Kagiso Modupe responds to the backlash surrounding unpaid cast and crew members of the SABC2 telenovela 'Pimville'.
Image: File
After days of mounting backlash and what he described as “a lot of negative news” about him circulating across media platforms, actor, producer and director Kagiso Modupe has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding unpaid cast and crew members linked to “Pimville”.
The production drama has dominated headlines over the past week after reports claimed filming on the SABC2 telenovela had come to a halt following non-payment issues affecting actors, crew members and suppliers.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) later confirmed that it had fulfilled its contractual obligations and alleged that production company Bakwena Productions was in breach of contract.
Now, Modupe has shared his side of the story in a lengthy video statement, distancing himself from the financial operations tied to the production while expressing support for those still waiting to be paid.
Introducing himself as “Kagiso yaBakwena Modupe”, the film-maker explained that “Pimville” was initially a collaboration between Bakwena Productions Media House and creator Brenda Mukwevho, whose concept the show was based on.
According to Modupe, once contracts were finalised, his role shifted from executive producer to head director.
Modupe stressed that he was never responsible for the financial side of the production, including salaries, hiring or firing decisions.
“Since the inception of the show, I have never been involved or had it been my responsibilities to take care of any financial functionings of the show,” he said.
He explained that his focus was purely on delivering a quality production viewers could enjoy.
According to Modupe, concerns around unpaid actors and suppliers started surfacing during production. He claimed he raised the issue internally with his partners but was allegedly told to “stay in my lane”. He later escalated the matter to the channel and relevant stakeholders after the situation worsened.
“When things started going wrong financially, actors were not paid, suppliers were not paid,” he shared, adding that he continued flagging the matter behind the scenes.
He also revealed that he personally pushed for a supervising producer to be brought in to help stabilise the production.
Despite online criticism linking him directly to the crisis, Modupe insisted he should not be blamed for the financial fallout. He further disclosed that he himself has not been paid for his work as head director on the show.
“And so the narrative out there is that I am responsible for it, of which I am not. And that’s what I really want to clear,” he said. The actor also voiced support for the cast, crew and service providers still waiting for payment.
“People need to get paid for the hard work that they’ve put in, for their talents,” he said. “That’s why I still remain in full support of people getting paid.”
Modupe also used the moment to reveal that he has distanced himself from Bakwena Media Group over the past year and is now rebranding Bakwena Productions into Modupe Studios, which he says will focus on building healthier systems within the industry.
“And that’s why I, for the past year, have detached from Bakwena Media Group and rebranding Bakwena Productions to Modupe Studios,” he explained.
He said the new direction would focus on innovation while ensuring actors, producers and crew members are fairly compensated for their work.
Closing off his statement, Modupe thanked industry colleagues, producers, actors and crew members who had reached out to support him publicly and privately during the backlash.
“I really appreciate that. That makes me feel that you know who I am and what I stand for,” he said.