Sexism and racism in South Africa’s TV industry

Abstract

abstract This profile looks at misogyny and anti-blackness within South Africa’s film and television industry, both on screen and off screen, and the direct link that representation has to the way we live our lives. The central question is regarding how popular culture shapes our lives and the way we see ourselves. South Africa’s television industry is booming. Viewers have more content to choose from than 20 years ago when they only had the option of a few soaps and dramas. More black people are working in the industry as writers, directors and producers – yet the content being created still reproduces sexist and racist images of black people for profit. White supremacist capitalist patriarchy, which is indicative of the power structures that remain unchanged, is the only lens through which black life is seen and represented. The article will provide an analysis of the industry within the broader context of moviemaking and Hollywood, drawing on the works of bell hooks (1997) and Stuart Hall (1997). It includes interviews with writer Bongi Ndaba and feminist and activist Rosie Motene on their experiences in working in the industry as black women and what resistance should look like.