Mandy Wiener and John Robbie put Africa in the spotlight with their new documentaries

SOUTH African journalists Mandy Wiener and John Robbie will bring unique insights from the continent as they are set to host documentary shows on History Channel Africa.

This move will see the media veterans join the likes of Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd, Laurence Fishburne and William Shatner who have also been featured on the channel this year.

Wiener, a renowned journalist and author, will uncover the details behind some of the country’s most riveting crimes in “Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener.”

This gripping one-off documentary will unravel three dramatic crimes that left the nation stunned as it forms part of the History Channel Africa’s dedicated “Crime Month” in October.

“Great African Crimes has all the ingredients of a compelling TV show – really interesting crimes, complex characters, intriguing narratives, the backdrop of the African context,” she said in a statement.

“I hope to bring my two decades of experience in the news environment, telling crime stories, to this project.”

Meanwhile, “Great African Mysteries with John Robbie” will be back for a second season in August.

The show returns to investigate three of South Africa’s most fascinating and little-known mysteries after a successful first instalment last year.

One of the stories to be unpacked on the show will be how Johannesburg’s gold fields were preserved and protected when an asteroid, measuring at least 10 kilometres, crashed into Earth near the present-day town of Vredefort, around two billion years ago.

“As with the first season, this show will educate, thrill and challenge people’s perceptions about aspects of the past in Africa,” Robbie added in the statement.

“South Africa, and indeed Africa, have such incredible history and prehistory and so much of it has either been forgotten or not widely taught”

Both documentaries will be produced by Clive Morris Productions.

The channel will also air “My History Moments”, which will see notable South Africans share pivotal moments from their lives that have historical significance and profound personal meaning.

For this series’s first instalment last year, global business speaker Vusi Thembekwayo, broadcaster David O'Sullivan and singer and songwriter Yvonne Chaka Chaka shared their moving stories.

History Channel Africa’s marketing manager Anita Gardini added that they are thrilled to share South African stories and to highlight the historical events which are unfamiliar to many.

“The History Channel Africa takes seriously our role in documenting and being home to these local stories that matter,” she said.