{"id":16719,"date":"2025-07-17T21:00:57","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T19:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=16719"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:14:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:14:04","slug":"nay-maps-simon-mabhunu-sabela-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/nay-maps-simon-mabhunu-sabela-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and Television Awards: Nay Maps to Take the Stage as Host"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The 12th annual <strong>Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and Television Awards<\/strong> will take place on <strong>Saturday, 19 July 2025<\/strong>, at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC). This prestigious event celebrates and honours outstanding creative excellence in South African film and television. It has a special focus on KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)-based talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the 2025 edition, popular South African actor and musician <strong>Nay Maps<\/strong> has been announced as the official host. He promises an engaging and vibrant ceremony. This event highlights the cinematic achievements from the region and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ALSO READ:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/jojo-robinson-apologizes-to-nonku-williams\/\">Jojo Robinson Apologizes to Nonku Williams in Emotional Letter After RHOD Friendship Ends<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-honouring-a-legendary-legacy\">Honouring a Legendary Legacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Named after the late Simon Mabhunu Sabela, South Africa\u2019s first black film director and a pioneering figure in local cinema, the awards shine a spotlight on emerging and established film and television talent. They especially celebrate those born or residing in KwaZulu-Natal. Sabela\u2019s enduring legacy continues to inspire filmmakers, actors, and creatives within the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority (KZNTAFA) continues its commitment to elevating storytelling talent with the theme for 2025: <strong>\u201cAfrica\u2019s Champions of Storytelling: From Piers to Pages.\u201d<\/strong> This theme <a href=\"https:\/\/risingsunnewspapers.co.za\/312193\/2025-simon-mabhunu-sabela-award-nominees-announced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">celebrates the vibrant narratives<\/a> from the province. It nurtures stories transformed into internationally recognised cinematic works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-801711780\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nay-maps-a-fitting-choice-as-host\">Nay Maps: A Fitting Choice as Host<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nkosinathi Maphalala, widely known as Nay Maps and a former actor on the beloved TV series <em>Uzalo<\/em>, will bring his charisma and passion for the arts to the hosting role. Speaking on the appointment, Nay Maps expressed enthusiasm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI was chosen to host these awards and I was excited to do so as I believe in hosting such events that celebrate, acknowledge and honour the talent we have as a country and as a province.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>His experience both in front of the camera and as a musician positions him well to connect with the diverse audience expected at the awards. He will also connect across broadcast platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-celebrating-the-nominees-and-categories\">Celebrating the Nominees and Categories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The awards feature over 30 categories spanning film and television, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Best Actor and Best Actress<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best Director<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best Use of KwaZulu-Natal as a Filming Location<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best Newcomer Actor and Actress<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best Screenplay (Feature and Short)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best Micro-Budget Film<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Best IsiZulu Film<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Among this year\u2019s frontrunners are titles like Stained Glass&#8217; <em>Umjolo<\/em> movie series streaming on Netflix, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bona.co.za\/entertainment\/2025-simon-sabela-kzn-film-and-television-awards-nominees-revealed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leading in nominations<\/a>. The BET Original Production <em>A Wesley South African Christmas<\/em> and popular TV drama <em>Uzalo<\/em> also received <a href=\"https:\/\/risingsunnewspapers.co.za\/312193\/2025-simon-mabhunu-sabela-award-nominees-announced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">multiple nods<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Noteworthy is the film <strong><em>Masinga the Calling<\/em><\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/iol.co.za\/sunday-tribune\/entertainment\/2025-07-02-masinga-the-calling-celebrating-four-nominations-at-the-2025-simon-mabhunu-sabela-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">acclaimed for securing<\/a> four nominations across Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor categories. Mark Engels, the producer and director of <em>Masinga the Calling<\/em>, regards the recognition as deeply personal. It symbolizes a tribute to Simon Mabhunu Sabela\u2019s pioneering influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-4142472716\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-supporting-kwazulu-natal-s-growing-film-industry\">Supporting KwaZulu-Natal\u2019s Growing Film Industry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>KZNTAFA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Sibusiso Gumbi, <a href=\"https:\/\/iol.co.za\/entertainment\/tv\/2025-06-11-2025-simon-mabhunu-sabela-awards-spotlight-on-nominees-nelisiwe-sibiya-menzi-biyela-and-kwenzo-ngcobo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">highlighted the importance<\/a> of these awards in sustaining the province as a hub for cinematic storytelling:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards continue to elevate the stories and storytellers of KZN. These awards are not just about recognising talent but also about ensuring that our province remains the heartbeat of South African cinema and destination of choice for local and international productions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The awards ceremony enhances industry visibility, encouraging further investments, and nurtures both emerging and veteran creatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-event-details-and-expectations\">Event Details and Expectations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Date:<\/strong> Saturday, 19 July 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Venue:<\/strong> Durban International Convention Centre (ICC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Host:<\/strong> Nay Maps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Broadcast:<\/strong> Coverage planned across national TV and digital platforms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DMK35oktdzc\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:540px; margin:auto;\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Event organisers anticipate a night filled with celebration, community, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/entertainment\/nay-maps-host-simon-mabhunu-sabela-film-and-television-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recognition that honours<\/a> the exceptional achievements of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizcommunity.com\/article\/afda-talent-shines-bright-in-2025-simon-mabhunu-sabela-awards-nominations-582490a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Africa\u2019s storytellers<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 12th annual Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and Television Awards will take place on Saturday, 19 July 2025, at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC). This prestigious event celebrates and honours outstanding creative excellence in South African film and television. It has a special focus on KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)-based talent. For the 2025 edition, popular South<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":16725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"The 12th annual Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and Television Awards will take place on Saturday, 19 July 2025, at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC)....","footnotes":""},"categories":[1706],"tags":[2106,9636,1294,4222],"class_list":{"0":"post-16719","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-awards","9":"tag-film-television","10":"tag-kwazulu-natal","11":"tag-south-african-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16719"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16729,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16719\/revisions\/16729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}