10 Weird Facts About Yizo Yizo

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Did you know that at the height of its popularity, there was an actual motion in Parliament's National Assembly to ban Yizo Yizo from TV?

[00:00:09]Welcome to Unsung South Africa. Today, we are counting down 10 weird and little-known facts about one of South Africa's most loved, most hated, but definitely most iconic TV series of all time. So, hit that like and subscribe button, and let's take a trip back to Super Tela High.

[00:00:33]Number 10, the original Papa Action and Chester left over money disputes.

[00:00:39]In the second season of Yizo Yizo, many viewers were shocked to discover that two of the show's most beloved characters, Papa Action and Chester, will no longer be played by the actors who made them iconic in season 1. The reason, according to the show's co-creator and director, Angus Gibson, Ronnie Nyakale and Ernest Msibi were unhappy with how they were paid, especially considering how popular the show had become. At the start of filming for season 2, the actors reportedly approached Gibson and demanded higher salaries. According to him, they wanted enough money to leave the township and buy houses in the suburbs.

[00:01:17]They [snorts] allegedly warned producers that if their demands were not met, they would not return for the second season.

[00:01:23]Unfortunately, negotiations failed, and the show's creators chose to replace them rather than meet their demands.

[00:01:31]Number nine, there was a motion in Parliament [music] to ban the show.

[00:01:36]In 2001, during the show's second season, one episode featured a scene in which Chester is sexually assaulted by a gang leader in prison. After all the controversy the series had already caused, this appeared to be the final straw for some ANC politicians. At the time, ANC MP Lulu Xingwana a a motion in the National Assembly calling for the program to be removed from television. She argued that Yizo Yizo did not contribute positively to the kind of society South Africa was trying to build and that the show undermined the norms, values, culture, religion, and beliefs of the majority of South Africans. The SABC defended the series saying, "We feel we have to be direct with young people with prison not being a place to be." The broadcaster also pointed out that viewers had been warned before the episode that program contained violence, sex, and strong language.

[00:02:30]Number eight, Thabo Mbeki hated the show and allegedly pushed for Bomb Productions to be investigated. Still on the controversy that Yizo Yizo caused, one of the show's creators, Angus Gibson, claimed on the popular podcast and chill with MacG that Thabo Mbeki hated the series. According to Gibson, this prompted the then sitting president to appoint a committee aimed at ensuring South African audiences will never again be exposed to programs like Yizo Yizo.

[00:02:57]This allegedly led to Gibson's company, Bomb Productions, best known for producing Yizo Yizo, being investigated.

[00:03:04]Gibson claimed the broader goal was to put an end to liberal filming companies and filmmakers.

[00:03:10]It is important to note that I could not find any evidence confirming these claims. Still, it remains an interesting allegation, especially when you consider that more than two decades later, South African television has never really produced another show quite like Yizo Yizo.

[00:03:26]Number seven, most of the characters' lives were similar to the actors' real lives. What made Yizo Yizo so good was its gritty realism and part of the reason was the actors who were cast for the show. Many of them had similarities to the characters they were playing. For example, Dumisani Khumalo who plays Sticks, a character known for selling whatever he could find to make money, had a similar hustle in real life.

[00:03:49]Before Yizo Yizo, Dumisani made a living selling perfumes on the streets. The show's co-creator Angus Gibson explained that the production team went to great lengths to cast people from backgrounds similar to the roles they were playing.

[00:04:02]In some cases, he specifically chose actors who attended public schools instead of private schools. Gibson said that a black South African who grew up and went to school in the suburbs will often speak a very different kind of Zulu from someone who attended a township public school. That distinction between Zulu speakers was important to the creators, so they cast actors accordingly.

[00:04:26]Number six, the show was commissioned by the government.

[00:04:30]Given its reputation with politicians and community leaders, Yizo-Yizo was actually initiated by the South African government. The series aimed to promote positive role models and portray the process of restoring a typical urban school in a South African township. The department worked with the education division of the SABC to develop story lines before commissioning Laduma Film Factory, later renamed Bomb Productions, to produce the series. During its run, it was not uncommon to see the show's actors and creators visiting South African schools to speak with learners about issues such as HIV and AIDS, crime, sexual abuse, and other social challenges that the series was known for tackling.

[00:05:12]Number five, it won a lot of awards internationally and locally. [music] Despite all the controversy surrounding it, Yizo-Yizo became one of the most critically acclaimed South African TV dramas of all time. The series won numerous local and international awards, including the Japan Prize for Best Drama Series and five Avanti Awards, South Africa's version of the Emmys. Both seasons were also selected for INPUT, an international television conference showcasing the world's best programming.

[00:05:43]Yizo-Yizo 2 continued the show's global success by winning Best TV series at the Reims International Television Festival in France, a Cinema Tout Ecran award for best international TV series in Switzerland, and the Governor of Tokyo prize at the NHK Awards in Japan. The series was screened and celebrated at film festivals across Europe, America, and Africa.

[00:06:07]While its soundtrack also became a massive success, winning album of the year at the 2002 SAMA Awards.

[00:06:14]Earning platinum sales and producing Metro FM song of the year with Ghetto Fabulous.

[00:06:20]Number four, it gave birth to one of Kwaito's greatest artists. Before Yizo Yizo 2, Bonginkosi Dlamini was just a dreadlocked kid from Zola known as Khush with dreams of being on TV and making music. By the end of season 3 in 2004, he had transformed into Zola and was arguably one of the hottest artist in South Africa with several number one singles and albums under his belt.

[00:06:43]Without taking anything away from Zola's Seven's talent and hustle, it's hard to imagine his career unfolding the way it did had he not joined Yizo Yizo 2 as the new Papa Action. In fact, it was the show's creator, Angus Gibson, who convinced him to cut his dreadlocks, giving him the tough street image that would later define much of his early music career.

[00:07:06]It was also through Yizo Yizo that Zola recorded his first major hit, Ghetto Fabulous, for the series soundtrack.

[00:07:13]The song sparked his relationship with Ghetto Ruff and eventually led to the release of his debut album, Mkhulu.

[00:07:20]Widely regarded as one of the greatest Kwaito albums ever made. The album laid the foundation for what would become one of the most influential Kwaito careers of all time.

[00:07:31]Number three, it led to the rise of one of South Africa's most iconic production companies.

[00:07:38]Almost every South African TV viewer, young or old, knows the famous tagline.

[00:07:47]Because it plays at the end of nearly every show produced by Bomb Productions.

[00:07:52]The company has gone on to create some of the country's most iconic television shows, including Isibaya, Jacob's Cross, Soul Buddies, Zone 14, Ayeye, Isithembiso, and most recently Shaka iLembe.

[00:08:07]But none of it would have happened without Yizo Yizo, which served as the first major television project for the company's co-founders, Angus Gibson and Themba Ndaba Mchunu. It was reportedly during a screening of Yizo Yizo 1 that they got the inspiration for the company's name. After an audience member described the show by saying, "The show is the bomb."

[00:08:28]Even the famous Uk'shona Kwelanga itself originated from a Yizo Yizo episode and was said by the character Javas, played by Meshack Mavuso.

[00:08:40]Number two, most of the dialogue was improvised.

[00:08:44]One of the things that personally stood out for me, and I can imagine for other fans who grew up in the township as well, is how authentically the show captured the way black South African township youth speak. Its use of tsotsitaal never felt forced. This is because the show's creators and directors allowed the young actors to improvise and add to scenes where they felt it fit, instead of the usual stick to the script and the director the dictator on set approach that is the standard in the industry. That's why the final product feels so real and relatable, rather than something shaped by what a film graduate thinks township life is. It could have easily have become that if not for the input of the actors who in real life were actually from the township.

[00:09:30]And number one, the show was directed by superstars.

[00:09:35]One thing that made Yizo Yizo so compelling was the caliber of talent behind the scenes. The show was co-created and directed by Angus Gibson, a filmmaker I've been stopped mentioning throughout this video. Before Yizo Yizo, Gibson was already an established documentary director and had been nominated for an Oscar for his documentary on Nelson Mandela.

[00:09:57]Some of the season 1 episodes were also directed by the acclaimed Nigerian filmmaker Femi Odugbemi, who later go on to become the creative director of Yizo Yizo. Before working on Yizo Yizo, Odugbemi had directed music videos for major American artists such as Isaac Hayes, Angie Stone, Common, Tracy Chapman, Wyclef Jean, Kelis, Aaron Neville, Talib Kweli, and Maxwell.

[00:10:27]And there you have it. 10 weird facts about Yizo Yizo. Tell me what you think in the comments below, and don't forget to like and subscribe. Thank you for watching, and let's meet again on the next one.