Meet the faces behind Netflix’s next African Original, How To Ruin Christmas - The Wedding

Faces behind How To Ruin Christmas, The Ramaphakelas are a trio of trailblazing siblings, who have been labeled game changers in their industry, and co-own Burnt Onion Productions.

Off the back of their exciting, laugh-a-minute Netflix branded original film, Seriously Single, the Ramphakela siblings are back with an all new African Original, How To Ruin Christmas. The three-part special - starring  Busisiwe Lurayi as Tumi and Thando Thabethe as Beauty - is the first African Christmas Original for the service and is set to explore the all too familiar elaborate, funny South African family nuances whilst offering up hot takes on romance dynamics, family tensions and the emotional rollercoaster of organising a South African wedding. 

The Ramaphakelas are a trio of trailblazing siblings, who have been labeled game changers in their industry, and co-own Burnt Onion Productions. With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment space, Katleho, Tshepo and Rethabile Ramaphakela are determined to deliver quality content with unique creativity.

The creatives behind How To Ruin Christmas

Before discovering his creative side, Katleho Ramaphakela was set to be a number cruncher, completing his BCom Accounting degree at the University of Johannesburg. Today he is an award winning producer who has a camera-facing career that spans over a decade. His first role was in the local fan favourite show, Backstage as Neo, subsequently followed by other TV roles, including a SAFTA (South African Film and Television Awards) nominated role on Intersexions, the  role of Sifiso Sibeko on smash hit show, Isidingo: The Need. He has since honed his skills in scriptwriting and TV production, eventually writing, creating, and producing flagship prime-time drama series for South African broadcasters. Katleho continues to write and create for Burnt

Onion Productions’ award winning shows. In 2020, Katleho Ramaphakela made his directorial debut along with his sister, Rethabile Ramaphakela,  on the Netflix film, Seriously Single. 

Rethabile Ramaphakela is an award-winning TV producer and writer. As soon as she completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Motion Picture Medium at AFDA, Rethabile started tackling the TV industry head-on working across a range of TV genres as a writer, producer and voice-over artist. Rethabile kick-started her career as a kids’ presenter on SABC, KTV and Supersport. Behind the camera, Rethabile has created and written successful popular comedy series that include the award-winning mockumentary series Check-Coast (2014), the sitcom Thuli noThulani (2017) and the comedy drama series Bedford Wives (2017). In 2019, Rethabile was named a ‘producer to watch’ from Africa at the MIPTV market in Cannes.

Tshepo Ramaphakela is an award-winning South African television producer. Tshepo keeps the business side of things running. He has, through Burnt Onion Productions, produced hundreds of hours of television, including award winning dramas and sitcoms. With over eight years of experience as an analyst and statistician, Tshepo brings his financial and managerial experience to Burnt Onion Productions.

How To Ruin Christmas plays lovingly to family tropes, judgemental aunties, family secrets, sibling rivalries and loads of naughty bits. These can only be tackled by a group of witty creatives, who are so entrenched in local culture that the stories come to life in an uniquely African way but resonate with global audiences as well. With a team of seasoned writers, Lwazi Mvusi, Sunni Faba and Salah Sabiti, the siblings are excited to be delivering comedic, exciting, fun to watch content this festive season. 

About Netflix 

Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 193 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without adverts or commitments.

About Burnt Onion Productions

Burnt Onion Productions is a Johannesburg-based production company led by industry game changers; Katleho, Tshepo and Rethabileti Ramaphakela. From concept to delivery, the trio brings to life a combination of fresh creativity and a commitment to quality, which How To Ruin Christmas - The Wedding promises to deliver in large doses.