M-Net is 40: Look back at SA’s original pay-tv magic as channel unlocks elder millennial status

M-Net turns 40 and officially qualifies as an elder millennial. Here's a look back at the hits, the misses and Open Time, plus what's next. M-Net is 40 today, which makes it officially an elder millennial: old enough to remember life before on-demand viewing, young enough to still be very much online about it. The channel first aired on 26 October 1986, and the milestone arrives with a delicious bit of timing. On the very day M-Net blows out 40 candles, it also premieres Hit Point, a slick new crime thriller, on DStv channel 101. Speaking in the impact of the local talent platformed on its channel, M-Net said; ask a South African of a certain age to finish the names Shaleen, Ashley, Trevor, Brümilda, Heinz or Nico and you’ll almost certainly hear “Surtie-Richards”, “Hayden”, “Noah”, “van Rensburg”, “Winckler” and “Panagio”.This inspired the team at The Citizen to take a look back at the glory days, the awkward phases and what’s still to come. The 1986 origin story M-Net began life as a press-backed experiment. A consortium of newspaper groups led by Naspers won the licence in 1985, and the rules were strict: reportedly no news, no politics and no advertising. When it first aired on 26 October 1986, it was South Africa’s first private subscription television service, and the first on the continent. It started small, broadcasting 12 hours a day with a core team of 25 people. Its secret weapon was “Open Time”, an unscrambled slot that let non-subscribers sample the goods and, crucially, get hooked. Then there was the uninterrupted Sunday 8pm movie, always introduced by the Carte Blanche theme tune. “Seeing what has grown from a small channel broadcasting 12 hours a day with a core team of 25 employees to a powerhouse which has set the standard for pay-TV broadcasting is incredible,” says Waldimar Pelser, director: premium channels at MultiChoice, a Canal+ company. The glory days In 1988, Carte Blanche made Derek Watts and Ruda Landman two of the most feared and respected journalists in the country. In 1992, Egoli: Place of Gold became South Africa’s first daily soap. It ran until 31 March 2010 and, in December 1999, became the first local programme of any genre to reach 2 000 episodes. The 2000s were reality TV’s big bang. Big Brother South Africa arrived in 2001 and Idols South Africa followed in 2002, producing powerhouse performers (and plenty of water-cooler arguments) across 19 seasons until 2023. The channel also rebranded in 2001 with a new logo and the tagline “We Call it Magic”. Thabang Moleya directing an episode of the M-Net drama, Jacob’s Cross in Rosebank on 19 June 2007. Picture: Simphiwe Nkwali for Sunday Times via Gallo Images On the international side, the list of imports is endless: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Malcolm in the Middle, Friends, ER, Lost, True Detective and the NCIS franchise, plus a long run as home to the Taylor Sheridanverse. Former continuity presenter Ashley Hayden says it was “a remarkable time to have joined M-Net at the start of the station’s journey and to see how one pay-TV station grew into a streaming giant”. Actress Brümilda van Rensburg adds that Egoli “was part of the beginning of an incredible journey”. The awkward phases No 40-year-old gets through life without a few questionable decisions, and M-Net is no exception. It got off to a tough start and was reportedly R37 million in the red after its first year. An early news licence was also shelved in 1991 in favour of local productions. “Open Time”, the unscrambled slot that hooked a generation (and introduced some of us to shows like Angel’s Song) was withdrawn from the terrestrial feed from 1 April 2007, after a 2005 regulator ruling. A 2011 lineup change brought on the great reshuffle that saw Afrikaans and sport dropped from the satellite feed and the children’s channel K-TV shut down. Parent company MultiChoice admitted to breaching the Competition Act in 2017 and agreed to pay a R22 million penalty. SA Idols judges Gareth Cliff and Unathi Msengana and the M-Net crew assist a contestant who collapsed during her audition on 3 February 2016 at the Playhouse in Durban, South Africa. 18-year-old Nqobile Gumede from KwaMashu fainted after the judges told her that her audition was not “good enough” to get a golden ticket. Picture: Jonathan Burton for The Times via Gallo Images When M-Net confirmed in February 2023 that Idols SA would take its “final curtain call”, the reaction was mixed. Some viewers felt the show had run its course, citing winners who vanished after the finale and slipping ratings. Shrinkage continued as M-Net +1 was discontinued in 2021, and M-Net City and VUZU closed that year too. The parenting of M-Net has also changed. After Canal+ took over MultiChoice, Showmax was shut down on 30 April 2026, with Showmax Originals moving to DStv Stream and some titles to M-Net’s linear channels. Growing up and going digital M-Net did not stay in Gauteng for long. Broadcasts began in Lagos in early 1994 and reached Uganda, Namibia and Lesotho in 1995. Digital satellite service DStv launched in October 1995, kykNET followed in 1999 and the first Africa Magic channel arrived in 2003. The analogue terrestrial signal was later switched off on 31 March 2018. Today, M-Net is part of the new DStv Movies & Series package, priced at R500 for both streaming-only and decoder-based subscribers, which MultiChoice says puts the channel in front of more DStv subscribers than ever. The throw forward Hit Point is a six-part crime thriller from BAFTA-winning writer Howard Overman, the creator of Misfits. Picture: Supplied M-Net’s birthday present to itself is Hit Point, a six-part crime thriller from BAFTA-winning writer Howard Overman, the creator of Misfits. It premieres on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Monday, 26 October at 8pm CAT and runs weekly until 30 November. The series combines the pace of a heist thriller with police drama, dark comedy and romance. It follows a detective, Bella (Saffron Hocking), and her partner Leo (Nick Blood), who are hunting for loot stolen from a French drug lord. The twist: Leo is in love with Bella, and he committed the crime they’re investigating. The cast also includes Peter Serafinowicz, Nadia Parkes, William Abadie and Brendan Coyle. Overman has described it as more of a thriller than a cop show. There’s also A conversation with Kgalema Motlanthe, a 70-minute documentary special hosted by Khaya Sithole set to air on Wednesday, 28 October at 9pm. A conversation with Kgalema Motlanthe, a 70-minute documentary special hosted by Khaya Sithole set to air on Wednesday, 28 October at 9pm. Picture: Supplied The Motlanthe special sees the former president reflect on the seven months he served as South Africa’s third democratically elected president, from 2008 to 2009, along with his journey from Alexandra to Robben Island and the Union Buildings. “Khaya Sithole is the ideal interviewer for this journey, bringing intellectual depth, curiosity and a deep understanding of South Africa’s political landscape,” says Pelser. M-Net has also teamed up with Quizzical Pictures, the production company behind Reyka and White Lies, on a new co-production series, with more details to be announced. As Pelser puts it, M-Net wants to “keep bringing the ‘Magic’ to more and more viewers”. At 40, it seems the channel is just getting started.