Thando Thabethe Celebrates 10 Years of Netflix South Africa

South African actress and radio presenter Thando Thabethe joined some of the country’s biggest entertainment names at Netflix South Africa’s 10-year anniversary celebration in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Netflix marked a decade in South Africa since launching in 2016 with a major press showcase that brought together Netflix executives, filmmakers, actors, media personalities and other well-known South African stars. The event also offered guests an exciting first look at the company’s upcoming content slate, with new productions set to reach audiences in South Africa and around the world.

For Thando, the milestone carries a particularly personal meaning. The actress has built an impressive relationship with the streaming platform over the years, appearing in several Netflix productions across comedy, drama and animation.

Taking to social media after attending the celebration, Thando reflected on what the past 10 years have meant to her career and to the growth of African storytelling.

“10 years of @netflixsa. This milestone feels particularly special to me because, in many ways, the last decade has mirrored my own journey as an actress, producer and storyteller.

I’ve spent these years dreaming bigger about what is possible for stories born here at home — and watching the distance between a South African story and a global audience become smaller and smaller.

There was a time when “international” felt like somewhere we had to go. Today, our stories can travel there before we do.

And because of this, l’ve met people I otherwise wouldn’t have met, sat in rooms where I didn’t have a seat, and been exposed to a world of possibilities that once felt so far away.

That shift matters deeply to me. I want to be part of a generation of African storytellers whose work is not defined by geography – stories that are unapologetically ours, yet resonate with someone thousands of kilometres away.

Ten years later, it feels like we’re only beginning to understand just how far our stories can go.

Here’s to the stories we’ve told, the doors that have opened, and all the African stories still waiting to meet the world.”

Thando’s Netflix journey includes several notable roles. She played Beauty Sello in How to Ruin Christmas, as well as its follow-up How to Ruin Love: The Lobola Edition, becoming part of one of the platform’s popular festive comedy franchises.

She also starred as Lena in the romantic comedy film Love & Wine, where she played a wine manager navigating the ups and downs of romance.

Her range was further showcased in Fatal Seduction Season 3, where she took on the gritty role of Detective Thuso. Meanwhile, she ventured into animation with My Dad the Bounty Hunter Season 2, voicing Adja in what marked her international voice-acting debut.

With Netflix continuing to invest in South African and African stories, Thando’s reflections highlight just how much the entertainment landscape has changed over the past decade.

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