The Final Cut is SABC 3’s very own reality show that takes the viewer through 13 episodes of melodramatic acting challenges and competitive angst in the search for two new faces to grace beloved dramas across SABC platforms. The Final Cut will make its debut on Monday, 26 June at 19:30 on SABC 3.
Meet the host and the judges:
Lawrence Maleka – Host
Lawrence Maleka is a South African actor and presenter best known for hosting the reality competition series Clash of the Choirs South Africa. He was previously the co-host of the AfricaMagic Entertainment celebrity gossip show Star Gist, from 2012-2014. Lawrence got his start as presenter of The Gadget Show on community TV station Soweto TV, in 2009. He hosted a number of other shows for the broadcaster, including Ziyamporomo and Street Radio. In 2011 he hosted a below the line promo show called Coca Cola Happiness and in 2014 he was one of the celebrity contestants on the game show I Love South Africa, appearing in Season 1. In May 2015 he replaced Fezile Makhanya as the presenter of the lottery game show Lotto Powerball. Also in 2015, he had a recurring role as Don Webster on the third season of the soapie isiBaya. In late 2015 it was announced that he was replacing Bonang Matheba as host of the reality competition series Clash of the Choirs South Africa. On 9 September, 2016 he made his debut as the new co-host of the youth and lifestyle music show Club 808, joining Boity Thulo.
Karin Van Der Laag – Judge
Karin started her television acting career at 7-years-old in the SABC Christmas production They Came from Afar. She is best known for the 12 years she had played the role of Maggie in the SABC 3 soap Isidingo. TV acting experience includes roles in Zero Tolerance, Going Up, Hard Copy, Justice for All, Sorted in South Africa. International series include: Cape Town, The Three Investigators and Wild at Heart. International movies include The Story of an African Farm opposite Richard E Grant. Karin also performed in international movies Les Deux Mondes, Hoodlum and Son, Hey Boy, God is African and short films, The Witness and Hermit Rose. Karin has an extensive cv in theatre including many musicals. Karin is an accomplished singer and pianist. Karin one the SAFTA AWARD for BEST ACTRESS IN A SOAP in 2011 for Isidingo. In 2008 Karin was nominated for the People Magazine’s Crystal Award for Best Actress in a Soap Opera. In 2003 she was nominated for an Avanti Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Soap Opera. She won the FNB National Vita award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy role and was nominated for another FNB Vita Award for Most Outstanding Performance in Musical Theatre. She also won both the FNB Vita Award and the Fleur du Cap award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Karin has a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Drama and English from the University of Cape Town and a Performer’s Diploma in Speech and Drama. Behind the scenes Karin is a casting director for numerous production companies. Karin works as a judge, coach and mentor for the National Eistedfod Association, The South African National Community Theatre Association (SANCTA) and Talent Africa.
Mmabatho Montsho – Judge
Mmabatho is an actress, director, online content producer and screenwriter. Her career began as an actress in 2004. Her most recent acting projects include award winning (DIFF 2015) short film uNomalanga & the Witch in which she plays Nomalanga, as well as the lead role in the box office success, Happiness is a Four Letter Word. In 2008, after writing and producing her first short film, Mmabatho trained in studio multi-camera directing. She went on to complete a filmmaking course at New York Film Academy in Los Angeles in 2011. In 2012 Montsho directed her first for- TV film titled Your Move!, a romcom adaptation of the novel A Man Worth Knowing. Montsho then joined the award nominated directing team at Scandal! Until 2014. In August 2015 Montsho produced and broadcast a critically acclaimed web series, "Women on Sex" which interrogates the politics of sex and gender. Women on Sex has been listed as the one of the top 9 web series in Africa and the diaspora to watch by Okay Africa & Dynamic Africa, while also featuring in Buzz Feed’s “series to watch”, Women on Sex was also featured on BBC Trending. In the same year she wrote and directed a short film The Groom's Price, which interrogated gender and tradition through the practice of lobola, as part of the NFVF female filmmaker slate. In 2017, Montsho became lead director for SABC 3’s drama series Thula’s Vine and then went on to join the directing team on critically acclaimed pan-African drama MTV Shuga in 2017. Besides directing, Mmabatho is also a scriptwriter who has successful dramas and short films under her belt, including the record breaking Lockdown and The Groom’s Price which ranked in the top 8 SABC AR’s in its month of screening. She is passionate about gender equality, sexuality and issues of social justice.
Thabang Moleya – Judge
Born in the humble township of Tembisa, South Africa, Thabang Moleya was inspired from an early age to appreciate art and film. In his first year of high school, M-NET hired him to be a presenter on K-T.V and here he found that he loved being in front of, and behind the camera. He and two friends were granted access to the post-production facilities and equipment, and they started experimenting with making short films. Thabang’s numerous achievements include Best Short Film at Sithenghi Film Festival (Jameson Award), a nomination in the Durban International Film Festival and winning numerous awards for Public Service Announcements in Dubai and South Africa (VUKA AWARDS), Cannes International Critic Week, Tampere Film Festival in Finland, 16th Africa Film Festival in Milan (as well as having the privilege of being the youngest director to ever compete in that Festival).
Television: Interrogation Room; TV Shows & Films Directed: JOZI H, Jacobs Cross (2007), The LAB, Zone 1, Sokhulu and Partners, Montana (2009), Happiness is a 4-Letter Word (2016).
