Taking it to the max: The rise and fall of Showmax

It’s the end of an era after MultiChoice and Canal+ pulled the plug on Showmax on Thursday morning. The local streamer, launched in August 2015, was a “game-changer” in the local TV and film industry from the get-go. It had a head start to position itself before competitors Netflix and Amazon Prime Video arrived in SA in 2016.

By the time Apple TV+ launched in November 2019 and Disney Plus in May 2022, Showmax had more than solidified itself as a force to be reckoned with by transitioning from niche content to become a mainstream cultural disrupter. Showmax was both gritty and gutsy in its digital-first approach and offered contributors the creative freedom to take it to new heights.

Here is a timeline of how Showmax found the zeitgeist and set the agenda:

First original

In its infancy, Showmax garnered its cult status by exclusively importing top-tier international shows from US channel HBO (and later Max Original). So, local viewers could for the first time watch international hit TV shows Succession, Industry, The White Lotus and others in real time. In the age of social media spoiling TV show plotlines and twists, this was a win for local audiences. Sleeper comedy series Tali’s Wedding Diary became Showmax’s first original show in 2017, succeeded by The Girl From St Agnes as the streamer’s first scripted drama in 2019.

Home of reality TV

Love Kelly Khumalo or hate her, it’s all an obsession: Showmax not only understood this, but it capitalised on it with the release of Life With Kelly Khumalo. In the middle of the pandemic, the streamer made its first ballsy decision by commissioning its first reality show focused on the life of the controversial singer, with seven episodes screening in August 2020. In the years that followed, Showmax became the home of edgy reality TV shows such as Somizi & Mohale: The Union, The Real Housewives, The Mommy Club and more.

Killer ratings

If it bleeds, it leads. In 2021, Showmax catered to audiences’ appetite for bloodthirsty content in its first original true-crime series, Devilsdorp – based on the mysterious 11 brutal murders that crippled the town of Krugersdorp in 2016. It was a huge ratings hit and set a reported “four-day hours-watched record” for Showmax. Devilsdorp paved the way for Steinheist, Rosemary’s Hitlist and Tracking Thabo Bester.

Skhanda love

The guilty pleasure of soap operas is always a winning recipe, and Showmax shook up the genre in 2021 with the launch of its first original telenovela, The Wife, adapted from Dudu Busani-Dube’s novels. It paid off, as the Zulu telenovela reportedly became “the most-watched Showmax Original ever, racking up 50m+ hours”. The show launched the careers of Bonko Khoza, Kwenzo Ngcobo, Sipho Ndlovu, Gaisang K Noge, Mbalenhle Mavimbela and Mondli Makhoba.

Sex sells

Starring Thembinkosi Mthembu, Thabiso Isaac Rammusi, Nhlanhla Kunene and Luthando Mthembu, the 18+-rated series Adulting that premiered in 2023 explored strong sexual themes that were too hot to handle for some viewers.

The new Showmax

In February 2024, Showmax had a facelift with a refreshed look, a new app and an updated product offering. This included a supposed record of 21 originals from four African countries and the continent’s first standalone Premier League mobile streaming plan. The series line-up for this included the teen drama Youngins, the serial killer thriller Red Ink and the international co-production Catch Me A Killer. The film slate included Forever Yena, Intlawulo and Matilda en Matthys from SA and The Counsellor from Nigeria.

Tyla magic

In January 2025, Showmax anchored a first for an African streamer with a live stream of Tyla’s concert in Pretoria. While the reaction from viewers was polarising and lukewarm, Showmax got an “A” for effort with Tyla: Live on Showmax.