The groundbreaking South African travelogue series, Breaking Down Borders Africa, has been awarded a silver international Telly Award in the Best Travel and Tourism Television Series category. The announcement was made last week as the Telly Awards celebrated their 47th year.
“It is a tremendous honour for the team to receive this stellar recognition,” said Paul Modjadji, the show’s host and producer, from New York. “The Telly Awards are the world’s largest honour recognizing video and television across all screens. The fact that a modest production shot on a shoestring budget could earn international acclaim is a testament to the power of African stories and the capabilities of our continent. Breaking Down Borders Season 1 was a celebration of Africa and its dance and youth culture.”
Breaking Down Borders Africa Season 1 is currently airing on SABC 1, with Season 2 set to begin production in Spring 2026, featuring a new host, Botlhale Boikanyo. The series was also nominated for a National Arts and Culture Award (NACA) in the Best TV Documentary Series category at the 2025 Department of Arts and Culture awards and was selected as one of the Top 6 international travel shows for the 2025 BET and Black Travel Summit’s pitch competition in Brazil.
The Telly Awards is the premier award honouring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, nearly 14,000 entries from 55 countries were submitted for the 47th Telly Awards in 2026.
“Video has never been more contested, more creative, or more consequential than it is right now,” said Amanda Needham, Managing Director of the Telly Awards. “The Telly Awards have had a front-row seat to this industry for 47 years, and today’s entertainment is happening in multiple formats, across every screen, and at every budget level.”
“Africa’s time is now. From our films, TV, music, fashion, dance, and art, the world is captivated by the talent emerging from Africa. It is wonderful to be part of this cultural zeitgeist and to contribute to the rewriting of Africa’s narrative and potential,” Modjadji concluded.