A word of warning reader: if you love movies, video games and any South African made content, this strongly concerns you.

So Carte Blanche did this story on piracy.

A brief history: we’re all into piracy

Let’s not deny it, we’ve all done a bit of piracy. Coming off the heels of apartheid, we got chipped Playstations, “MP3z” and taped M-Net Sunday night movies. After being starved by global sanctions during the 80s and 90s we were hungry lions. The demand flooded supply.

The moral engagement regarding piracy is yet another product of the National Party. 

Soon we had camrips and virtual drives. But that was then. Now we have DSTV on demand and Carte Blanche on YouTube. What’s the problem? 

Multichoice Director of Broadcasting and Cyber Security, Frikkie Jonker, gives us a clue:

“These dealers don’t pay rights holders any cents. No money is paid to the actors, for the songwriters, for the sportsman. Nobody.”

Rights Holder

Frikkie, I’ll say what you can’t say on TV (because it’s okay to swear on the internet because your mom probably won’t read it): these people are vampiric leeches that discard and destroy the very last thing we have. YOU. 

As much as you might not like DSTV’s pricing, you hate SABC’s free offering more. DSTV is the last bastion of mega SA media that pop culture still understands.  

(Because not everybody follows the same influencer as you do. Choice is ruining our collective consciousness). 

And there’s something DSTV does that few even consider: taking care of said rights.

Right now, you can watch all 18 seasons of Egoli in full on Showmax. (And we did just enjoy some Carte Blanche goodness for free on YouTube). 

But watch SABC drag its feet bringing all of 7de Laan to a similar platform. 

And from this, rises a hero from the high seas. 

Rights holders care about money, we care about more

This hero is a nobody. They’re not here for internet kudos. They go by names like “Tillie” who uploads hundreds if not thousands of old Afrikaans movies.

They exist as internet nerds who go out of their way to preserve games they refuse to sell or fix up. 

And they upload bands only Oppikoppi 1997 cares to remember.

Let’s consider one horrific tragedy: the sad demise of Kompleks.

Remember Kompleks?

No, Showmax. Not the one you’re putting out now. The OG one. You know, the one that scored four comedy awards at the third annual SAFTAs in 2009? The one that had Granite from MTN Gladiators? 

No? Of course you don’t. Nobody’s pirated it. Somewhere there’s a DVD with plastic that’s slowly starting to warp. A VHS suffering video tape decay. 

And let’s not even mention the nightmare that is digital rot.

“I don’t care, I’m just here for the Netflix and Chill”

There’s the piracy explained in the Carte Blanche video above, where the game has evolved and you as user are at risk. (You should really listen to presenter Masa Kekanato. She spits fire.)

And then there’s the “piracy” where no one is selling that one thing you still cherish, so you give it a home — even if it is a copy of a copy.

I need you to do us nerds a favour Carte Blanche. Run this story: we want to know, what in the hell is SABC doing to keep our legendary content safe? And to you, I ask where are all the KTV tapes at? 

Upload it.

With Live@5 please.

P.S. In case you need a reminder Carte Blanche, we truly love you.