OCTOBER ON HISTORY CHANNEL

 

(Above: Mandy Wiener. Pic supplied)

 

South Africa becomes the stage for powerful storytelling on the HISTORY Channel (DStv 186).

Great African Crimes season 2 and Alone South Africa premiere in October

South Africa takes the spotlight in two gripping new shows – one a local historic crime documentary series and the other a hit survival reality series. Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener season 2, starts on Friday October 3 at 21h05 and Alone: South Africa (season 12 of Alone) starts on Thursday October 30 at 19h25.

Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener season 2, locally produced by The Schultz Creative, travels to the past to uncover two South African crimes that captivated their time. Award-winning investigative journalist and true-crime author Mandy Wiener hosts the two-part documentary series.

The first instalment of Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener was the HISTORY Channel Africa’s top primetime TX in 2024. Nazarene Khan, Regional Director at Hearst Networks Africa explains, “Following the success of our top-rated first show, the second season expands with two captivating episodes. Each one dives deep into one historic crime, exploring not just the crime itself but the era, the people, and the events that shaped it and the case outcome.”

Episode 1, on October 3, investigates South Africa’s first unrecorded serial killer, who was linked to as many as nine separate murders in the early 1900s. Pierre Basson was an insurance salesman who, like modern day serial killer Rosemary Ndlovu, was peddling death one premium at a time.

Then, on October 10, episode 2 revisits the case of the only white woman put to death for murder in the Cape Colony during the 18th century. Maria Mouton was executed after being found guilty of murdering her husband with the help of two enslaved people. It later emerged she was having an affair with one of them. The episode uncovers what drove Maria to murder as well as look at life and slavery in the Cape at the time.

Each episode will see Mandy visit the crime scenes, examine historical records and speak to experts to piece together the chilling case details. Mandy says, “The cases we’ve chosen to explore are historical crimes I’d never even heard of before and they are fascinating. These aren’t stories you’ve seen on every true-crime list. They’re buried pieces of history - scandals, tragedies, and mysteries that have since faded from public memory. Digging them up feels like unearthing time capsules.”

In another show filmed in South Africa, season 12 of the fan-favourite Alone marks the first time the show has been filmed in Africa or in such an arid environment. Starting October 30 on the HISTORY Channel Africa, ten new survivalists face scorching heat, scarce water, fierce storms and dangerous wildlife as they push their minds and bodies to the limit in the Great Karoo. 

The contestants who hail from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all hope to outlast the others to claim the $500,000 that comes with being the last person standing.

Don’t miss Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener (starting October 3) as the channel brings history’s most captivating crimes to life and Alone: South Africa (starting October 30) which takes survival to new extremes.

Catch all the local excitement on the HISTORY Channel Africa (DStv 186) this October.