By: Saneliso Mlambo
Phil Mphela has defended MacG and the Podcast and Chill Network, accusing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema of failing to support South Africa’s creative industry while attacking one of the country’s biggest independent media platforms.
In a clip from the upcoming Read the Room podcast shared by the Podcast and Chill Network, Mphela said Malema’s criticism of Podcast and Chill ignored the platform’s role in creating jobs and opportunities for black creatives. He argued that while many actors and creatives continue to struggle under unfair industry practices, MacG has built a business that empowers the youth and creatives.
Mphela said many television actors appear in programmes that continue to air for years without receiving any royalties beyond their original payment. He contrasted that reality with Podcast and Chill, saying the network has grown into a black-owned media powerhouse employing more than 20 black people.
He stressed that his defence of the platform was not based on a personal friendship with MacG.
“Me and MacG don’t get along on everything. We’re not friends, we don’t hang out together, we don’t drink together.”
Mphela said his comments were about recognising the value of a platform that has created opportunities where others have failed.
He also questioned Malema’s record on supporting artists and creatives despite his repeated appeals to young South Africans. Mphela singled out former EFF MP Fana Mokoena, asking what had been done to improve conditions for performers despite Mokoena’s own background in the entertainment industry.
Mphela further argued that Podcast and Chill gives its contributors the freedom to pursue opportunities outside the network. Referring to recent developments involving journalist Heidi Giokos at eNCA, he said nobody at Podcast and Chill had ever prevented him or other contributors from accepting outside work or pursuing their own careers.
Mphela’s remarks come after Malema launched a scathing attack on Podcast and Chill during an EFF media briefing, where he criticised the platform and questioned its influence. The comments sparked widespread debate across social media, but until now no prominent member of the Podcast and Chill Network or well-known figure in the creative industry had publicly responded in such direct terms.
By openly challenging Malema’s criticism, Mphela has become the first high-profile voice from within the Podcast and Chill Network to publicly defend MacG and the platform. His intervention shifts the debate beyond the podcast itself, raising broader questions about political support for South Africa’s creative sector, the growth of independent black-owned media businesses, and the opportunities they provide for young creatives.