KwaZulu-Natal filmmakers have until 16:00 on 14 September 2026 to submit applications for the latest round of the KZN Film Fund Development and Production Programme, as the province enters another important period for its screen industry.

The current funding call provides filmmakers with an opportunity to secure support for the development and production of new projects, with applications to be submitted to kz*********@********sa.com.

The deadline comes as preparations intensify for the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards, with adjudication of this year’s entries under way.

While the judges work through the productions and performances submitted for SSA26, attention is beginning to turn to the filmmakers, actors and other screen practitioners who will make up this year’s nominees and, ultimately, winners.

As this year’s Sabelas move closer to identifying a new group of nominees and winners, the experiences of previous winners provide a timely reminder of what the Awards can mean beyond the ceremony itself.

Producer Bonie Sithebe, actress Zola Mhlongo and filmmaker Portia Ncwane have each continued to build their careers since receiving Sabela recognition, moving into new productions, developing new projects and, in different ways, creating opportunities for others.

Their journeys offer a glimpse of what could lie ahead for some of the practitioners currently being considered for SSA26.

Film Fund applications close on 14 September

The KZN Film Fund Development and Production Programme forms part of KZN Tourism and Film’s efforts to stimulate production activity and support the development of screen content with a meaningful connection to the province.

The Authority’s published criteria include projects set in KwaZulu-Natal, stories with cultural, historical or social relevance to the province, stories portraying Zulu culture and productions filmed in KZN. Published criteria also require qualifying productions to spend at least 70% of their total production budget in KwaZulu-Natal.

Development support extends across different screen formats, including feature films, documentaries, television series, short films and animation. Applications are assessed on factors including the strength of the script or treatment, the experience of the technical team and whether budgets and revenue forecasts are realistic.

Applicants have until 16:00 on 14 September 2026 to submit their applications to kz*********@********sa.com and should consult the relevant eligibility criteria, application documentation and funding guidelines before submitting. Further information is available through the KZN Tourism and Film Authority.

Sibusiso Gumbi, Acting CEO of KZN Tourism and Film, said the next few weeks represented an important period for the provincial screen sector.

“September and October are important months for the KwaZulu-Natal screen industry. We are currently calling on filmmakers to bring forward projects for consideration through the Film Fund, while adjudication is under way for the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards. These are different programmes, but both are about creating an environment in which KwaZulu-Natal talent and stories can develop, be produced and ultimately be recognised.”

While the Film Fund looks to the projects and practitioners that could shape the industry’s future, the experiences of previous Sabela winners provide a measure of what can happen when talent is recognised and practitioners are able to build on that recognition. For three past winners in particular, the Sabela has become part of a much bigger career journey that has continued long after awards night.

Previous winners continue to make their mark

For producer Bonie Sithebe, Sabela recognition came after she had already spent more than a decade building her career.

Her production Valley of a Thousand Hills dominated the 2023 Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards, taking eight awards.

“My career began more than ten years before the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards were launched, and I was already working actively as a filmmaker both locally and nationally,” Sithebe said.

“However, receiving the award elevated my recognition beyond South Africa and introduced my work to a wider international audience. It strengthened my confidence and created opportunities for me to collaborate and work with filmmakers and industry professionals from around the world.”

Since then, Sithebe has directed a Netflix telenovela and is developing a co-production with a Canadian producer.

Her focus has also extended to opening doors for other women in the industry through mentorship, training and opportunities on productions.

“Representation cannot end with our own success; we must use our positions to bring other women into the room,” she said.

Actress Zola Mhlongo, who won Best Supporting Actress in TV at the 2025 Sabelas, has similarly continued building her career following her win.

“Receiving the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Award was an incredibly humbling and affirming moment in my career,” Mhlongo said.

“It represented more than just recognition for my work—it reminded me that passion, consistency and authenticity are always worthwhile.”

Mhlongo is currently appearing in Love Wins on Mzansi Magic and has ambitions to move further into feature films and telenovelas.

“Acting has always been my first love, and I look forward to taking on more dynamic and challenging roles that allow me to grow as a performer while representing African stories on bigger platforms,” she said.

Through the Lovin Entertainment Foundation, she has also helped five women professionally record radio demos, giving aspiring broadcasters practical material with which to pursue opportunities.

“I believe that true success is measured by how many people you help along the way,” she said.

“As women, we are stronger when we support one another rather than compete with one another.”

Developing the next projects

Filmmaker Portia Ncwane, meanwhile, has focused on developing the next phase of her work since winning Best IsiZulu Film at the 2025 Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards for Tales of a Zulu Folk Dancer | Igida Ngoma.

“For me, the award affirmed that I belong in those spaces not only as a woman participating in the industry, but as a woman shaping the stories we tell and how we tell them,” Ncwane said.

She is currently developing Raised the African Way, a feature documentary she is writing, directing and producing, as well as Jozi to Kwelika Mthaniya, a feature film she is also writing, directing and producing.

Ncwane is also studying towards a BA in Motion Picture Medium while continuing her work through the Portia Ncwane Foundation and Sbani Media Productions in arts education, mentorship, youth empowerment and community development. She says these programmes have reached more than 20,000 young people and communities across Africa, the African diaspora and internationally.

The progress of Sithebe, Mhlongo and Ncwane provides a useful backdrop as the judges consider this year’s Sabela entries. Their experiences show that recognition can become a platform for the next production, the next role, an international collaboration or an opportunity to bring other practitioners into the industry.

For KZN Tourism and Film, Gumbi said the objective was to continue creating opportunities at different stages of that journey.

“We want to see more KwaZulu-Natal stories being developed, more productions taking place and more of our practitioners building careers that extend from one opportunity to the next. The Film Fund helps us invest in projects with that potential, while the Sabelas give us an opportunity to recognise the excellence that emerges from the industry.”

And for practitioners hoping to become part of a future generation of Sabela winners, Sithebe’s advice remains pertinent:

“You cannot sit in your corner and hope the industry will discover your talent.”