- Netflix hit The Polygamist earned several nominations at the 2026 National Film & TV Awards South Africa after its global success
- Lead actresses Gugu Gumede, Sthandiwe Kgoroge and Kwanele Mthethwa are all competing for Best Actress for their roles in the series
- Lead actor Sdumo Mtshali is in the running for Best Actor in a TV Series, putting the show's cast in direct competition with rival productions
Source: Instagram
Netflix sensation The Polygamist has turned its global streaming success into awards recognition, dominating the 2026 National Film & TV Awards South Africa (NFTVA) nominations announced on 20 October 2026.
The show, which made waves internationally on Netflix, has placed three of the series' lead actresses — Gugu Gumede, Sthandiwe Kgoroge and Kwanele Mthethwa — all vying for Best Actress.
Meanwhile, lead actor Sdumo Mtshali, known to many South African viewers from his days on Isibaya, is nominated for Best Actor in a TV Series.
Celeste Ntuli, another Isibaya alumna, also features in the cast alongside actor Wonder Ndlovu, the former Scandal! actor who recently celebrated his marriage.
The TV show is not the only title fighting for top honours. The series faces stiff competition from a strong slate of local productions, including Blood Legacy, Critical But Stable, Mpondoland, The Four of Us, Inimba, Levels and Kwa Baba.
X user @Omega TVUK shared on its X account on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, that the show is leading the spotlight at the 2026 National Film and TV Awards, with Gugu Gumede and Sdumo Mtshali among those nominated.
The nominations reflect just how much ground the series has covered since its debut, having climbed the Netflix charts across multiple countries in the worldwide English-language categories. Whether the awards night delivers the same result remains to be seen.
Source: Instagram
Man shares 10 new facts about Netflix's The Polygamist that fans never knew
In more entertainment news, Briefly News previously reported that a TikToker attended a Johannesburg industry event where the cast and producers of The Polygamist spilt behind-the-scenes secrets.
The hit Netflix series was nearly made in English, and it almost had a completely different lead actress in the role of Joyce.
The show's journey from page to screen spans over a decade, with a working title that gave nothing away about its true story.
Source: Briefly News
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