Penguin Films
Penguin Films is a Cape Town-based, privately held South African film and television production company founded in 1982, producing feature films, telenovelas, sitcoms, documentaries, and branded content for major South African broadcasters (SABC, Mnet, e.tv, KykNET, Mzansi Magic) and international partners including Disney.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Penguin Films does
Penguin Films is a privately held South African film and television production company founded in 1982 and headquartered in Cape Town. The company produces feature films, long-form television dramas and telenovelas, sitcoms, documentaries, and branded entertainment, serving South African broadcasters (SABC, Mnet, e.tv, KykNET, Mzansi Magic), international co-production and distribution partners (The Walt Disney Company, Ster Kinekor Entertainment, Shoreline Entertainment, Off the Fence), and corporate branded-content clients (Nedbank, Unilever OMO). Its product portfolio spans over 40 productions across four decades, including award-winning feature films such as Felix (17 international awards) and Krotoa (9 international awards), the internationally co-produced Disney COOKABOUT children's series, and telenovelas such as Arendsvlei and Sara se Geheim.
The company's core technology is end-to-end film and television production capability — concept development, showrunning, directing, cinematography, and post-production — rather than a software or platform product. Underlying technical strengths include in-house direction of photography led by founder Uwe Jänsch (a former ZDF cinematographer) and creative showrunning led by CEO Roberta Durrant. The company has received four International Emmy nominations (Stokvel, Home Affairs twice, Sokhulu & Partners, Disney COOKABOUT) and a 2024 KYKNet Silwerskerm Lifetime Achievement Award for its founder, reflecting industry recognition of its production craft.
Penguin Films generates revenue primarily through production fees, licensing, and co-production funding from broadcaster commissions, with supplemental income from theatrical distribution deals, international licensing royalties, and branded commercial production. The go-to-market motion is sales-led: pitching original concepts directly to commissioning editors at South African broadcasters and international partners. Pricing is negotiated project-by-project and is not publicly disclosed. The company also operates through a sister-company relationship with Paw Paw Films, expanding its production capacity and broadcaster coverage.
Penguin Films firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Penguin Films
- Legal name
- Penguin Films
- Website
- https://penguinfilms.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Penguin Films is a Cape Town-based, privately held South African film and television production company founded in 1982, producing feature films, telenovelas, sitcoms, documentaries, and branded content for major South African broadcasters (SABC, Mnet, e.tv, KykNET, Mzansi Magic) and international partners including Disney.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Penguin Films industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television and Film Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales) (MPADAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ)
Keywords
Where Penguin Films is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Penguin Films business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Broadcast Content Production: Production of television drama series, sitcoms, and documentaries commissioned by South African broadcasters (SABC, Mnet, e.tv, KykNET, Mzansi Magic) and international partners (Disney). Revenue is generated through production fees, licensing, and co-production funding.
- Feature Film Production: Production of feature films distributed theatrically and through home entertainment. Films like Felix, Krotoa, Inside Out, and Skilpoppe generate revenue through distribution deals with Ster Kinekor, Shoreline Entertainment, and international sales agents.
- Branded Entertainment: Production of branded content and commercial productions for corporate clients such as Nedbank, Unilever OMO, and others.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels6 records
Penguin Films product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Penguin Films is a film and television production company that develops, produces, and delivers narrative content across feature films, long-form television drama and telenovelas, sitcoms, documentaries, and branded entertainment for South African broadcasters and international partners. The company secures commissioning and co-production deals with broadcasters such as SABC, Mnet, e.tv, KykNET, and Mzansi Magic, and has an international co-production relationship with The Walt Disney Company. Revenue is earned through production service fees, broadcaster commissions, co-production funding, and distribution licensing through partners including Ster Kinekor, Shoreline Entertainment, and Off the Fence.
Product overview
Penguin Films is a multi-generational, award-winning film and television production company in South Africa producing feature films, long-form television drama and comedy. Their portfolio includes five feature films (Inside Out, Skilpoppe, Ingoma, Felix, Krotoa), TV drama series and telenovelas (Arendsvlei, Diepe Waters, Die Sentrum, Home Affairs, Sara se Geheim, Saints and Sinners, Sokhulu & Partners, Isikizi, Z'bondiwe, Montana, and others), sitcoms (S'Gudi S'Naysi, Madam & Eve, Stokvel, Fishy Feshuns, Treknet), documentary series (Hidden Histories, African Sky Stories, Democracy Now), the international co-production Disney COOKABOUT, branded entertainment, and the democracy education series Khululeka. Productions are created for global and local audiences across major South African broadcasters including SABC, MNET, e.tv, KykNET, and Mzansi Magic.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Feature Films Theatrical feature film production including dramas and children's films; titles are distributed domestically via Ster Kinekor and internationally through Icon Entertainment, Shoreline Entertainment, and Off the Fence. Films target both South African and international audiences.
- TV Drama Series and Telenovelas Long-form television drama production including telenovelas, serialized drama, and original Afrikaans content; produced for SABC, Mnet, KykNET, e.tv, and Mzansi Magic. Targets South African television audiences across multiple languages.
- Television Sitcoms Television sitcom production for South African broadcasters; includes Sgudi Snaysi (which achieved highest SABC viewing figures) and Madam & Eve (e.tv's top watched local programme). Targets general South African audiences.
- Documentary Production Documentary production covering historical, political, and social subjects; includes profile documentaries on South African figures and historical event documentaries such as Hidden Histories on Krotoa and the Bullhoek Massacre. Targets both broadcasters and festival audiences.
- Disney COOKABOUT (International Children's Co-Production) International children's co-production with The Walt Disney Company; comedic adventure game-show format teaching children to cook. Distributed through SABC in South Africa and through Disney channels in the UK, Greece, UAE, Scandinavia, and Turkey. Won SAFTA Award for Best Children's Programme (2017) and was nominated for International Emmy Kids Awards (2017).
- Branded Entertainment and Format Productions Branded entertainment, game shows, and reality television production for corporate clients (e.g., Nedbank Personal Loans Commercial based on Sgudi Snaysi) and format partners (Red Arrow International). Includes licensed international formats produced locally.
- Khululeka Democracy Education Drama Series Long-running democracy education comedy-drama series commissioned by the Matla Trust for first-time voter education; broadcast across sixteen years (1994-2009). Commissioned educational/public-service programming.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4 International Emmy nominations across Home Affairs and Sokhulu & Partners
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Penguin Films
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Penguin Films technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Penguin Films partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Walt Disney CompanycoreInternational co-production partner for Disney Cookabout. The show has been produced in seasons 1-6 and distributed internationally through Disney channels in UK, Greece, UAE, Scandinavia, South Africa, and Turkey.
- Paw Paw FilmscorePaw Paw Films is a sister company to Penguin Films, co-directed and co-owned by Sheena-Lee Hendricks, Mandilakhe Yengo, and Penguin Films principals Roberta Durrant and Juju Mafela. The company produces content commissioned by e.tv, MNET, SABC, and other broadcasters. Productions include Sokhulu & Partners, Izangane Zobaba, Democracy Back to Human Rights, Kemang series, Shreds and Dreams, Sara se Geheim, Z'bondiwe, Isikizi, Ingoma, and Ambitions.
- Point PicturesminorListed as a partner on Penguin Films website navigation.
- Julia JanschminorListed as a partner on Penguin Films website navigation. Julia Jansch is a writer/director/producer and founder of Southern Point Pictures.
- MNETcorePrimary broadcaster commissioning content including telenovela Ring of Lies and other drama productions.
- KykNETcoreBroadcaster commissioning original Afrikaans content including Arendsvlei (kykNET & kie's first original Afrikaans telenovela), Die Sentrum, and Sara se Geheim.
- SABCcorePrimary public broadcaster commissioning drama series, sitcoms, and documentaries across SABC 1, 2, and 3 channels including Home Affairs, Sokhulu & Partners, Montana, and various sitcoms.
- e.tvcoreCommercial broadcaster commissioning sitcoms, dramas, and reality shows including Madam & Eve, Z'bondiwe, Saints and Sinners, and Ambitions.
- Mzansi MagiccoreDStv channel commissioning drama series including Saints and Sinners, Isikizi, Ring of Lies, and Ingoma.
- Ster Kinekor EntertainmentcoreTheatrical and home entertainment distribution partner for South Africa, distributing films including Inside Out and Krotoa.
- Shoreline EntertainmentcoreInternational distribution partner for Krotoa in USA and globally. Also distributes content internationally.
- Off the FencecoreInternational sales agent based in Amsterdam for Felix, sold to UK, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and most of Africa.
- Red Arrow InternationalminorInternational format partner providing formats including You Deserve It (game show) and Love Bites (original format for Kêrels wat Kook), successfully produced in Germany, Austria, Greece, and South Africa.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Penguin Films competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tshedza Pictures: South African production house producing prime-time drama and telenovelas (e.g., The Queen, House of Zwide) for the same major broadcasters (SABC, Mnet, e.tv) that Penguin Films serves. Directly comparable mid-tier independent producer competing for the same commissioning slots.
- Ochre Media: Independent South African production company producing scripted drama and feature films with a similar size and broadcaster relationship profile to Penguin Films.
- Red Pepper Pictures: Johannesburg-based producer of telenovelas, dramas, and reality programming for South African broadcasters including e.tv and Mzansi Magic. Directly competes with Penguin Films for limited local drama commissioning budgets.
- Film Afrika Worldwide: South African feature film and drama production company with international co-production experience and festival-circuit pedigree. Comparable as a competing local producer pitching premium Afrikaans and English-language content to the same broadcasters.
- Quizzical Pictures: South African production company producing drama, reality, and lifestyle programming for broadcasters and streaming platforms. Comparable peer in format breadth and broadcaster-driven revenue model.
- Word of Mouth Productions: Established Cape Town-based film and television producer with multi-format slate (drama, feature film, children's) commissioned by South African broadcasters and international partners. Closely comparable in scale, format mix, and broadcaster client base to Penguin Films.
Broad incumbents
- ITV Studios: Global content producer and distributor producing drama, entertainment, and format programming including for international partners. Comparable international co-production and format-licensing model, but operates a global portfolio rather than a South African-focused niche.
- Fremantle: Global production and distribution group with a substantial African footprint producing drama, format, and entertainment content. Comparable in business model (broadcaster-led, format-driven) but operates at a scale many multiples larger than Penguin Films.
- BBC Studios: International production and distribution arm of the BBC with a global catalogue of drama, children's, and documentary content. Comparable as a content partner and co-production counterparty, particularly for children's and documentary formats where Penguin has Emmy-nominated credentials.
- Banijay: Largest global independent content producer (owns Endemol Shine) with deep African operations including Banijay Africa. A broad incumbent that competes with Penguin Films for international format deals and platform co-productions, though at far greater scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Penguin Films social profiles
Digital presencePenguin Films financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Penguin Films leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Penguin Films subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Penguin Films funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Penguin Films M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Penguin Films
What does Penguin Films do?
Penguin Films is a film and television production company that develops, produces, and delivers narrative content across feature films, long-form television drama and telenovelas, sitcoms, documentaries, and branded entertainment for South African broadcasters and international partners. The company secures commissioning and co-production deals with broadcasters such as SABC, Mnet, e.tv, KykNET, and Mzansi Magic, and has an international co-production relationship with The Walt Disney Company. Revenue is earned through production service fees, broadcaster commissions, co-production funding, and distribution licensing through partners including Ster Kinekor, Shoreline Entertainment, and Off the Fence.
Is Penguin Films a public or private company?
Penguin Films is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Penguin Films founded?
Penguin Films was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Penguin Films based?
Penguin Films is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Penguin Films make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Broadcast Content Production is the primary driver. The others are feature Film Production and branded Entertainment.
Who are Penguin Films's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tshedza Pictures, Ochre Media, Red Pepper Pictures, Film Afrika Worldwide, Quizzical Pictures and Word of Mouth Productions. Broad incumbents are ITV Studios, Fremantle, BBC Studios and Banijay.
Does Penguin Films have an API?
No public API is recorded for Penguin Films.
What industry is Penguin Films in?
Penguin Films's product category is Television and Film Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAJAC, International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales), with a secondary code of MPADADAJ, Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries. Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.