The best TV of 2025 so far, from Niggies to Shaka iLembe S2

We’ve officially hit the halfway mark of 2025, and if there’s one thing this year hasn’t been short on, it’s television that gets people talking. From genre-defying dramas to jaw-dropping reality moments and unforgettable character arcs, the small screen has been serving big energy all year. With gripping storylines, bold new voices, and returning favourites raising the bar, these are the TV moments that have defined 2025 so far from DSTV, the ones we’re still thinking about, tweeting about, and counting down to every week. Here’s a look at the standout shows and scenes that made staying in feel like the best decision of the year.

SHAKA ILEMBE S2

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Season 2 picks up as Shaka arrives at KwaNobamba with Nandi to claim his throne as the new Zulu king. Lemogang Tsipa and Nomzamo Mbatha co-star as Shaka and Nandi, fresh from their nomination and win respectively at the 2024 Septimius Awards in Amsterdam.The all-star cast includes Thembinkosi Mthembu in a SAFTA-winning performance as Dingiswayo and Wiseman Mncube in a National Film and TV Awards-winning performance as Zwide.The first season of Shaka iLembe became the most watched DStv drama series ever, was the most searched TV series on Google in 2023, and went on to become the most awarded drama series ever at the SAFTAs.

NIGGIES |

In 1966, Issie Fourie and Petro Nel were kidnapped and murdered in the peaceful town of Odendaalsrus in the Free State. Issie's brother, André, swore to throw everything into the fight to have the culprit apprehended. It would take him nearly 20 years.SAFTA winner Jaco Bouwer (Spinners) directs, with Wolflight Films producing. Wolflight were behind Koek, the most-awarded series at last year’s Silwerskerm Film & TV Awards. Silwerskerm winner Beer Adriaanse (Hotel, Wonderlus) and newcomer Janru Steenkamp co-star as the older and younger André respectively, leading an all-star cast.Niggies received rave reviews, scoring 10/10 from top Afrikaans critic Leon van Nierop and 5/5 on News24, where Thinus Ferreira wrote, “If kykNET's gripping, original true crime series Niggies were called Cousins, an HBO Original set in America as a period drama murder mystery, it would make a clean sweep at the Emmys, claiming awards for directing, acting, costuming, writing, and set design... Niggies is a chilling masterpiece.”Companion podcast Niggies: Die true-crime potgooi, is also available on DStv Stream and Spotify.

GENESIS S1

Felicia Thabethe, once the queen of gospel, thought she had built an unshakable legacy with her husband, Gabriel. But when shocking secrets surface, everything she has worked for is thrown into chaos. Now, with Genesis Records at risk, Felicia must fight to protect her family’s name before it all crumbles.Produced by Singavision Productions, Mzansi Magic’s new telenovela stars four-time SAFTA nominee Baby Cele (Sibongile & The Dlaminis, Shaka Ilembe, Uzalo), Buyile Mdladla (Gomora), Nay Maps (Umkhokha: The Curse, The Queen), Gaosi Raditholo (The River), KB Motsilanyane (Law, Love and Betrayal), and Kealeboga Masango, nominated as Best Newcomer at the 2024 National Film & TV Awards South Africa, for her role as Buhle in Youngins.

BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY

23 years after her Oscar nomination for Bridget Jones’s Diary, Renée Zellweger is back in the fourth instalment of the beloved romcom series based on Helen Fielding’s bestselling books.Now in her 50s and single again after the untimely death of her husband, Bridget finds herself grappling with solo parenting and the challenges of re-entering the dating world.Hugh Grant returns as Daniel Cleaver, with Leo Woodall (Jack in The White Lotus S2) as Bridget’s much younger love interest and Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor as her son’s teacher.