26 - New Year's Special

26 - New Year's Special

Author: Gino Shelile January 1, 2024 Duration: 7:25

Welcome to the first podcast of the year, on the first day of the year. 1 January 2024. Happy New Year to all of you, wherever you are.
Let’s take a look at 2023.

Episode 01 of African Couch Potato - the Mash-up entered the digital arena on the 18th of July, Nelson Mandela's birthday.
It is now listened to from Johannesburg to San Francisco, from Toronto to Tokyo, Across Africa, the United States, through Europe and into Asia - not bad for six months.

We are available on over 15 different streaming/podcast platforms and so far have featured 14 in-studio guests - not bad for six months. 

We already have a good list of recommendations from you, the listener, and we will get to them as soon as we can. Keep sending them in - it is good to keep Gino busy.

Our local recommends while you are still doing the holiday vibe include:

On Netflix,
  The Queenstown Kids
  Can You See Us
  Love, Sex and 30 Candles
  Miseducation, Netflix
  Runs In The Family
  Yoh! Christmas
  Magenta Coal
  Six In The City

On Prime,

  My Girlfriend’s Father
  Courting Anathi
  The Honeymoon

On Showmax
  Adulting 2 
  1802

We wish you all a very Happy New Year, and trust that one of your New Year's resolutions is to keep on binging.

Yes? No? Send us a text

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
twitter.com/africancouchpot
gino.arlechino@gmail.com

WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews 

YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube 

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato 

Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2026


Gino Shelile’s African Couch Potato offers a distinctly South African lens on the world of screens, big and small. As an award-winning TV producer himself, Gino brings a seasoned insider’s view that goes beyond simple reviews. Each episode feels like a relaxed, insightful conversation, blending a deep-dive review of a current film or series with curated recommendations for what’s worth your time in the coming week. The podcast truly shines in its interviews, where Gino chats with a variety of industry professionals right from the studio, uncovering the stories behind the stories we watch. There’s also a fond look back at older movies that deserve a fresh viewing, all discussed with a local flavour you won’t find elsewhere. It’s a comprehensive, engaging listen for anyone who loves to think and talk about television and film, delivered with the warmth and knowledge of a friend who really knows his stuff. Tune into this podcast for a regular, thoughtful fix of screen culture that feels both personal and professional.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 144

African Couch Potato
Podcast Episodes
23 - Masterclass with Pearl Shozi: Promos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:25
Another episode, another Masterclass. This time we turn our attention to the frantic world of television promos, those mini promotional videos that get squashed in between the adverts. This episode finds Gino talking to…
22 - Rising Star: Mfanelo Njoko (Film to Kasi) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:00
Gino first met Mfanelo Njoko in 2013 at Tulip High School where he was one of the participants in Gino's community journalism programme.Fast forward 10 years and Mfanelo is the proud founder of Film To Kasi - an initiati…
21 -  Masterclass with Chad Pop: Editing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:45
In this episode, Gino chats to multi award nominee Chad Pop about editing, from his early days at AFDA to a six year stay at one of South Africa's top advertising agencies to finally stepping out into the big wide world…
20 - Reviews From Every Platform [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:42
Gino takes a quick look at South Africa's streaming platforms and gives us a review on one production from each platform. 1. Spinners (Showmax)Ethan is a 17-year-old driver working for a local gang. Disgusted with gang l…
19 - Masterclass with Banele P. Mtebele - Filmmaking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:16
Bringing a list of even more films that Gino has not yet seen, Banele P. Mtebele runs several film clubs and a post-production suite called The Village Post Office. Banele talks of the importance of screening films to th…
18 - A Sit Down with Siphiwe Hlabangane [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
Gino first met Siphiwe Hlabangane in 2017, so now is a good time for a catch up. Join us as Siphiwe unpacks his career. A seasoned film and series producer, Siphiwe is best known for iNumber Number (series); Single Guyz…
17 - What To Watch, EVERYWHERE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:05
Today's episode counts down GIno's top 5 shows for the week on all video streaming platforms.Netflix:Nowhere - A young pregnant woman named Mia escapes from a country at war by hiding in a maritime container aboard a car…
16 - Masterclass with Nolwazi Shange - Casting Director [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:03
Nolwazi Shange is an actress who is equally comfortable both in front ofthe camera as talent, as well as behind it as a casting director. Gino chats toher about the fulfilment of both roles.She played the role of “Nandi”…
15 - Industry Insights with Jack Devnarain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
Gino gets to chat to one of his childhood heros in the shape of Jack Devnarain.Jack studied Drama while completing his Law degree at the University of KZN, Durban. He joined the Police Force after completing his studies…
14 - Top 50 South African Films You Have Never Heard Of [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:06
Today's episode lists Gino's top 50 South African films you have probably never heard of. Time to explore the incredible variety of home grown productions that are well worth watching. Here they are in no particular orde…