Huge appreciation to Athos Kyriakides for a incredible Unmasked Series conversation 🔥. From the world of film to the heart of football, insightful from start to finish. Hit the @unmasked_series bio link to watch.
Few filmmakers carry a journey as compelling as Athos Kyriakides. 🎬
Don’t miss Class of ’96: Rise of a Nation — now streaming on Netflix.
Tap the link on our bio and dive into the full conversation.
Class of '96: Rise of a Nation Series Producer Athos Kyriakides pulls back the curtain on the hit documentary - unpacking his filmmaking roots, global journey from Los Angeles to London and back to Johannesburg, and the evolving battle between artificial intelligence and human storytelling.
Executive Producer: Monareng Makwetla
Producer, Host: Karabo Makwetla
Director of Photography: Sol Leferela
1st Assistant Camera: Pholoso Mokome
2nd Assistant Camera: Thato Letshele
Some voices become part of your life without you ever meeting the person behind them.
For me, Martin Tyler has been one of those voices — narrating football moments from my childhood right through to the present day.
We were fortunate enough to sit down with him in London while making Class of ’96: Rise of a Nation.
Hard to put into words what it means. Forever grateful.
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #MartinTyler #FootballStories
Not a bad reference to have when talking about a South African striker.
Here’s Mourinho on @bennimac17 , a player who went from Hanover Park to European glory — and helped redefine what South African footballers believed was possible.
The final episode drops on @netflixsa tomorrow.
Which means from midnight, the entire Class of ’96: Rise of a Nation journey is yours to binge.
Proceed responsibly.
Thirty years in the making.
Six episodes.
One generation that changed everything.
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #BenniMcCarthy #JoseMourinho #NetflixAfrica #FootballLegacy
From AFCON glory to World Cup history, from Mandela’s embrace to the world’s applause, the final chapter, A New Dawn, closes the series by honouring the generation that carried South Africa out of its past and into its future — a legacy still felt today in the resurgence of the modern Bafana Bafana.
We tell the incredible story of @bennimac17 , introduced here not just as a footballer, but as a symbol of what the Class of ’96 made possible. Raised in Hanover Park, where survival itself required courage, Benni transformed raw street talent into world-class brilliance. His journey — discovered in a dusty trial match by agent Rob Moore, sculpted at Ajax Amsterdam, and later immortalised at Porto under José Mourinho — speaks to the doors Clive and his golden generation opened for those who came after.
Everything culminates in a do-or-die World Cup 1998 qualifier against Congo at FNB Stadium — a match that would decide whether South Africa would grace the World Cup for the first time. A nation holds its breath. And standing in the centre of it all is Phil Masinga, a man so bruised by public criticism he had nearly walked away from the game. But legends rise when history calls.
Episode Finale:
📺 Sunday | @etvonline
🌍 Tuesday | @netflixsa
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #Episode6 #ANewDawn #BenniMcCarthy #PhilMasinga #WorldCup98 #AFCON98 #NetflixAfrica #eTV
Walked into Primedia yesterday afternoon and was met with this.
Huge gratitude to @robert_marawa for hosting @johnbarker183 and myself, and for the incredible role he’s played in Class of ’96: Rise of a Nation — as contributor, narrator, and one of the true voices of South African football.
See link to the full episode below:
/live/fmrXq-piXuI?t=334&si=biIriKBoqjvIipqC
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #RobertMarawaShow #947 #FinalEpisode #ANewDawn #netflix #etv
@andrearendse_67 in his own words what ‘Class of ‘96: Rise of a Nation’ means to him.
Episode 5: The Final out today on @etvonline and next week Tuesday on @netflixsa
Hope you’re all ready, it’s a tearjerker!
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #AndreArendse #TheFinal #NetflixAfrica #eTV
@andrearendse_67 — steady, grounded, always present when it mattered — sharing what this story means to him.
Episode 5 takes us back to the final… the emotion in the camp, the weight of the moment, and the feeling that something bigger than football was unfolding.
📺 Catch it this weekend on e.tv
🌍 Tuesday on Netflix
Some stories don’t fade — they stay with us forever.
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #AndreArendse #TheFinal #NetflixAfrica #eTV
‘Class of ‘96: Rise of a Nation’
Chapter 5: The Final
Here, artistry meets destiny. @dk15_official , the magician of Bafana Bafana, steps into the spotlight. From being scouted at sixteen to becoming the cultural heartbeat of Kaizer Chiefs and the national team, Doc’s gift is more than skill — it is expression, joy, a reflection of a country rediscovering itself. Alongside Shoes Moshoeu, he becomes the creative soul of a generation.
The episode also chronicles the remarkable rise of @mark_williams1996 , the Nation Builder himself, whose journey from the gang-lined streets of Cape Town to professional football sets the emotional undertone for a final that would change everything.
With Mandela’s tears, the roar of FNB Stadium, and a nation on the brink, the episode captures a euphoria that cannot be overstated.
📺 Episode 5: The Final — Sundays on @etvonline
🌍 Tuesdays on @netflixsa
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #Episode5 #TheFinal #EatTunisia #DK15 #TheNation Builder #MarkWilliams #BafanaBafana #SouthAfricanFootball #AFCON96 #FootballLegacy #NetflixAfrica #eTV
The legend that is @shaunbartlett.football reflects on being part of one of the greatest African football teams to ever play the game and what it meant for South Africa.
Don’t miss episode 4 in which Shaun makes a vital contribution in the semi-final against Ghana, and we also step back to look at his journey abroad — including his time at Charlton, where he produced goals that reminded England exactly what South African strikers were capable of.
📺 Episode 4 — Sundays on e.tv
🌍 Tuesdays on Netflix
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #ShaunBartlett #BafanaBafana #SouthAfricanFootball #AFCON96 #FootballLegacy #NetflixAfrica #eTV
‘Class of ‘96: Rise of a Nation’
New episode incoming:
Episode 4: ‘The Chief’ tells the story of @lucasradebe whose journey from Diepkloof to Leeds United becomes one of football’s most inspirational fairy tales. Lucas endures early setbacks before emerging as the soul of the club — ultimately earning the captaincy under George Graham, the first African footballer to be bestowed with the honour of being club captain at a European club.
As Clive’s philosophy continues to pit Bafana against the world’s toughest opponents — including England — Lucas grows into a figure of extraordinary composure and strength, both for club and country.
Parallel to his rise is the evolution of @shaunbartlett.football , thriving at Charlton, where he produced goals that reminded England exactly what South African strikers were capable of, and poised for his defining moment on the AFCON stage.
📺 Episode 4 — Sundays on e.tv
🌍 Tuesdays on Netflix
#ClassOf96 #RiseOfANation #lucasradebe #ShaunBartlett #BafanaBafana #Ghana #Semi-final #SouthAfricanFootball #AFCON96 #FootballLegacy
