Moja Love has positioned itself as a television channel that portrays life in Mzansi in its “most authentic and unfiltered form”. Launched on Valentine’s Day in 2018, it has steadily gained and maintained popularity as one of DStv’s most popular channels. That being said, it has generated a lot of discourse amongst viewers, with some being fans of the channel and others finding some of the shows aired problematic.
Supporters of Moja Love argue that the channel’s TV shows mirror the societal realities of Black people living in townships. Shows such as Sizok’thola and No Excuses Pay Papgeld tackle important issues, such as uncovering criminal networks with the help of police officials and holding people who evade child maintenance accountable, respectively. Further arguments state that the channel acts as a voice for marginalised people, as seen in shows such as Ufelani, where victims or families of victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) tell their stories and raise awareness of this important topic that plagues South African communities. The final argument is that some of the shows result in meaningful actions, for instance, X-Repo, where people’s wrongfully withheld or taken items are retrieved on their behalf.
On the other hand, critics of the channel bring about their own arguments, one of them being that it sensationalises the Black experience and exploits people’s trauma for profit. The channel consistently generates controversy through its shows, such as Isencane Lengane. The protagonists, Thando and Siyacela, had their customary marriage at just the ages of 15 and 16, which raises questions of the ethicality of their union to begin with. Additionally, throughout the 8 seasons of the show, the relationship between the couple has increasingly become both emotionally and physically abusive towards Thando, with viewers calling for it to be cancelled to no avail. Another criticism of the channel is that it markets some of its shows, such as Teenage Pregnancy, as “educational”, claiming that it raises awareness and teaches teenagers about the dangers of unprotected sex and young parenthood. Contrary to Moja Love’s claims, viewers express that there are no meaningful learning opportunities in the show and most of it seems scripted. The teenagers consistently show a lack of knowledge about their reproductive organs, informed consent and statutory rape, since there have been several participants who have experienced it without even being aware of what it was. A truly educational show would take these moments to teach not only the participants but the viewers about these issues and clear up common misconceptions about these topics.
The issue of exploitation arises from the fact that a lot of people featured in Moja Love reality shows come from impoverished backgrounds, so the financial incentive is usually cited as the reason they are and continue to be part of them. Those critical of Moja Love believe that instead of people participating in these shows to share their stories or to generate educational opportunities, their financial desperation leads us to question whether their participation is authentic or whether they are akin to paid actors. As a result, the authenticity of the channel as a whole and some of its participants is compromised.
There are various negative implications regarding the portrayal of Black people on the channel. The constant platforming of dysfunctional families and portrayal of illegal acts without any meaningful intervention from professionals validates stigmas, reinforces harmful stereotypes and influences how society at large views Black people and how Black people view themselves. The shows, whether the channel intends to or not, lead non-Black viewers who are already prejudiced to reinforce the negative views they already have. Also, the normalisation of spectacle above meaningful storytelling and education distorts the actual realities of the people they assert they represent.
Moja Love is undeniably a complex channel; it exists in a space where it dually represents the Black experience to an extent but simultaneously misrepresents it. The main problem does not lie in whether the channel should exist or not but instead in its ability to evolve and live up to what it claims is its vision and mission. Before that happens, people will continue to ask, “Is everything actually good at Moja Love?”
