M-Net Premiered South African Thriller Invisible
The eight-part crime drama adapts Deon Meyer's novel Blood Safari for television.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Africa
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M-Net has launched its new thriller series Invisible, which follows a complex missing person case and a killing spree in the Lowveld. The show features an international cast and draws inspiration from historical events.
Why it matters
The series serves as a major adaptation of the bestselling novel Blood Safari by South African author Deon Meyer. By blending a high-stakes crime drama with the historical context of a 1986 plane crash, the show brings a significant local literary work to a broader audience.
The eight-part series is broadcast weekly on M-Net at 8pm. Production of the project involved multiple companies including Scene23 based in Cape Town.
The players
Abbie Cornish
She is an Australian actress who portrays a lead role in the series.
Dougray Scott
He is a Scottish actor known for his work in international film and television productions.
Deon Meyer
He is a renowned South African novelist whose work serves as the source material for the series.
M-Net
This is a South African subscription television broadcaster that produces and airs the series.
The details
Directed by Jozua Malherbe and written by Will Schneider and Deon Meyer, the plot shifts between investigations in Hoedspruit and London. The series incorporates the 1986 plane crash involving Samora Machel into its narrative foundation.
Timeline
The 1986 plane crash remains a historical element of the series plot.
A screening was held at the kykNET Silwerskermfees on 19 August.
The series premiere occurred on 14 October.
The Breakdown
The series integrates the 1986 Samora Machel plane crash into its narrative framework, following a pattern set by historical fiction dramas that ground fictional crimes in real-world tragedies.
Viewers can catch new episodes of the series on M-Net every week at 8pm. The programme is currently available to subscribers of the network.
The takeaway
The series highlights the continued influence of South African literature on the global entertainment landscape. Audiences should look for further episodes to see how the dual-continent investigation resolves.
What happens next
New episodes of the series will continue to air on a weekly basis on M-Net.
Further reading
Discover more regional entertainment highlights in the Africa section.
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Does casting international actors in local thrillers make the final production more appealing to you?
