Today marks a golden milestone for local television — 50 years since the very first experimental broadcasts lit up screens in the country’s major cities, back on this day in 1975.

The nationwide service officially launched on 5 January 1976 and since then, it’s grown into a vibrant and ever-evolving industry. Smile 90.4 FM caught up with one of the country’s top television producers — Liebe Reinecke.

Reinecke wears many hats in the industry, working across two production companies, Media Club Productions, and Must Love Dogs – the latter which she founded with her mentor Amor Engelbrecht.

Reflecting on five decades of South African television, Reinecke says there’s nothing quite like watching her creative ideas come to life on screen. With over 15 years of experience in reality and lifestyle TV — and a postgraduate degree in film and media from the University of Cape Town — she’s made story telling her life’s work.

While the local industry is still recovering from the knock it took during the COVID-19 pandemic, she is confident that television will always have a place in South Africa’s media landscape.

And to the next generation of storytellers…whether behind the scenes or in front of the camera, she shares her pearls of wisdom and encouragement.

“Many of my colleagues didn’t go to fancy film schools. They didn’t get training. They got to where they are today because they knocked on doors…because they kicked them down, and they worked very hard. And as with all dreams, you can’t reach them if you’re just going to sit there. You have to get up and do something,” said Reinecke.