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From The Crown to Black Mirror – 11 shows on Netflix you possibly didn’t know had SA connections

Cape Town – Local is always lekker and it seems like Netflix agrees. 

The internet streaming service is yet to release an original show from Mzansi, but it has definitely had some South African influence.

We investigated a little closer and found 11 Netflix products that have SA connections - some obvious and others rather randomly.

SEE THE LIST HERE: (Click on the title to watch it now)

1) Kissing Booth 

It doesn’t take long to notice the local backdrop of UCT - a mere 3 minutes into the romantic comedy.  The Netflix Original film follows Elle Evans (Joey King), a pretty, late-bloomer who’s never-been-kissed. She decides to run a kissing booth at her high school’s Spring Carnival and unexpectedly finds herself locking lips with her secret crush– the ultimate bad boy, Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). Sparks fly, but there’s one little problem: Noah just happens to be the brother of her best friend, Lee, (Joel Courtney) and is absolutely off limits according to the rules of their friendship pact. 

2) Dark Tourist  

From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, New Zealand filmmaker and journalist David Farrier ('Tickled') visits unusual - and often macabre - tourism spots around the world. Farrier makes a stop in the Township of Alexandra, Johannesburg in the episode titled Africa. (Read our full review here!)

3) A Netflix stand-up comedy event launching in 2019

Netflix will bring together 47 comedians from 13 regions in an unprecedented stand-up comedy event series premiering in 2019.  Each comedian will perform a half-hour stand-up special, some of which will be recorded at the upcoming Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. Of the 47, 4 are our very own comedians Loyiso Gola, Loyiso Madinga, Tumi Morake and Riaad Moosa.

Tumi Morake

(Tumi Morake. Photo: Gallo Images)

4) Catching Feelings 

Catching Feelings is a dark romantic comedy which follows an urban young academic and his beautiful wife, as their lives get turned upside down when a celebrated and hedonistic older writer moves into their Johannesburg home. (Read our full review here!)

5) Girlboss 

Benoni born Charlize Theron is the producer behind Netflix series Girlboss, a show inspired by Sophia Amoruso's autobiography and starring Britt Robertson. 

6) Mindhunter 

Another epic show developed for Netflix by South Africa’s darling, Charlize Theron is Mindhunter, based on the thriller Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas. The show chronicled Douglas’ personal experiences as a profiler for the FBI, where he specialized in investigating rapists and serial killers. (Read our full review here!)

7) Troy: Fall of a City - Season 1

The show was filmed in the Mother City and stars local acting legend Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Zeus. Troy: The Fall of a City is an epic story of love and war, intrigue and betrayal. When Helen and Paris fall in love, they trigger a chain of events that threatens their families and the city of Troy. 

8) Lost In Space - Season 1

When you watch Lost in Space you may pick up a familiar accent. Local actress Sibongile Mlambo plays Angela, the grieving wife of a man killed by the robot. Lost in Space is a Netflix Original dramatic and modern reimagining of the classic 1960’s science fiction series. (Read our full review here!)

9) Trevor Noah - Afraid of the Dark & You Laugh But It’s True

The comedic genius that is Trevor Noah has not one, but two comedy specials on the platform. While he is best known for his original special Afraid of the Dark, his first introduction on the platform was the much loved You Laugh But It’s True.

10) Black Mirror: Nosedive & San Junipero

Black Mirror is an anthology series that taps into our collective unease with the modern world, with each stand-alone episode a sharp, suspenseful tale exploring themes of contemporary techno-paranoia. Episode 1 (Nosedive) and Episode 4 (San Junipero) of season 3 were filmed in Cape Town. 

 11) The Crown: Seasons 1-2

You may not have noticed, but many scenes from The Crown were shot in the Western Cape. Destinations include Hermanus, Cape Agulhas, The Castle of Good Hope and The Cape Town City Hall. The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world - Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street - and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Two houses, two courts, one Crown. Plus South African actress Jodi Balfour plays the role of Jackie Kennedy in The Crown season 2.  (Read our full review here!)

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