Thembi and Heather Short bios
Heather Blumenthal
A long and successful career in the corporate world was the preparation that Heather Blumenthal needed to finally take on the industry she is so passionate about – television production. After gaining 18 years of experience in financial and business management, and achieving remarkable results in the sector, Heather became restless, developed itchy feet and decided that she needed to make a drastic change and do something more fulfilling.
Frustrated with the way religious programming was being produced and broadcast on national television, when Heather was given the opportunity to write a proposal for a new show she thoroughly researched and crafted it – determined to fill the void in quality local religious programming. The proposal was accepted, and resulted in her first production Tapestries. The show would successful run on SABC for 3 years. This multi-faith magazine show explored the common denominators in Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and African Traditional Religion.
Heather’s success with the Tapestries programme lead to her being asked to produce further religious programmes for national broadcast. She conceptualised and produced the relatively long-running television show, Looking In, Looking Out: A Journey to the Source. The documentary-style show explored the Hindu and Jewish faiths, and saw her travel to Israel and India – where she produced and directed inserts for the show. In the last ten years, Heather has been involved in countless productions, including various music shows, Sandy’s Numerology, Coca-Cola Mega Millions Game Show, The Castle Millions on Air Game Show, Comedy Showcase, The Cape Town International Jazz Festival multiple times and her first documentary Dreaming the New: Amagagu.
The thorough work ethic that Heather displayed in the development and production of Tapestries would go on to characterise the work ethic with which the Spirit Sister’s approach all of their projects. In addition, her contribution to religious programming has opened up doors for younger producers to tackle religion in a manner that is fair, objective, informative and does the subject matter justice. Her diverse range of experiences has equipped her with numerous skills making her a true industry all-rounder. She is passionate about producing programming with a purpose. Her areas of speciality include conceptualisation, research, scriptwriting, budget management, production management, production, direction and compilation.
Two of the current productions she oversees, The Power Within and Simcha, continue to grow from strength to strength.
Beyond her track record, Heather is passionate about growing and developing other people. Her first priority is to create a family environment at Spirit Sister Productions. The results of this are not only evident in the substantial and meaningful programs she produces, but also in the way she interacts with those she comes into contact with. She thrives on imparting knowledge, or providing individuals with the opportunity to nurture and develop their own skill sets. She is respected by her community, and has also been honoured by her peers winning bronze awards in the NTVA Stone Awards for her documentaries on Chanukah; HIV/Aids and Spirituality in Trees.
Thembi Mtshali-Jones
Trying to condense Thembi Mtshali-Jones’ full life story into a couple of paragraphs would be an impossible task. She is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s most beloved entertainers, and at the heart of all her talents, she is a gifted storyteller. Renowned for her singing, acting and writing talents, over the last 40 years Thembi has become a household name locally and abroad. What sets her apart from her contemporaries is her extremely professional approach to all her projects and absolute dedication to her craft.
Having won numerous accolades around the world for her work in music, on stage, in film and on television, Thembi has had the opportunity to perform on the world’s most prominent platforms, and with some of the greatest legends of her generation. Steven Spielberg, Hugh Masakela, Miriam Makeba, Abigail Khubeka, Welcome Msomi, Sipho Gumede and Gcina Mhlope are just a few of the artists she has had the pleasure to work and collaborate with. She has performed for numerous dignitaries and icons. Personal highlights include singing Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela at his 80th birthday celebration. Her theatre chops have seen her perform on stages ranging from the Baxter Theatre to Broadway, and even London’s West End.
As an actress Thembi is no stranger to the television industry. Having appeared in countless award winning productions, she counts a starring role in South Africa’s most successful comedy series ever, Sgudi’snayis. She has had numerous roles, across all genres, including a role on South Africa’s beloved daily soap opera Generations. She has also starred in a number of films, including 1988’s international award-winning Mapantsula, which is still one of the most popular South African films today.
Thembi’s career as a performer continues to flourish, and she is in high demand locally and internationally – appearing in television shows, touring the world with acclaimed theatre productions, starring in films and participating in numerous exciting projects. One of her most recent passion projects is her latest music album Bayabizana, which she describes as a celebration of her life’s journey.
Her involvement with Spirit Sister Productions is a natural progression, as she brings all her skills to the table and provides her invaluable input to all projects. It gives her the ability to impart knowledge to her younger colleagues, which is not only valuable to their personal growth, but also to her projects and clients. Spirit Sister Productions, and in particular The Power Within, allows her to do what she does best – tell stories. Her ultimate passion is to tell stories, particularly those of ordinary women. Together with her sisters, she is focusing projects that prioritise substance and spirituality, moving away from the distracting superficial content that has come to characterise many television programmes.
