By Adam Wakefield

It was in the late afternoon that hundreds of invited guests gathered in the atrium of Multichoice City in Randburg, where they were greeted by champagne and hors d’oeuvres. After a period of mingling with one another and catching up with old friends and colleagues, guests moved into the large dome constructed next to the building.

Inside the dome, guests were greeted by chaperones and complimentary drinks, and later escorted to their tables where they could observe the large stage. Comedian and host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, later appeared on the equally large screen above the stage, marking the beginning of an evening that paid tribute to the many songs, campaigns, and people that had come to form M-Net’s identity over the last 30 years.

Over the course of the evening, guests enjoyed live entertainment from Mango Groove’s Claire Johnston, Khaya Mthethwa, The Parlotones, The Voice SA winner Richard Stirton, Nigeria’s 2face Idibia, Kahn Morbee from The Parlotones who also performed separately, and Lira, who performed a number of songs across the evening, always in a different dress.

Amidst the entertainment on stage, guests heard speeches from M-Net CEO, Yolisa Phahle, Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk, Multichoice CEO Imtiaz Patel, and MultiChoice South Africa executive chairperson Nolo Letele. They all celebrated what M-Net had achieved over the last 30 years, and paid thanks to those who had brought about those achievements. This was highlighted by a smorgasbord of the channel’s previous advertising campaigns being shown, from some of the oldest to some of the newest, several of which can be celebrated as iconic South African campaigns.

It was a packed evening with guests also receiving a delicious dinner. In its entirety, it was a celebration that reflected what M-Net’s brand has pushed consistently over the last three decades, and will likely continue doing so in the future: Where the magic lives.

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*Image courtesy of M-Net