eVOD: Free subscription with good quality local content

A broadcaster that has been through many changes in the last couple of months, from dropping channels and shows on DStv, e.tv is making inroads on their platforms, especially with their streaming service – eVOD.

Their latest offering, eVOD has been on the market for nearly a year and has grown to have 433 000 registered users. 

Subscription is for free, however, you will need a reliable internet connection to view the content and for additional content, you pay for what you want to add. Watching the content provided by eVOD during their “Streamfest” in Hyde Park on 23 June, the content celebrates local actors and local productions.

The idea of eVOD came during the height of the Covid-19  pandemic as employees were challenged to launch the streaming service within a year.

What has separated the platform from its competitors is providing Turkish content, and representatives say they are now able to use South African talent for voiceovers. 

ALSO READ: New changes to e.tv prime time, international shows dropped

We got a sneak peek into some of their new shows, movies, and Afrikaans telenovelas, showcasing how they cater for all. 

With current rolling blackouts, viewership patterns change during load shedding. eVOD will live stream two channels, eTV and eExtra, from 5pm to 9pm, but times will be adjusted to the schedules. 

Another exciting aspect was the preview of The Umbrella Men, one of their new movies. The movie is outstanding and has been built up as one of the shows to blow audiences away. The synopsis follows Jerome Adams (Jacques De Silva) effort to revive his late father’s Goema Club and the care of The Umbrella Men, a minstrel troupe. 

The club owes the bank a large sum of money, and complicating matters is the shady deal engineered by Tariq Cupido, a long-time family rival. Jerome goes to great lengths to save the club deciding to rob a bank during the annual carnival parade. The film is packed with action, and a great cast which includes Rob Van Vuuren, Keenan Arrison and Shamila Miller. 

Another standout was the crime drama HouseWives starring Renate Stuurman and Loysio MacDonald. Without giving away too many spoilers, the show centres around three housewives whose lives change forever after their husbands are killed in a police shootout after stealing drugs from a cartel leader. The series is a must-see, particularly after the shocking first season finale. 

The content list is long, with the latest shows including uMbali premiering on 21 July. Another movie loved by their subscribers, Piet Sake’s is inspired by the classic comedy movie Freaky Friday, starring Lindsay Lohan.  

Piet Sake’s stars the late Jaime Bartlett and Kenneth Nkosi. This film is the last from Bartlett. He portrays the role of an Afrikaans businessman, Piet, refusing to change after having big success in apartheid. His company is struggling to grow, and with his refusal for transformation, his business is on the brink of collapsing.

In his anger and spitefulness, he proclaims he wishes he was black in front of one of his black employees Mandla (Nkosi). 

Unbeknown to both, they swap bodies and lives. Despite the seriousness of the topic, this film will bring belly laughs to the wider audience. It is a production by Parental Advisory Productions, the brainchild of Thomas Gumede and Lungile Radu who are also directors, producers and actors respectfully in their movies and series. The production company’s Abafana Abai is also streaming on eVOD. The thrilling action film with an A-list cast includes Matli Mopheloa and Lillian Dube.

eVOD has 12 movies currently in production, which they hope to release in the next 12 to 18 months.