By Rorisang Modiba
- The South African Background Actors Guild says Bakwena Productions failed to pay actors from a previous show.
- The SABC admits it knew about the issue but still gave the company a new contract.
The SABC is being criticised for giving a production contract to a company that’s been accused of not paying its workers.
The public broadcaster confirmed it hired Bakwena Productions to make Pimville, a new telenovela set to air on SABC2.
This comes after Sunday World revealed that the SABC ignored questions about the company. The report triggered a strong reaction from the South African Background Actors Guild (SABAG), which demanded answers in a letter.
SABAG’s Louis Setabole said they are unhappy with the SABC’s decision, as Bakwena has a poor track record.
“Our concerns arise from Bakwena Productions’ history of questionable business practices, particularly their failure to fulfil financial obligations to cast, crew, and background actors,” he said.
He explained that during the 2024 production of Pound 4 Pound, the company didn’t pay many people on time. Some only got paid three months later, while others still haven’t been paid at all.
Setabole said the company was rude when asked about the delays and never gave an explanation or apology.
He said it’s worrying that the SABC would knowingly work with a company like that.
The matter even caught the attention of DA Member of Parliament Tsholofelo Katlego Bodlani.
This pushed SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli to respond. She admitted the broadcaster knew about the complaints when it hired Bakwena.
Chabeli said the company is still new and needs support. She added that to prevent problems, the SABC has put a supervising producer in place to monitor the production closely.
She also pointed out that the SABC does not pay actors directly – that is up to the production company – but said the broadcaster still wants to make sure all workers are treated fairly and paid properly.
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Communications S’bongiseni Vilakazi said the SABC must take the issue seriously.
“We urge the broadcaster to treat the complaint with the seriousness it deserves and to ensure that companies with exploitative practices are not rewarded with additional work by the SABC,” he said.
Pictured above: Nomsa Chabeli.
Image source: @nomsalc
