Paul Modjadji’s ‘Breaking Down Borders’ Series Lands Prestigious Award Nomination

The Breaking Down Borders series is an ambitious SABC documentary travelogue. In the show, multihyphenate storyteller Paul Modjadji not only traverses the continent with his team but also spreads the joy of dance while spotlighting local stories.

The acclaimed show has now earned a nomination for a prestigious new award: Outstanding Documentary Series at the second annual National Arts and Culture Awards.

This nomination follows a critically acclaimed first run on SABC 1 from August 2024 and its current rebroadcast to a new audience. As a world-renowned dancer and choreographer, Modjadji has long been an advocate for using the arts as a vehicle for social change. For this reason, he is the perfect guide for this continental journey.

A Prestigious Nomination for the Breaking Down Borders Series

The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, will preside over the prestigious black-tie awards ceremony at Sun City on 22 August. During the event, he will announce the winners.

These awards celebrate the pinnacle of creative achievement in the nation, placing the series among a field of high-calibre productions. The nomination itself is thus a significant nod to the show’s cultural impact and high production quality. As a result, it sets a new benchmark for travel documentaries on the continent.

‘It really is the honour of a lifetime even to be nominated for such a highly regarded national award. The quality of the contenders speaks for itself. Our series was a joy to create and helped shine a positive light on the African continent and its boundless creativity.’

~ Paul Modjadji

Exploring Africa with the Breaking Down Borders Series

With the support of family and friends, Modjadji embarks on a ten-country tour in the show, taking in Zimbabwe, Senegal and Nigeria, among others. In each episode, he offers an immersive look into a new country. Specifically, Modjadji doesn’t just visit as a tourist. Instead, he connects with local dance communities, learns their traditional and contemporary styles, and then collaborates with them to create powerful performances.

These interactions form the heart of the show. Not only do they provide a platform for authentic stories of resilience, creativity, and shared humanity to emerge from diverse corners of Africa.

This continental journey culminates in a one-off retrospective special, with celebrated media personality Minnie Dlamini chairing the discussion.

This provides a crucial space for reflection, delving deeper into the lessons learned and the friendships forged across the ten-country tour. The show’s significance also extends to broadcasting history. Indeed, Breaking Down Borders is South Africa’s first continental dance and culture travelogue, following in the footsteps of the SABC’s last Africa travelogue that Precious Kofi hosted back in 2009.

Breaking Down Borders: Championing African Stories

‘Breaking Down Borders is a social cohesion project that aims to build bridges amongst Africans. It is artistic and cultural diplomacy at its best. Through the show you explore Africa’s touristic treasures while meeting change-makers setting the pace of Africa.’

~ Wandile Molebatsi

Co-producer and actor-producer Wandile Molebatsi drives this vision of a connected Africa. He has long expressed his delight that Africans are finally producing authentic African stories and content for fellow Africans.