Mpumelelo Magaga and Alex Tivani co-star as Benny and Small, with SAFTA winner Thami Mngqolo (Generations, Isono, Muvhango) and Khanya Sosibo (Generations: The Legacy, The Estate) as Nqubeko’s parents.
“Christmas clothes have been a thing for South Africans for a long time,” says director Athi Petela (M’tase Khaya, Thato Ya Modimo, Lingashoni). “So the film is extremely nostalgic. It’s love, it’s laughter, it’s community. It’s literally a movie for everybody.”
For Tshepo, landing the role of Mzukulu felt like Christmas came early. “Yoooh, the first time hearing the news that I was going to be part of Christmas Clothes, it was unbelievable,” says the 12-year-old. “Yoh, I was very, very, very, very happy. I was surprised because it was going to be my first time to shoot a film.”
Being on set lived up to his hopes. “I like the way the director and producers treated me; I felt so special, like I’m the VIP person. It was a great experience.”
There’s no snow or mistletoe to be seen in Christmas Clothes, which rather leans into what makes Christmas in South Africa special. For Omhle, that’s the people. “Christmas, for me, is all about family – bonding, spending time together, and making memories,” he says.
Beyond the laughter and nostalgia, we asked the young cast what they hoped viewers would take away from the film.
“Don’t bully others,” says Tshepo. “Just be cool with everyone and play with other children. Don’t let friends mislead you. Mzukulu’s friends supported his bad behaviour, like bullying, when they should have steered him in the right direction.”
“Be a good friend, like Nqubeko,” says Omhle. “Stand up to your friends’ bullies if your friends are too scared to.”
“Be calm, kind and always stay true to yourself,” says Alex.
“True friendship can conquer anything, as long as you promise to stick together,” says Mpumelelo. “Inclusion is also really, really important because we are all different but at the end of the day we have the same blood running in our skins. What’s important is for us not to judge each other but to listen to each other’s stories.”
Watch the Christmas Clothes trailer here:
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Showmax has released a run of local Christmas movies in recent years, including:
• Gog’Shezi’s Christmas, starring SAFTA nominee Dieketseng Mnisi (Skeem Saam) and SAFTA winner Melusi Mbebe (The Butcher’s Soul)
• A Zulu Christmas, featuring SAFTA winner Deli Malinga
• The SAFTA-nominated Liewe Kersfeesvader, written and directed by Etienne Fourie (Trompoppie), starring Mila Guy, Morné Visser and Milan Murray in Silwerskerm-nominated roles
• A Christmas Chorus, nominated for the SAFTA for Best Made for TV Movie in 2021, starring Bianca Flanders and Dean Balie
• Home Affairs: A Christmas Tale, nominated for the SAFTA for Best Made for TV Movie in 2021, starring Hilton Pelser (Devil’s Peak), Celeste Loots (Wyfie, One Piece), David Viviers (Binnelanders), SAFTA nominee Christia Visser, and two-time SAFTA winner Deon Lotz
• Somerkersfees, directed by Jaco Bouwer (Spinners, Gaia), starring Silwerskerm winners Edwin van der Walt (Donkerbos) and Marguerita van Eeden (Wyfie), as well as SAFTA winner Lionel Newton
• Tim Greene’s Herb & Moon, starring two-time SAFTA winner Robert Whitehead (Isidingo), as well as SAFTA nominee Keenan Arrison and double 2024 Silwerskerm nominee Gershwin Mias
By Christmas, Showmax will also be streaming all 11 of the BBC’s Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Christmas adaptations, including this year’s International Emmy winner for Kids: Animation, Tabby McTat, directed by South Africans Jac Hamman and Sarah Scrimgeour. Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP30xHl6CQg
