Desiree Markgraaff opens up about building a new South African television legacy

Stephen Grootes speaks to Desiree Markgraaff, one of South Africa’s most acclaimed producers, about her remarkable journey in television and film.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

Shaped by a politically conscious upbringing, a passion for storytelling, and a commitment to portraying authentic African narratives, Desiree Markgraaff has brought groundbreaking works like Yizo Yizo, Isibaya, and Shaka iLembe to our screens.

She is a trailblazing showrunner and producer, celebrated for shaping some of South Africa’s most iconic and successful television stories, earning her coveted awards at Sundance, Emmy’s, and Encounters for her contribution to African filmmaking.

Her passion for the telling African stories runs deeper than the film which appears on TV screens.

As co-founder of Filmmakers Against Racism, she has used her craft to confront South Africa’s past, producing more than 70 video installations for the Apartheid Museum and Liliesleaf Museum, as well as powerful works for the Hector Pieterson Museum.

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, she says her mother's influence as an Apartheid activist played a pivotal role in shaping her love for telling truthful African stories. 

She says she hopes her work will continue to inspire the next generation of African storytellers.

"I was aware in my early childhood about the abnormal society that we lived in, and certainly I was aware of the huge disparities between growing up as a young white person and as a young black person."

- Desiree Markgraaff, television and film producer

"I was particularly interested that mainstream media, television, radio so ignored black life in a cultural way, and that the little bits and pieces that one saw on radio and television were extremely curated. It was something that intrigued me."

- Desiree Markgraaff, television and film producer

"...me being a mother and having mixed-raced children, wondering what shows, what are we talking about. What are our kids watching on TV? Our kids are growing with America..."

- Desiree Markgraaff, television and film producer

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.