debate on accountability in elite schools and was nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s National Arts and Culture Awards. 

Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Oy8TeoTc0

MultiChoice Studios is handling international sales for Koek, School Ties and Chasing the Sun 2, while Catch Me A Killer is now repped by Eccho Rights. 

Kids: Factual and Entertainment: Play Room Live

Eclipse Television Productions

Play Room Live, on the Play Room children’s channel on DStv Channel 300, has been nominated in the Kids: Factual and Entertainment category. Play Room is a DStv channel (Channel 300) dedicated to providing a mix of entertainment and education for children, featuring both original South African and international shows. 

The channel emphasises local relevance by offering popular shows dubbed in local languages like isiZulu, alongside live segments like Play Room Live, which include games, interviews, and challenges for viewers. It aims to be an interactive and inclusive space for children to learn, explore their creativity, and connect with content in their home languages. 

All nominees will convene in New York at the International Emmy^® World Television Festival for Nominee Panels, Presentations and Partner events, from November 21-23.

Winners will be announced at the 53rd International Emmy^® Awards Gala in New York City, on Monday, November 24, 2025.