‘Cold Harbour’ Producer Ten10 Expands, Jafta Mamabolo Joins as Head of Development (EXCLUSIVE)

Producer Tendeka Matatu’s London and South Africa-based production company Ten10 Films is expanding and rebranding as Ten10 Entertainment.

The Ten10-produced neo-noir thriller “Cold Harbour” is currently streaming on Netflix.

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The name change reflects the outfit’s rapidly growing global slate of original series and film projects, which will be overseen by new head of development Jafta Mamabolo, an actor, writer, director and producer from Johannesburg.

Based out of South Africa, Mamabolo’s primary mandate is to expand the company’s Africa-focused entertainment slate. The first projects that he will oversee include young adult series “Abel & Ashanti” with producer Bill Borden (Emmy winner for “High School Musical,” “Kung-fu Hustle”); the African-futuristic “Akebul-an Chronicles” with Fremantle; and a limited series based on the book “Call Me American” by Abdi Nor Iftin.

Mamabolo first found continental acclaim in Africa at age 11 when he landed a prime role on “Soul Buddyz,” then Southern Africa’s most-watched youth program. His acting credits also include the popular “Generations,” the acclaimed “Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema” (produced by Matatu) and “Otelo Burning,” which earned him best actor nods at the Africa Movie Academy Awards and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.

Mamabolo also conceptualized and executive produced SABC 1’s well-regarded travelogue “Mi Kasi Su Kasi.”

“Freedom,” which Mamabolo stars in, wrote and co-directed with Ralph Ziman, is currently on release in South Africa on MNET Box Office.

“We are delighted to have Jafta on board — he is uniquely dialled-in to the current zeitgeist of young South-African audiences and is part of a cohort of exciting new creatives who are redefining African storytelling in a big way — his joining marks a new direction for Ten10,” Matatu said. “Jafta’s remit will be on entertainment across the board — he’ll be curating a compelling slate of premium, film, series, non-fiction and podcasting projects that have both a distinctly local flavour and an international appeal.”

“I believe in telling impactful and world-class African stories and creating much-needed platforms for young, African storytellers to do the same,”

Ten10 Entertainment is represented by Steven Adams at Alta Global Media.

Pictured (L-R): Jafta Mamabolo, Tendeka Matatu.

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