Takalani Sesame
A uniquely South African Sesame Street co-production.
Last updated
Takalani Sesame is the South African co-production of the children's television program Sesame Street, co-produced by Sesame Workshop and South African partners. The series debuted in 2000 and has been airing for the past 25 years. Its name means "be happy Sesame" in Venda. According to Sesame Workshop, it is a "uniquely South African interpretation of the Sesame model, engaging children and their parents and promoting basic school readiness, literacy, numeracy, and health and hygiene." The show also has a special focus on HIV/AIDS awareness and seeks to introduce HIV/AIDS safety while promoting tolerance and reducing stigma.
Overview
Takalani Sesame is described by Sesame Workshop as a uniquely South African interpretation of the Sesame model, promoting school readiness, literacy, numeracy, and health and hygiene. It has a special focus on HIV/AIDS awareness, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage adult-child conversations. The series also includes a radio program, a comic strip, and a national campaign. It incorporates 11 of South Africa's 12 official languages.
Characters
The series features muppets including Kami, an HIV-positive five-year-old introduced in 2002, and Basma and Jad, who originated on Ahlan Simsim and debuted in season 11. Other muppets include Elmo, Grover, Kupukeji, Moshe, Zikwe, and Zuzu. Guest appearances have included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Nane Annan, and celebrities such as Jason and Nicholas Goliath, David Kau, Sho Madjozi, and Holly Rey.
Episodes
Season 11 aired from 1 June 2020 to 27 November 2020 on SABC 2. Season 12 aired from 7 June 2021 to 3 December 2021 weekdays at 15:30 on SABC 2, and also at 07:00 on SABC 1, with repeats on S3. Season 13 ran from 6 June 2022 to 2 December 2022 on SABC 2 at 15:30, totaling 130 episodes. Season 14 aired weekdays on SABC 2 at 15:30 from 5 June 2023 to 2 December 2023, also 130 episodes.
Season 15 (Sesotho) was rebroadcast on SABC 2 and SABC 1 (Sesotho + isiNdebele), and Season 15 (Afrikaans) aired on SABC 2 at 15:00 weekdays. Season 16 (Sesotho + isiNdebele) aired on SABC 1 weekdays at 7am. Seasons 15 and 16 aired on SABC 2 weekdays at 15:00 between December 2024 and February 2025 in Sesotho and isiNdebele. Season 17 aired on SABC 2 weekdays at 15:00 (13 episodes in Sesotho and 13 in isiNdebele) from 7 April to 13 May 2025.
Earlier episodes from season 1 (July 2000 – March 2001) included segments such as the Muppets singing "Doing the Family Thing," songs about exercise and friendship, and stories about HIV, feelings, water, and persistence.
Did You Know?
- In late 2022 the program was nominated for an Annual Kidscreen Award in the Preschool Programming category.
- The introduction of Kami was widely criticised by the U.S. political right, with groups like the American Family Association seeing it as a means for HIV activists to influence young viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Takalani Sesame?
Takalani Sesame was created by Joan Ganz Cooney.
When did Takalani Sesame first air?
Takalani Sesame first aired on 7 August 2000.
More in Sesame Street International Co-productions
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Takalani Sesame (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced