SABC 2 Reportedly Cancels Afrikaans Telenovela ‘Paradys’ After Only 1 Season
- The SABC reportedly cancelled the Afrikaans telenovela Paradys on SABC 2, giving the cast and crew just days' notice
- Paradys starred Lorcia Cooper and was praised for its groundbreaking portrayal of South Africa's Coloured community in the 19:00 prime-time slot
- The cancellation is set to leave hundreds of people without work and mirrors the earlier axing of SABC 2 show Pimville
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The SABC is said to have abruptly pulled the plug on its Afrikaans telenovela Paradys after a single season, with cast and crew reportedly given only 10 days' notice that filming would wrap on 23 October 2026. The shock decision has left hundreds of people facing unemployment, many of them blindsided just weeks before the end of the year.
Set in a Coloured community and produced by Black Brain Pictures, Paradys was executive produced by Mpumelelo Nhlapo, Mandla N and Annelie van Rooyen, with Joanne Downing and Mamello Ngoepe serving as creative producers and Piet Matipa as head writer.
An insider told TV with Thinus: "Paradys cast and crew were kept in the dark until the last minute and people are shocked that they are jobless in less than a week, especially around this time of the year."
A show built to anchor SABC 2's revival
When the broadcaster relaunched SABC 2 in February and handed Paradys the coveted 19:00 primetime slot, it positioned the show alongside Pimville as a cornerstone of its strategy to rebuild the channel and win back both viewers and advertisers. That vision has now unravelled.
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Pimville was previously cancelled after unresolved contractual obligations and alleged breaches by its production company, Bakwena Productions, and Paradys has followed it out the door.
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Strategic restructuring behind the cancellation
According to industry reports, the sudden decision to pull the plug stems from ongoing ratings struggles alongside a broader effort by the public broadcaster to restructure and rebuild SABC 2's prime-time lineup.
Despite Paradys earning critical praise and a dedicated following for its authentic representation of Coloured South Africans, the show reportedly struggled to pull in the massive viewership numbers required to secure sustainable advertising revenue in the crucial 19:00 slot. As part of its broader strategy to overhaul SABC 2 and win back prime-time audiences, the broadcaster has opted to clear the slate, choosing a complete channel lineup reset over giving the drama another season to grow.
Paradys replaced 7de Laan, the beloved Afrikaans soapie that ran for 23 seasons before being cancelled in July 2023. Its departure leaves another significant gap in local-language content for viewers who depend on free-to-air television and cannot afford satellite or streaming subscriptions.
Pimville replaced with Amalanga Awafani
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Pimville's replacement, the repeat episodes of Amalanga Awafani.
The announcement arrived as the SABC and the producers of Pimville were embroiled in a tense legal standoff, leaving Mzansi with mixed reactions.
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Source: Briefly News
