TAKALANI SESAME

Sesame Workshop is excited to announce that Takalani Sesame, the ground-breaking South African children’s programme that has educated and entertained children for more than 22 years, can now be enjoyed by an even larger audience, thanks to a new broadcasting partnership with e.tv.

From 10 April 2023, e.tv will broadcast the earlier adventures of the beloved Takalani Sesame stars – Elmo, Zuzu, Kami, Moshe, and Zikwe - giving young audiences an opportunity to catch up on the classical exploits and lessons from the beloved Muppets. The show will broadcast in English and isiZulu, Mondays to Thursdays at 2.30PM, with weekend repeats.

“The new partnership with e.tv to broadcast the much-loved, award-winning series is part of our new strategy to make the show available to children wherever they watch through multiple channels” said Innocent Nkata, Managing Director of Sesame Workshop South Africa, the nonprofit organisation behind Takalani Sesame.  “Our mission at Sesame Workshop is to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. The media landscape in South Africa has changed dramatically over the last two decades, and our audience now has far more viewing choices and access to many platforms. It therefore makes sense for us to make Takalani Sesame accessible on as many platforms as possible, so that viewers can watch the series wherever they wish,” explains Nkata.

Takalani Sesame made its debut more than 22 years ago, and since then has become one of South Africa’s most successful brands for children, scooping the award for Best Children’s Programme at the 2021 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs). Today, Takalani Sesame continues to be a leader in early childhood education. It is steeped in the fabric of South African culture as the series supports the country’s mother-tongue-based education policy. The show relies on in-depth research to creatively portray the challenges that children experience in a way that makes them entirely relatable and fun, through music, dance, and humour. Guest appearances by some of South Africa’s favourite celebrities over the years have added an extra dash of fun and excitement.

Samatolo Sihlezana of e.tv is excited about the new partnership with Sesame Workshop. “Takalani Sesame has been a cornerstone of South African early childhood education and entertainment for many years,” she enthuses. “We’re so pleased to offer our audiences the chance to get to know – and love – the series’ iconic characters while learning and having fun.”

“We are very excited about our new partnership with e.tv. It represents the start of an exciting era of expanded distribution for the show, and we can’t wait for our young audience to discover the magic, joy and fun of life with our beloved Muppets,” Nkata concludes.

Takalani Sesame comes to e.tv in the Craze slot, starting Monday 10th of April at 2:30PM.