Online Reporter
South African entrepreneur Vusi Thembekwayo has reignited the debate around actor royalties, saying the country’s laws are failing performers following the death of legendary actor Seputla Sebogodi.
Sebogodi, best known for playing the ruthless Kenneth Mashaba on “Generations”, died on July 15 from diabetes-related complications.
His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes, but Thembekwayo argued that honouring actors should go beyond condolences.
Responding to a tribute by the Gauteng Provincial Government on X, Thembekwayo called on the government to urgently reform the laws governing how actors are paid.
“The best service the nation can give to the memory of Seputla Sebogodi is to relook at the laws governing how actors are paid,” he wrote.
Thembekwayo criticised South Africa’s long-standing “pay once” model, where actors receive a once-off fee for their work but earn little to nothing when programmes are repeatedly broadcast or licensed elsewhere.
“They light up the screen for years, bringing joy to our homes and then struggle or leave this world without their dues,” he said, adding that broadcasters and production companies continue to benefit financially from repeat airings while the performers who made the productions successful receive no share of those earnings.
He argued that actors are often required to sign contracts that permanently buy out their rights, leaving them without residual income and discouraging them from speaking out for fear of being labelled “difficult” within the industry.
The mass dismissal reshaped South African television, leading to the temporary suspension of “Generations” before it returned as “Generations: The Legacy” with a new cast and storyline.
More than a decade later, Thembekwayo believes the issues that sparked that historic dispute remain unresolved – IOL.
