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7 Educational Shows for Kids Before Schools Open

For the young ones.

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Lockdown has called for some smart survival strategies from parents trying to work from home, while keeping kids occupied.

With schools out until 15 February, many are wondering how to make the most of this time. In ‘Cribsheet’, economist Emily Oster talks about how screen time can be beneficial to childrens’ development. Providing you pick educational content, you can stimulate little minds and maximise your work moments.

DStv’s School of Laughter programme makes sure that featured channels provide a safe space for children to be educated while they’re being entertained.  There are 15 dedicated channels with plenty of educational content to assist the homeschooling hustle.

Here are 7 top educational channels and shows to try:

  1. Mindset (DStv Channel 319)

Launched in 2003 by former President Nelson Mandela, this South African-based channel is geared towards high schoolers from Grade 10 to 12 and covers the Life Science, English and Mathematics syllabus. It will help prepare your teens (and you) for the tricky exams sure to come when they head back to school on 15 February.

Mindset TV also hosts programmes like Big School available for learners just entering school as well as edutainment shows for primary school age. DStv has created a nifty print out for you to ensure that your child is always in the know as to when their subject-specific programmes will air.

  1. Da Vinci (DStv Channel 318)

A pop-up channel during lockdown that’s now a permanent fixture, Da Vinci Media (channel 318), is based in Berlin and offers engaging, fun educational content to children. This channel features much-loved shows including Operation OuchScience Max and Matilda and The Ramsay Bunch.

Operation Ouch sees Twin doctors Chris and Xand explore the fields of medicine and biology.

  1. ZooMoo (DStv Channel 314)

This children’s channel provides preschoolers with educational content about wildlife around the world and is available via the Premium, Compact Plus, Compact and Family packages. Younger kids can enjoy the likes of What’s That NoiseWhat’s For Dinner and Clawdia’s Amazing African Adventure, which will all be available on DStv Channel 314 until 31 March this year.

Dino explores various fruits and vegetables and where they come from in What’s For Dinner?

  1. Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered (Game Show)

This interactive game show sees panelists and viewers ask questions, gather clues, and play games to guess who the mystery guest is. Hosted by Jay Pharoah, it uses a series of fun filters to keep viewers engaged with a range of exciting celebrities as guests.

Daily on NickToons (DStv Channel 308) and available on Catch-Up.

Jay Pharoah as the host of Nickelodeon’s game show Unfiltered

  1. Ready, Set, Dance S2

Worried that your kids aren’t getting enough exercise during lockdown? This show will get them up and dancing! Mascots Twirl and Freeze work together with a preschooler dance crew to teach each other (and your little ones) catchy dance moves. Ready, Set, Dance episodes are all under ten minutes, so whenever it comes on, encourage the entire family to get ready, get up and dance!

Daily on Nick Jnr (DStv Channel 307) and available on Catch-Up.

  1. Blues Clues

This is another show for preschoolers, featuring Steve in the “Blue’s Clues” house, where he interacts with Blue, an animated puppy. The perfectly positioned pauses in between Steve’s questions allow your child enough time to engage with the characters of the show. It’s interactive and will teach younger kids all  about shapes, animals and even colours.

Daily on NickTOONS (DStv Channel 308) and on Catch-Up.

  1. CN to the Rescue

CN to the Rescue is Cartoon Network Africa’s first original series starring André Lembwa. This show tackles South African problems such as load shedding in hilarious ways and will leave older children laughing until their stomach’s hurt, while teaching them about family dynamics. This series aired on Cartoon Network Africa’s YouTube Channel and then launched on Cartoon Network on Monday 18 January this year.

Available on Cartoon Network Africa’s YouTube Channel and on Catch-Up.

Africa’s first original series starring André Lembwa who plays Taps, his younger brother Garcia, their mom, Lyzette, and their always up to mischief Gogo.

With schools currently being disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, you can rest assured that DStv’s array of shows encourage open-ended questions and interaction which are extremely important in your children’s development. To supplement its content, DStv has also created a website where kids can go to and download resource packs and do quizzes.

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Netflix

Inside the Star-Studded Season 2 Teaser for Young, Famous & African

Look at the material!

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Young and Famous Netflix season 2

Today, Netflix released the official teaser for the second season of the hit unscripted reality series, Young, Famous & African.

This season sees the return of Africa’s most famous and fabulous, as they embrace life and love on the richest square mile on the continent. This time,  however, a few new faces promise to make their mark in Africa’s most elite group.

Enter Bonang Matheba, South Africa’s entertainment industry darling whose presence certainly ruffles a few feathers;  Fantana, Ghanaian-American rapper and all-round superstar who quickly makes her mark on the group and Luis Munana from Namibia, former Big Brother Africa contestant and entrepreneur extraordinaire who brings the heat from the onset. 

The all-star cast of season one returns to face a lot of unanswered questions like what happened between Diamond Platnumz, Andile Ncube and Zari Hassan after the chance encounters between the trio in Diamond’s home,  and what is the status of everyone’s friendships after many arguments, loads of drama, and a pot stir or two from Khanyi Mbau and Nadia Nakai.  

Also worth looking out for is the appearance of model and socialite Sebabatso Mothibi, as well as the supermodel and actress, Rosette Ncwana, both of whom share a relationship history with Andile.

Given the drama and tension from the previous season, how does this play into the existing dynamic on the show?

Season two of Young, Famous & African launches only on Netflix on 19 May 2023 worldwide. 

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Reality Shows

A First Look into The Real Housewives of Johannesburg S3!

Joburg, you are up! RHOJ is billed to make a splashy return 19 May.

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The Real Housewives of Johannesburg S3 has been revealed. Photo: M-Net.

After suffering a number of production delays that spanned years, and that one unfortunate canning of the lost season, the Real Housewives of Johannesburg will be making a comeback on 19 May, 20:30 on 1Magic.

As Quench previously reported, it looks like glam Queen Mpho Mops will be a no-show for the looming season. Hers was an explosive departure, which followed the damning allegations of infidelity she faced at the season 2 reunion.

Fans will, however, be delighted to hear that Lethabo ‘LeJoy’ Mathabo and Lebo ‘Jojo’ Mokoena will be returning as seasoned gold-carrying full-time cast members in season 3. The two look to continue where they left off in 2019.

Among other pressing charges, Lebo might have to explain the alleged giant plastic cake at her wedding to Johannesburg businessman Lebo Gunguluza, from whom she is now divorced. Viewers will likely get front-row seats into her new life.

LeJoy might have to spill on what happened on that one fateful night at the Durban July.

… Or not. Based on the cast reveal, the returning girlies might have to clock in.

There are fresh faces on the cast, which will likely shift the dynamics and overall direction of the popular franchise.

Mamus Koka, Marelli Bentley, Nicole Watson and Thobekile Mdlalose will all be making their debuts as the new line-up.

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Music

‘Asylum’ By Uncle Waffles certified GOLD in a Week

The viral sensation is running up the numbers with her autumn release.

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Within 7 business days of its splashy arrival, Uncle Waffles’ sophomore tape, ‘Asylum’, has reached gold status.

‘Asylum’ is Uncle Waffles’ sophomore tape.

The 7-track project, which contains the blockbuster viral sensation ‘yahyuppiyah, shipped over 12 500 units in its first week. The official single’s delayed landing is likely to have helped the EP to run up impressive numbers.

Ms. Zwane recruited over 17 collaborators for the project.

After all, the song has been the darling of Tik Tok challenges around the world, many of which relied on the audio snippet being circulated without an official release.

Spanning just over 38 minutes in duration, the EP plays up to the disc jockey’s reputation for banging out addictive hooks with massive social media appeal. Working with 17 collaborators, Waffles confidently delivers her own take on Amapiano’s increasingly fluid soundscape.

The project arrives as the 23-year-old takes her tour to the US, where she’s covering venues in several states. This past weekend, Uncle Waffles made her debut at Coachella.

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