South African black rom-coms are thriving with local audiences

The South African film industry has enjoyed a gradual growth in long-format black romantic comedies in recent years. 

Movies such as Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, Tell Me Something Sweet and White Wedding were box-office hits with local audiences — at least in pre-Covid times. 

Although revolving around the same old hackneyed plot — boy meets girl, they fall in love but then face obstacles in their happily ever after — the mass appeal of this genre is undeniable.  

“I think rom-coms are appealing on a global stage, in general, and not just locally,” says celebrated screenwriter Katleho Ramaphakela in an interview with the Mail & Guardian. 

“It’s probably the one film genre that can be universally understood, because, at the end of the day, most people understand love and yearn for it in some shape or form. 

“Add a little humour to stories about love and you have the right recipe for perfect escapist viewing.” 

Alongside his siblings, or fellow “cooks”, Tshepo and Rethabile Ramaphakela in Burnt Onion Productions, they have been dishing out relatable stories since its inception in 2008. Movies such as Entangled, Seriously Single and the popular How to Ruin Christmas franchise have captured audiences. 

“I think viewers probably don’t always want to experience their harsh realities on screen as well. We have news programming for that. So, rom-coms essentially tell stories of hope which is, in a way, uplifting,” Ramaphakela adds with a smile. 

Fascinated by stage plays, this award-winning TV producer and writer’s love for storytelling started in primary school. Years, and an accounting degree later, he started acting professionally, which re-ignited his passion for TV and film.

You might remember Ramaphakela as Neo in Backstage and Sifiso in Isidingo: The Need.  

Curiosity drove him to learn more about the process behind the scenes. 

“When I started getting involved on the acting side of it, and saw how much work and effort went into it all, it made me fall in love with the idea of telling stories.”

Lobola Man is the most recent serving on the Netflix dinner table from the production company’s stewing pots, with Ramaphakela as the head chef — writer and producer — of the film.

Lobola Man is about Ace (Lawrence Maleka) a slick lobola negotiator, who faces his toughest deal yet when hired by a shy client Duke (Sandile Mahlangu) — only to find the stakes are higher than cash. 

The film is a comical cocktail reminiscent of 2005’s Hitch and 2015’s Wedding Ringer, with a zesty dash of South African flavour. 

As lead, Maleka holds the overall film with prowess and charm. 

Akin to Alex, the character played by Will Smith in Hitch, Ace is a professional smooth talker and love cynic confronted with the ultimate challenges of falling in love and of commitment. Catching feelings is a definitive crime in his line of business. 

Temporary relationships that fade to fantasy are what Ace has mastered in bachelorland. This anti-marriage stance is not uncommon, among men and women alike. 

Single, and even married, men are troubled by wounds inflicted by their fathers’ infidelity. Existing in a setting where husbands, uncles and fathers blatantly neglect their marriages and families for a moment’s pleasure in a dark room breeds a kind of resentment and cynicism. 

Sons and nephews grow up with a distorted view of marriage and associated elements, such as lobola. For some, the expectation for grooms to pay exaggerated dowry to the in-laws taints the value of marriage. 

Ace is all of the above. His insecurities and anxieties about long-term commitment have left a trail of broken hearts. However, he is forced to confront these taxing traits when he meets Zandi (Kwanele Mthethwa).

Swept away like dry leaves on a gusty Joburg autumn day, Ace is enchanted. 

Though the film comes loose at the seams with the flat dialogue during the romantic scenes, the roll-on-the-floor comedic parts make up for it. 

Like Thembsie Matu, who plays the heavily made-up and hilarious Aunt Miriam, this is Maleka’s debut on this side of streamville. Certainly, a refreshing move to witness, regarding the film’s casting. 

With the risk of recycling the same faces, due to our country’s shallow pool of acting talent, how did the creators work towards crafting a unique and memorable visual product? 

There was a rigorous casting process around the lead. 

“We not only searched for actors that were going to hold their own and bring these characters to life in the best way possible, but we also had to make sure that the chemistry across the entire cast worked well.” 

The bromance between Ace and the nerdy Duke, as well as their love triangle with Zandi, plays out well in the film, adds Ramaphakela. 

I found Mahlangu’s portrayal of the gawky character pleasantly different from his previous roles in Netflix productions. 

The Burnt Onion team also had an appetising wishlist that included the stellar actor Nimrod Nkosi, who plays Bab’ Zungu, Zandi’s father. 

“Then we had a few people in mind for the roles of Ma Miriam, Long-John and Biza,” says Ramaphakela. “For us, it was a no-brainer to cast Thembsie Matu, Obed Baloyi and Sello Ramolahloane.”

The Ramaphakela trio strives to cook high-end quality productions in innovative and cost-effective ways. Like most local filmmakers, many of the deliberations in their war room about bringing such a wishlist to screen would hinge on finances. 

The thing that differentiates one production from another is mostly budget, contends Ramaphakela.   As with their previous productions for the global streaming platform, Lobola Man came with its own unique trials. 

“We worked with less than other Netflix productions because this followed a different finance structure, as the film is a co-production with Netflix and Burnt Onion Productions. We also contributed funds.” 

There was additional support from the National Film and Video Foundation. In the end, “we had an amazing cast and crew who were integral in making sure we surpassed the standards we wanted to achieve, based on the budget the film was made off”. 

“The support from Netflix in our vision, and letting us make the film the way we wanted to, went a very long way in making both the creative and financial process much easier.”

Exposure to our evolving country’s cultures is key for social cohesion and understanding and, delivered in a light-hearted way, the vision echoes widely. Burnt Onion’s growing body of work on the global streaming platform is recognisable in showcasing our culture and heritage.  

The How To Ruin Christmas franchise and How to Ruin Love shine with relatable themes, nostalgic soundtracks and colourful wardrobes. The intention is unquestionable. 

“It is natural for us,” adds Ramaphakela, “to showcase South African culture, because we always have the South African audience top of our minds in our productions. 

“That’s who we make our films for. The fact that those stories land on a global streamer is a bonus. So, we try to be as authentic as possible to what we know and love about our country, and hopefully, the rest of the world can learn a little more about SA culture and also buy into it.” 

The thematic contention between African traditions, such as lobola, and Western-influenced modernity also permeates their work. 

“It’s more about telling stories that are uniquely South African. We have such a rich and diverse culture in SA  and we haven’t even begun to tap into its richness in storytelling,” says Ramaphakela. “It’s important to preserve our cultures; film is one of the most important contributors to this because it lives forever.” 

Sure, there is nothing new under the rom-com sun, but with the perfect ingredients to dish out genre-suitable content — boosted by recommended algorithms — Burnt Onion Productions is not about to leave the kitchen anytime soon.