Rethabile Ramaphakela

Rethabile Ramaphakela’s got her fingerprints all over some of the most buzz-worthy South African flicks in recent years. If you’ve spent any time on Netflix scrolling past Seriously Single, yep, she had a hand in that wild, hilarious ride. It’s basically the anti-romcom romcom, flipping the usual “find your soulmate” trope on its head and having way more fun doing it. Disaster Holiday? Oh man, that’s her too. That movie is pure chaos, like someone took your worst vacation story, dialed it up to eleven, and then tossed it into a blender with a bunch of family drama and laugh-out-loud moments. People eat that stuff up, no surprise there. Then there’s Lobola Man, which just dropped in 2024. This one dives deep into the whole lobola tradition—think dowries, family negotiations, and all the awkward, messy business that comes with it. But don’t expect a heavy, preachy lecture. Rethabile’s style is more, “let’s poke fun at our own crazy customs while still showing some love.” She’s got this way of mixing heart and comedy without losing the plot (or the point). Honestly, Rethabile’s work is like a breath of fresh air in a sea of cookie-cutter scripts. She brings the awkward, the real, and the totally unexpected, making you laugh at things you thought you were supposed to take seriously. If you haven’t checked out her stuff yet, maybe it’s time to stop sleeping on it.