* Novelas are highly popular, serialised television dramas that primarily originate in Latin America
* It is already the number one channel in French-speaking Africa in terms of audience size
By Duncan Mlanjira
MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, has announced that the highly popular, serialised television dramas, Novelas TV, will now be available for English and Portuguese speaking audiences effective July 1, 2026.
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It has become Novelas+ — a very popular and successful genre — will be on two channels, DStv Access and GOtv Plus in English-speaking African territories, and on DStv Facil and GOtv Plus in Portuguese territories, devoted entirely to telenovelas.
The iconic Novelas is already the number one channel in French-speaking Africa in terms of audience size for dramas from Latin America, the United States, Portugal, and Turkey — and now English- and Portuguese-speaking viewers will each have their own dedicated channels.
Unlike open-ended Western soap operas, telenovelas are fast-paced, high-intensity melodramas that typically run for a fixed period — usually lasting between 100 and 200 episodes — to tell a single, self-contained story with a definitive finale.
They are celebrated globally for their dramatic plot twists, themes of betrayal, intense romance, and deep family conflicts.
In a statement, Nomsa Philiso — Director, content general entertainment-English & Portuguese-speaking Africa — says: “Our diverse audiences across Africa are united in their love for a juicy telenovela.
“We’re bringing all the passionate flavours of global dramas to their screens, with new episodes every day. Quality is everything, and we’re curating, localising and scheduling only the best for our viewers, including Turkish telenovelas, which have become a global sensation.”
Nomsa Philiso
The statement adds that combining exclusive and iconic telenovelas, four series are broadcast daily from Monday to Friday, with a new episode per TV Series each day.
“With the promise of ‘Feel the beat of love’, DStv and GoTV viewers will be immersed in stories about love, passion, rivalry and revenge, featuring international big stars.
“On Novelas+ in English, get ready for the Latin America sensation Avenida Brasil, starring Débora Falabella as a woman abandoned as a child, now out for revenge, and Adriana Esteves as one of the most iconic on-screen villains of our time.
“Turkish rom-com ‘Be My Sunshine’ is a feel-good summer romance starring break-out talents Ayça Ayşin Turan (The Protector) and a smouldering Alp Navruz.
“Mexico’s queen of melodrama, Angelique Boyer, is mesmerising as the titular character in the 2025 remake of the beloved Doménica Montero, and fans of Turkish dramas will soon be obsessed with Sin and Roses, about a businessman (Murat Yıldırım) whose life collapses after his wife’s (Cemre Baysel) secret comes to light.”
MultiChoice and CANAL+ further say on Novelas+ in Portuguese, ‘Fazenda’, “comes a story of legacy, love and betrayal set on a farm in Angola”, which stars Margarida Corceiro as Eva Lacerda.
She finds out she’s just inherited a farm in Angola from the man who once had a romance with her mother, and Evandro Gomes as Talu, his right-hand man.
“‘Forbidden Love’ is a popular Turkish drama about a wealthy Istanbul family whose life collapses because of an illicit affair; the finale of this series broke viewing records in its home country.
“They are joined by the Portuguese-dubbed editions of Doménica Montero and Sin and Roses,” says the statement.
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