Since its inaugural broadcast on October 26, 1986, M-Net has transformed from a 12-hour daily channel into a pan-African broadcasting powerhouse. As South Africa’s first private subscription television service, the network has spent the last four decades cementing its place in local pop culture, introducing viewers to the celebrated ‘Open Time’ slot, the uninterrupted Sunday 8 PM movie, and a steady stream of local and international hits.
The network has served as a launchpad and home for household names like Trevor Noah, Thuso Mbedu, Shaleen Surtie-Richards, Somizi Mhlongo, and Nico Panagio. Groundbreaking programming defined its early years, with investigative journalists Derek Watts and Ruda Landman leading Carte Blanche in 1988, followed by South Africa’s first daily soap, Egoli: Place of Gold, in 1992. M-Net also pioneered the local reality TV boom with Big Brother South Africa in 2001 and a 19-season run of Idols South Africa.
“Seeing what has grown from a small channel broadcasting 12 hours a day with a core team of 25 employees to a powerhouse which has set the standard for pay-TV broadcasting is incredible,” said Waldimar Pelser, Director of Premium Channels at Multichoice. Former continuity presenter Ashley Hayden and Egoli star Brümilda van Rensburg echoed these sentiments, celebrating the network’s evolution into a cornerstone of African home entertainment.
As M-Net reflects on its legacy, highlighted by a recent 40th-anniversary retrospective on Carte Blanche, the channel is rolling out a packed slate of upcoming local and international titles alongside a newly announced co-production with Quizzical Pictures.
Upcoming M-Net Programming Highlights:
Local Productions: The Deon Meyer-inspired thriller Invisible airs Wednesdays at 20:00, and the documentary special A Conversation with Kgalema Motlanthe premieres October 28 at 21:00.
Reality TV: My Kitchen Rules returns November 11 at 18:00, with the newest season of Survivor USA taking over the slot on December 15.
International Dramas: November premieres include War (Nov 4, 21:00), The Five Star Weekend (Nov 9, 19:00), and NCIS: New York (Nov 26, 19:00).
Returning Favorites: Second seasons of Dexter: Resurrection (Nov 12), Mobland (Nov 16), and Taylor Sheridan’s Marshals (Nov 17) will air at 21:00, with Lioness and Tulsa King arriving in December.
Sunday Blockbusters: The biographical film Michael premieres Sunday, November 8 at 20:00.