The Directors Guild of South Africa made history on 11 April, hosting its inaugural DGSA Creatives Awards at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town. The event, which had originally been planned for November last year, brought together the country’s directing and screen industry talent for a first-of-its-kind celebration of creative excellence across film, television, commercials, short film and digital storytelling.
Among the most high-profile names honoured were Connie Ferguson, who took home Best Actress for Heart of the Hunter, and Thabo Rametsi, named Best Actor for his performance in Kalushi. The evening’s most poignant moment came with the posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award presented to the late Connie Chiume, a beloved figure in South African screen culture whose loss the industry continues to feel.
A strong night for The Fix and Recipes for Love and Murder
Several productions dominated the awards. The Fix, directed by Kelsey Egan, claimed Best Feature Film alongside Best Supporting Actor for Tafara Nyatsanza and Best Supporting Actress for Robyn Roussouw. Mandla Dube had an exceptional evening, winning Best Director for Silverton Siege, Excellence in Storytelling for Kalushi and Outstanding Cinematic Vision for Heart of the Hunter.
Recipes for Love and Murder also performed strongly, with Jozua Malherbe and Karen Jeynes claiming Best Director for a TV Series, while Tony Kgoroge and Maria Doyle Kennedy both won for their performances in the same production.
Why this matters
The DGSA Creatives Awards arrive at a moment of genuine momentum for South African screen content. Global interest in African cinema and television is growing, and the peer-reviewed adjudication process at the heart of these awards — evaluated against international standards of artistic and professional achievement — positions them as a meaningful benchmark for the industry rather than a purely celebratory exercise.
Guild representative Andile Sinqoto said South African directors are actively defining a cinematic voice that is shaping storytelling well beyond the continent’s borders. For an industry that has produced work reaching global audiences through platforms like Netflix, the creation of a dedicated awards structure is a significant step in recognising the people making it happen.
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Featured Image: Instagram | connie_ferguson
