Thirty years since the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, LGBTIQA+ communities are still facing persistent erasure of queer narratives in mainstream media. This session asks whether representation in South African television and film is adequate, fair, and genuinely reflective of queer lives and experiences.

This panel highlights the challenges faced by queer film and television practitioners, challenges the mainstream discourse, and opens up space for practical solutions. The discussion considers how exclusion, invisibility, and misrepresentation in media can fuel hate speech, hate crimes, violence, and systemic marginalisation.

Presented by House of Ditsie, the session brings together voices from television, film, journalism, and storytelling to reflect on what meaningful representation looks like, what remains missing, and what needs to change in order to build a more inclusive screen culture in South Africa.