2021 marks 40 years of The Sowetan, one of South Africa’s largest national papers, revered by many for its incremental impact on the news industry. The Sowetan has been there for all of Mzansi’s iconic and heartwarming successes and to celebrate this incredible milestone, The Sowetan and Netflix took a nostalgic trip down memory lane to celebrate the impact that the Sowetan has had on the entertainment industry over the last 40 years.
To bring this to life, The Sowetan and Netflix recreated iconic photographs from the last 40 years, highlighting the excellence and talent coming out of South Africa, using local Netflix talent from Blood & Water, How To Ruin Christmas: The Wedding and JIVA! amongst others.
Snapped by Mbuzeni Zulu on the occasion of Brenda’s blowout wedding to Nhlanhla Mbambo. The highlight of the glitzy 3-city wedding was the couple’s helicopter arrival at Durban’s Kwa-Mashu stadium to an 18,000 strong crowd. Yvonne Chaka Chaka, herself a hugely successful artist, stood as the matron of honor. Often pitted against one another by the media, the two were actually great friends, as reflected in the visual.
Through this partnership, The Sowetan and Netflix hope to inspire young, up and coming South Africans to pursue their passions. “Storytelling is the obligation to the next generation” – creative director Asanda Sizani shared.
