Showmax specials: Five local gems to stream this month [watch]

Here are five local gems to stream on Showmax this May.

A BANNER MONTH FOR SHOWMAX’S AFRICAN CONTENT

May 2022 has been a banner month for African content on Showmax, with Africa & I winning Best First Feature Documentary at The Pan African Film and Arts Festival. The following African shows were trending at #1 on Twitter in South Africa,

• Living The Dream With Somizi season five
• The Wife season two finale
• The Real Housewives of Durban season two reunion 
• While The Real Housewives of Lagos trending at #1 on Twitter in Nigeria

But there are many more local gems to watch on Showmax this month. Here are five local gems to stream

1. ‘BARAKAT’ | STREAM NOW ON SHOWMAX

Barakat was South Africa’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. This made Amy Jephta (Skemerdans, Late Bloomer) the fourth female director to be submitted to the Oscars by South Africa, and the first woman of colour. 

Barakat follows Muslim widow Aisha Davids as she tries to bring together her fractured family over Eid-al-Fitr to break the news about her new romance.

2. ‘NEW MATERIAL’ | STREAM NOW

Life is not a funny business, but New Material –  the long-awaited sequel to the 2012 triple-SAFTA-winning comedy, Material, definitely is.

The film is written by Comics’ Choice Award winner Riaad Moosa and director Craig Freimond (Gums & Noses, Jozi, Vaya). New Material catches up with stand-up comic Cassim almost 10 years on, as he tries to figure out family, belonging and taking his comedy from Fordsburg to the world – or at least on a cross-country road trip.

ALSO READ: What to watch: Four shows to stream on Showmax this Africa Month

3. ‘GOMORA’ SEASON THREE | FIRST 18 EPISODES AVAILABLE ON SHOWMAX, NEW EPISODES DAILY 

Gomora season three picked up after the bloody season two finale and the drama hasn’t slowed down yet.

So far, we’ve already met three new characters this season. Duncan Leballo (Aubrey Makola from The Station and Skeem Saam) is a suave record executive with a thing for young girls. 

4. ‘THE RIVER’ SEASON FIVE 

As Lindiwe in The River, Sindi Dlathu won the Best Actress SAFTA in 2021 – for the second year in a row. Now Tina Dlathu, her younger sister, is following in her footsteps, joining the cast of 1Magic’s thrill-a-minute, iEmmy-nominated telenovela.

Tina plays Khwezi Hlophe, part of a wealthy and dangerous mafioso family that’s set to stir things up this season. She joins the family business after they buy into Khanyisa Diamonds.

5. ‘STRANGERS YOU KNOW‘ 

Strangers You Know is a hard-hitting true crime docuseries that uncovers the stories behind some of the most brutal crimes in South Africa’s recent history.

Season one includes the tragic cases of Karabo Mokoena, Anene Booysen, baby Jenna May, Gill Packham, Jayde Panayiotou, Palesa Madiba, and the Mooinooi farm murders. 

Strangers You Know focuses on cases of gender-based violence and women who lost their lives at the hands of men they knew. Crucially, these are also cases where the perpetrators have been convicted.

ALSO READ: What’s on Showmax? 10 international series to stream in May [watch]