Combined Artists
Combined Artists is a privately-held South African television production company that produces investigative journalism, documentaries, current affairs, and live-event programming — most notably the flagship programme Carte Blanche — under contract with M-Net, MultiChoice/DStv, Showmax, and select international clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersRandburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Combined Artists does
Combined Artists is a privately-held South African television production company headquartered in Johannesburg (Randburg), established around 1981 with its flagship product Carte Blanche launching on M-Net in 1988. The company specialises in producing investigative journalism, current affairs programming, documentaries, reality formats, and large-scale live television events under contract with major South African broadcasters — principally M-Net, MultiChoice/DStv, and Showmax — and on occasion for international clients such as FIFA. Across more than three decades it has maintained an average output of approximately 160 hours of broadcast television per year with a small headcount (11-50 employees).
The product portfolio centres on Carte Blanche, M-Net's flagship investigative journalism programme, which has accumulated over 200 local and international awards and remains the company's primary brand asset. Adjacent products include true-crime docuseries (Original Sin: My Son the Killer and Strangers You Know on Showmax), commemorative specials (30 Years of Democracy, Desmond Tutu Tribute Channel on DStv 199), reality and travel formats (Show Me The Mommy, Bon Voyage), and large-scale live-event broadcasts such as the FIFA World Cup South Africa Final Draw Show (2010, ~200 million viewers) and the Oscar Pistorius Trial pop-up channel (2014). Proprietary technology is limited to live courtroom broadcast infrastructure and an interactive audience-participation format enabling viewers to influence Carte Blanche content via Facebook and Twitter.
Commercially, Combined Artists operates a B2B professional-services model, earning revenue through contracted production fees from broadcasters and through co-production splits on streaming-distributed documentaries. The company has no publicly disclosed pricing, no external funding, and no disclosed revenue. The customer base is narrow but deep: M-Net remains the anchor relationship, with MultiChoice-controlled platforms (DStv, Showmax) extending reach and episodic international co-productions (Rogan Productions, Electric Shadow Company, Red Earth) providing secondary revenue and distribution optionality. The 2026 relaunch of Pageant Magazine as a quarterly digital eMagazine signals the first material product-line extension beyond television production.
Combined Artists firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Combined Artists
- Legal name
- Combined Artists
- Website
- https://combinedartists.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Combined Artists is a privately-held South African television production company that produces investigative journalism, documentaries, current affairs, and live-event programming — most notably the flagship programme Carte Blanche — under contract with M-Net, MultiChoice/DStv, Showmax, and select international clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Combined Artists industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)
Keywords
Where Combined Artists is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Randburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Combined Artists business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Broadcast Television Production Contracts: Production of television programmes under contract with broadcasters such as M-Net and MultiChoice, including flagship investigative journalism programme Carte Blanche and documentary specials
- Documentary Co-production: Co-production partnerships with streaming platforms like Showmax and international production companies for true-crime documentaries and docuseries
- Special Event Production: Large-scale live event production including FIFA World Cup Draw Shows, pageants, and commemorative broadcasts
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Combined Artists product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Combined Artists is a South African television production company that produces investigative journalism, documentaries, current affairs programming, live broadcast events, and reality content for broadcast television and streaming platforms. The company is best known for producing Carte Blanche, M-Net's flagship investigative journalism programme, alongside true-crime documentaries, commemorative broadcasts, and large-scale live events. It operates on a B2B production-services model, securing contracts with broadcasters such as M-Net, MultiChoice/DStv, and Showmax, delivering an average of 160 hours of broadcast television per year.
Product overview
Combined Artists is a television production company that has produced high-quality television content for over 30 years, bringing an average of 160 hours of broadcast television each year. The company's portfolio centers on its flagship investigative journalism programme Carte Blanche, supplemented by true-crime documentary series (Original Sin, Strangers You Know), commemorative documentaries (30 Years of Democracy), and live broadcast events (Oscar Pistorius Trial, Desmond Tutu Tribute, FIFA World Cup). The company also produces reality TV formats (Show Me The Mommy), travel programming (Bon Voyage), beauty pageants, and has relaunched Pageant Magazine as a digital eMagazine. Productions span current affairs, short-format documentaries, interactive live TV events, and large-scale live events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Carte Blanche M-Net's flagship investigative journalism programme covering a variety of subjects including investigations into abuse of the vulnerable, sports personalities, and high-profile criminal tracking. Has received more than 200 local and international awards and been on air for over 20 years.
- Original Sin: My Son the Killer True-crime documentary feature following Thea Pretorius, mother of convicted murderer Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren. Distributed on Showmax streaming platform.
- Strangers You Know Hard-hitting crime documentary mini-series providing insight on headline-grabbing crimes committed in South Africa, from investigators to families left behind. Distributed on Showmax.
- 30 Years of Democracy 90-minute documentary celebrating 30 years of South African democracy since the 1994 free and fair election, telling the story of South Africa and its people. The Carte Blanche team travelled across South Africa documenting how citizens experienced the last 30 years.
- Oscar Pistorius Trial – A Carte Blanche Channel Round-the-clock live broadcast coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial combining state-of-the-art technology and qualified experts to deliver unprecedented courtroom proceedings coverage to global audiences and the international media fraternity. Featured exclusive documentaries, profiles, and in-depth expert analysis.
- Desmond Tutu Tribute Channel Special Carte Blanche pop-up tribute channel on DStv celebrating the life and legacy of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, available on channel 199 across sub-Saharan Africa from December 2021 until early January 2022.
- FIFA World Cup South Africa Final Draw Show Production of the FIFA World Cup South Africa Final Draw Show for an estimated global audience of 200 million viewers, along with Preliminary Draw and Confederation Cup Draw productions for FIFA.
- Pageant Magazine Quarterly eMagazine with hard cover special editions, reimagining the legacy publication that appeared for several decades in the 20th Century for 21st Century readers.
- Bon Voyage Travel programme series with crews working in over 30 countries including China, Bom Bom Island, and Nepal.
- Millennium Broadcast with Nelson Mandela 1999 live broadcast from Robben Island and Cape Town featuring Nelson Mandela's live address to a global audience of four billion viewers welcoming the new millennium.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200+ local and international awards for Carte Blanche content
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Combined Artists
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Combined Artists technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Combined Artists partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ShowmaxcoreShowmax partnered with Combined Artists as co-producer for Original Sin: My Son the Killer documentary series, combining South African and international production expertise.
- Rogan ProductionsminorUK-based Rogan Productions co-produced Original Sin with Combined Artists and Showmax, contributing international production standards.
- Electric Shadow CompanyminorElectric Shadow Company participated as co-producer for the Original Sin documentary feature alongside Combined Artists.
- Red EarthminorBrazil-based Red Earth collaborated as co-producer for Original Sin documentary, representing international production partnership.
- MultiChoicecoreMultiChoice and M-Net partnered with Combined Artists for the Desmond Tutu tribute channel on DStv, celebrating the Archbishop's life and legacy.
- M-NetcoreCombined Artists produces Carte Blanche, M-Net's flagship actuality programme, and additional programming for M-Net channels including Show Me The Mommy and Carte Blanche Extra.
- DStvcoreSpecial Carte Blanche pop-up channels distributed on DStv channel 199 including Oscar Pistorius Trial coverage and Desmond Tutu tribute.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Combined Artists competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ITV Studios: International production and distribution arm of ITV producing scripted, unscripted, and documentary content globally. Comparable as an established global content producer, with far larger scale.
- Fremantle: Global content production and distribution company behind formats including Got Talent, Idol, and dramas worldwide. Comparable as a large-scale content producer, though with far broader geographic and format reach than Combined Artists.
- Banijay: World's largest independent content producer with a portfolio of global reality, drama, and documentary formats. Comparable as a content production specialist, though at vastly larger scale and international footprint.
- Endemol Shine Group: Global content creator and distributor producing entertainment, drama, and documentary programming internationally. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the international content production space.
Direct peers
- Curious Pictures: South African production company producing drama series and reality television for M-Net, e.tv, and international broadcasters. Comparable mid-tier SA production company.
- Penguin Films: Established South African production house producing scripted drama, telenovelas, and television formats for local broadcasters. Comparable mid-sized SA producer targeting similar commissioning budgets.
- Bomb Productions: South African television production company producing documentaries, drama series, and reality programming for local broadcasters. Directly comparable as a mid-sized SA production house serving M-Net/MultiChoice and similar clients.
- Tshedza Pictures: South African production company specializing in drama series and telenovelas for broadcasters including M-Net. Comparable in scale and customer base as a SA content production supplier.
- Ochre Moving Pictures: South African production company producing feature films, documentaries, and television drama. Comparable mid-tier SA producer competing for similar M-Net/MultiChoice commissions.
Emerging players
- Rogan Productions: UK-based documentary production company that co-produced Original Sin: My Son the Killer with Combined Artists. Comparable as a true-crime and factual documentary specialist and direct co-production partner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Combined Artists social profiles
Digital presenceCombined Artists financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Combined Artists leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Combined Artists funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Combined Artists 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 Combined Artists
What does Combined Artists do?
Combined Artists is a South African television production company that produces investigative journalism, documentaries, current affairs programming, live broadcast events, and reality content for broadcast television and streaming platforms. The company is best known for producing Carte Blanche, M-Net's flagship investigative journalism programme, alongside true-crime documentaries, commemorative broadcasts, and large-scale live events. It operates on a B2B production-services model, securing contracts with broadcasters such as M-Net, MultiChoice/DStv, and Showmax, delivering an average of 160 hours of broadcast television per year.
Is Combined Artists a public or private company?
Combined Artists is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Combined Artists founded?
Combined Artists was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Combined Artists based?
Combined Artists is headquartered in Randburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Combined Artists make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Broadcast Television Production Contracts are the primary driver. The others are documentary Co-production and special Event Production.
Who are Combined Artists's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ITV Studios, Fremantle, Banijay and Endemol Shine Group. Direct peers are Curious Pictures, Penguin Films, Bomb Productions, Tshedza Pictures and Ochre Moving Pictures. Rogan Productions is listed as an emerging player.
Does Combined Artists have an API?
No public API is recorded for Combined Artists.
What industry is Combined Artists in?
Combined Artists's product category is Television Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAAAF, Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio). Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.