The 10 Greatest South African Movies and Series Ever Made

South African movie industry has continued to produce good, entertaining, and educative movies. The film industry is popularly known as the Cinema of South Africa. It has produced quite a number of foreign movies about South Africa usually involving race relations. There are a lot of movies that have received international recognition and awards. This writing is going focus on the 10 Greatest South African movies and series people believe the country has ever made.

There are three (3) major South African film distributors in South Africa. They are Times Media Films, Ster-Kinerkor, and United International Pictures. Each of these distributors has various studios which they individually represent.

The 10 Greatest South African Movies and Series Ever Made

1. The Gods Must be Crazy

The all-time classic, The Gods Must be Crazy was set in Kalahari. The 1980 classic comedy tells the story of a bush farmer Xi played by the Namibian bush farmer and actor, Nixau. The life of the community Bushmen changed when a coke bottle was thrown out from the sky. It was written, produced, and directed by Jamie Uys. It was the first South African film to achieve international acclaim and recognition even though the film presented a wrong narrative about the Khoisan people. It was an international co-production of South Africa and Botswana. When the film was released by Ster-Kinekor in South Africa, it broke the box office records and became the most financially successful release in South African’s film industry history.

2. District 9

District 9 is a science fiction action film that was released in 2009. The film was directed by Neill Blomkamp and was written by Terri Tatchell and Blomkamp and it was produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James. It starred Sharlto Copkey, David James, and a few others.

It was a co-production of New Zealand, the United States, and South Africa. The story explores themes of humanity, xenophobia, and social segregation. The story was based on Alive in Joburg by Neill Blomkamp.

Aside from calling it the best science fiction film of the 2000s, it received several awards and nominations. It was nominated for the best picture, best adapted screenplay, best visual effects, and best film editing. The film made more than $210.8 million in the box office. this movie has appeared on several best South African movies and series lists.

3. Tsotsi

The 2005 crime drama, Tsotsi was written and directed by Gavin Hood and peter Fudakowski produced the film. The film was an adaptation of the novel Tsotsi by Athol Fugard. It was set in Alexandra slum in Johannesburg, South Africa. The film star Presley Chweneyagae, Terry Pheto, Kenneth Nkosi, and a few others. Tsotsi won the 2006 academy award for best foreign-language film and it became the first South African film and the first African film not made in French to win the award.

4. U-Carmen eKhayelitsha

U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha is a 2005 opera film adapted from ‘Carmen’. It was translated to Xhosa from Henri Meilhac and Ludovic’s Libretto for Bizet’s original opera. It tells the story of two lovers, a factory worker and a policeman. The film won critical acclaim after it received the Golden Bear at the 2005 Berlin International Film festival. The mains are Pauline Malefane and Lungelwa Blou.

5. Shadow

The South African TV series shadow premiered on March 8, 2019, on Netflix. It is considered the first acquired South African original series on Netflix. The film tells the story of an ex-cop suffering from congenital analgesia. The film featured Pallance Dlada. Amanda Du-Pont, Tunie Ngumla and Khathu Ramabulana as the main casts.

5. The Bang Bang Club

The 2010 Canadian-South African biographical drama was written and directed by Steven Silver. The film portrayed the lives of four photojournalists in the townships of South African during the apartheid period. It featured Taylor Kitsch, Ryan Phillippe Malin Akerman among others. As of June 2020, the film holds a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 47 reviews with an average rating of 5.89/10.

7. Queen Sono

Queen Sono is a South African crime drama streaming television series by Kagiso Lediga. It premiered on Netflix on February 28, 2020. It is Netflix’s first African original series but was released on a later date which makes shadow the first since it was premiered first. It stars pearl Thusi, Vuyo Dabula Abigail Kubeka, and others.

It was praised by critics for the direction, cinematography, action sequences, and overall performances. Unfortunately, it was reported that Netflix had canceled the series due to production challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film tells the story of a secret South African clandestine agent who was dealing with criminal operations while handling the crisis happening in her personal life.

8. Invictus

The 2009 biographical sports drama Invictus was directed by Clint Eastwood and it starred Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. The story is based on the 2008 John Carlin book playing the enemy: Nelson Mandela and the game that made a nation. The film grossed $122.2 million on a budget of $50-60 million.

The film received the award for outstanding actor in a motion picture. By the NAACP Image Awards, Faith and Freedom Award for Movies by Movieguide awards among many others.

9. Blood and Water

Blood and Water is a Netflix original streaming television series. It was released on May 20, 2020, and it starred Ama Qamata, Khosi Ngema, and Gail Mabalane. The second series was renewed in June 2020 by Netflix and the filming started in November 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. The film tells the story of a high school girl whose sister was kidnapped as part of a human trafficking network after birth.

10. Sarafina!

Sarafina! Was directed by Darrell Roodt and it was written by Ngema and William Nicholson. The 1992 musical drama film was based on Mbongeni Ngema’s 1987 musical, Sarafina! The film was a co-production of South Africa, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. The film was premiered on May 11, 1992, at the Cannes Film Festival. It starred Whoopi Goldberg, Leleti Khumalo, Miriam Makeba, John Kani, and Ngema.

The film holds a 60% “certified fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $7,306,242 in the North American box office.