YIZO YIZO

South Africa’s most talked about drama series

Telling it like it is

This gritty, uncompromising television drama series set in a township school, achieved record-breaking audiences and cult status amongst South Africa’s youth.

Yizo Yizo:

reflected a world and reality that no-one had shown on South African television before
was debated in parliament
received unprecedented media coverage and won numerous awards locally and around the world.

Yizo YIzo 1 and 2 told the story of an ordinary township school overcoming extraordinary obstacles. Four central characters face numerous challenges in a school where drugs, gangsterism, crime, violence and corruption are rife. Yizo Yizo 3 followed the characters on their journey after school (matric) as they step out of the township to face new adventures in the inner city of Johannesburg.

Yizo YIzo used the power of story to tackle serious issues. A national evaluation of Yizo Yizo 1 showed that it succeeded in breaking a cycle of ignorance and denial among parents and provided a critical platform for young black South Africans to have their experiences reflected and addressed. The success and power of Yizo Yizo has been widely written about and discussed in both media and academic institutions, locally and internationally including NYI, Cambridge and WITS university.

Yizo Yizo awakened the South African public to the reality and problems facing students and teachers in the majority of South African schools. The kwaito music of the township was not just the soundtrack, but a vital part of the dialogue with the audience. Bomb staged roadshows around the country featuring actors and music performances from the series.

In association with EMI/CCP and Ghetto Ruff, Bomb produced soundtracks to all three seasons of Yizo Yizo. The soundtracks went platinum and produced hit tracks by top kwaito artists including Zola, Mandoza, Thembi, Arthur, Ishmael, Kaybee and Brenda Fassie. Two million booklets of Yizo 1 and 2 were also distributed to schools around the country.

AWARDS

Yizo Yizo 1

Japan Prize: best drama series
5 Avanti Awards (South Africa’s Emmys)

– Best Director
– Best Drama Series
– Best Actress
– Best Supporting Actor
– Best Supporting Actress.

Both Yizo Yizo 1 and 2 were selected for INPUT in 1999 and 2001

Yizo Yizo 2

Best TV Series – Rencontres Internationales de Télévision de Reims, France
The Cinema Tout Ecran Award for Best International TV Series – Swiss Cinema and TV Festival (2001)
The Governor of Tokyo Prize – 28th Japan NHK Awards (2002)
Best TV Programme – Duku Duku Awards (2001)
Selected for Mini Input Barcelona
Selected for South American Mini Input 2001 (Bogota)
World Input 2001 and European Input (Finland).

Yizo Yizo 2 was also invited to the Ghent Film Festival, Belgium; New York African Film Festival 2002; Walker Art Museum, Minneapolis Film Festival 2002; International Film Festival, Rotterdam. In 2003, Yizo Yizo 2 was invited to the Milan African Film Festival and awarded in the Short Film category.

Yizo Yizo – Soundtracks

Yizo 2 – Best Album of the Year – 2002 SAMA awards
Yizo 1 and 2 Platinum Sales Award – EMI records
Song “Ghetto Fabulous” – Metro FM Song of the Year