The beef between AKA and Cassper Nyovest has migrated to the boardroom with the tug-of-war over who has control over The Braai Show.
AKA details The Braai Show saga
Swisher Post News previously reported that Nyovest was on course to bring back season two of the reality TV show with his branding shadowing that of his arch nemesis.
SABC 1 and the Family Tree founder had already begun promoting the return of The Braai Show with a premiere date set for September 2021.
However, in an impressive chess move, the Touch My Blood star swooped in with his legal team to halt the production and release of the reality TV series he birthed.
This, as the letter from AKA’s lawyers reads, is not an attempt to kick Nyovest off the show, but to secure monies owed to him as majority stakeholder.
The letter explained that AKA and MakhuduCom entered into a joint partnership (50/50) back in March 2020 to conceive and produce the reality TV series for AKA TV, an app the rapper used to curate content at a time when South Africa was under harsh lockdown restrictions.
Barleader TV was brought in to provide production assistance but by October 2020, the letter reads, “MakhuduCom cited an inability to pay for the production of the show.”
“As a result, MakhuduCom entered into a Deed of Cession and Assignment Agreement with Cake Media wherein MakhuduCom ceded all its rights and entitlement to the show to Cake Media, in exchange for Cake Media settling owed and future production costs,” AKA’s attorneys wrote.
Production of season one resumed and was concluded, with Cake Media at the forefront of the joint partnership. The new player in the group is also credited for scoring syndication rights to The Braai Show with SABC 1.
Moreover, the letter adds that the national broadcaster was so impressed with the performance of AKA’s show, that it approached the owners for a season renewal. AKA agreed and so did Cake Media, who had inherited a vested interest from their Deed of Cession agreement with MakhuduCom.
However, unforeseen events that befell AKA at the start of 2021 (the passing of his fiancé Anele Tembe) meant that he could no longer honour the Service Level Agreement he’d entered into with Cake Media.
The letter notes that the show’s partners agreed that it would be in the interests of their ongoing relationship with SABC to search for a new host — enter Nyovest, months later.
At first, rumblings were rife that AKA was unhappy about Nyovest, the one person with whom no love is lost, hosting the show’s second season.
Here’s what AKA wants from SABC
However, his attorneys have clarified that, contrary to widespread speculation, the Fela In Versace star is okay with the show going on as planned.
But, the halt is to ensure that AKA is credited with:
- 50% ownership rights;
- entitlement to all proceeds made from the show, the monies made by SABC from the show, sponsors, brands, etc;
- decision-making rights in the furtherance and/or promotion of the show; and
- production credit as Executive Producer of the show.
Nyovest, who’s always at the ready to confront challenges in the public forum, has kept quiet about the impasse. At this juncture, it is a matter of waiting to see what the result of this boardroom tug-of-war will be.