By: Thapelo Ramorobi.
Before social media filters, trending sounds, and Reels ruled the after-school hours, there was K-TV — the golden era of South African youth television. A space where cartoons met competitions, and charisma was currency. If you remember shouting “K-TV Power!” or catching Playback to see who topped the charts, you’re part of a generation that grew up believing TV magic could be real.
And for Thabang Moleya, that belief became a lifelong calling.
At just 13, he went from watching Open Time in Tembisa to being one of the faces of M-Net’s most iconic kids’ show. “Without K-TV, there would be no Thabang Moleya, no Seriti Films, and no Gomora or Happiness is a Four-Letter Word,” he says — and honestly, he’s not exaggerating.
K-TV wasn’t just a kids’ block; it was a creative incubator disguised as fun TV. By the time DStv officially launched in 1995, K-TV presenters were mini-celebrities. They hosted music segments, interviewed global stars, and built an entire youth culture before the internet had the chance to compete.
For Thabang, that early exposure was more than just fame — it was formation. “We didn’t even have a decoder at home,” he recalls. “So while the country could see me, my family couldn’t.” There’s something beautifully ironic about that — a township kid shining on screens he couldn’t watch. But that paradox gave him perspective.
Fast forward a few decades and the former K-TV kid is now one of South Africa’s most respected filmmakers — co-founder of Seriti Films, the powerhouse behind Gomora, The Herd, Code 13, and the feature film Happiness Is A Four-Letter Word. His journey from child presenter to award-winning director feels almost poetic; a full-circle story written in frames and light.
And as DStv turns 30 and briefly reopens Open Time this weekend — the same slot that introduced many South Africans to K-TV — it’s impossible not to feel the nostalgia. For some, it’s a trip down memory lane; for others, a reminder of where our modern storytelling roots began.
“K-TV opened my eyes to the industry,” Moleya says. “It showed me possibility — that stories could come from us, and for us.”
That “for us” has become the defining thread in Moleya’s work. His camera lens captures people, communities, and moments with warmth and intent — the same authenticity that once made kids across the country feel seen.
It’s fitting that he’s still part of the MultiChoice family all these years later. “They’ve always marked major milestones in my life,” he reflects. From presenter to producer, from studio kid to storyteller — Thabang Moleya’s journey proves that sometimes, childhood dreams don’t just fade into nostalgia. They grow up with you.
