Farewell BET Africa: 'Black Gold' to air double episodes before channel shutdown
Nomalanga Shozi has had a fruitful relationship with BET Africa. In 2018, she was announced as the face of the channel. Now, the channel is set to close on January 1, 2026.
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As confirmed by MultiChoice, “BET Africa” is officially shutting down on January 1, 2026, ending more than a decade of broadcasting on the continent.
To make sure fans don’t miss a single moment, the channel will air double episodes of its South African telenovela “Black Gold” from December 22 until the channel goes off air. The drama originally aired from Monday to Thursday at 6.30pm.
Launched in August, “Black Gold” quickly became a must-watch drama. The series, set in KwaZulu-Natal, follows themes of betrayal, family legacy and the fight for power.
At its centre is Nomalanga Shozi as Amandla Zungu, a principled woman whose world is turned upside down by treachery.
She is joined by Saftas-winning actress Dawn Thandeka King as the cunning Florence Zungu and Sello Maake kaNcube as Tom Motsepe, a mining tycoon with a dangerous past. Other cast members include Warren Masemola, Sweet Guluva, Thulani Mtsweni and Nomsa Buthelezi.
Sources close to the production told “City Press” that filming for “Black Gold” recently wrapped up, and the accelerated double-episode schedule is designed to make sure every story beat is shown before BET Africa shuts down.
The news reportedly came as a shock to the cast and crew, who did not expect contracts to end this early. “They had to stop shooting, so it’s a mess,” said the source.
The closure is reportedly part of a larger reshuffle by Paramount Global, which has been scaling back linear TV operations across Africa, Europe, and other regions to focus on streaming and global content.
As per reports, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa, along with MTV Base, will be discontinued on DStv from January 1 in a statement.
“MultiChoice can confirm that BET Africa and MTV Base will be discontinued on the DStv and GOtv platforms from 1 January 2026 at 9:00 CAT, following updates from our channel partner, Paramount.
“Our customers can continue to enjoy other international channels from Paramount, including Nickelodeon, NickToons, Nick Jr, Comedy Central, and MTV. We thank Paramount for their continued partnership and look forward to working with them on the remaining channel offerings,” MultiChoice said.
BET Africa launched in April 2015 on DStv channel 129 and became known for a mix of reality shows, dramas, sitcoms and movies.
Local productions such as “Queendom” and international hits like “Empire” helped the channel grow its reputation.
When “BET Africa” first launched, it also featured new seasons of hits like “Being Mary Jane” with Gabrielle Union and Kevin Hart’s spoof reality show “Real Husbands of Hollywood”, which had previously aired on BET International.
The channel also offered reality specials like “Nellyville”, starring the rapper Nelly, and talk shows including “The Real”, hosted by Grammy-nominated Tamar Braxton alongside Loni Love, Adrienne Bailon, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and Jeannie Mai, giving African audiences a mix of local and international programming.