Netflix is no slouch when it comes to seasonal releases and Yoh! Christmas is one such series, a comedy romance that follows the story of Thando, feeling under pressure from the social norms of her family. With a younger brother having another set of twins, she lies to the people she loves about having a boyfriend, then realizes that she is going to have to produce one at a gathering over the festive period. Yoh! Christmas was filmed in South Africa and is based on another successful seasonal series on Netflix, so let’s take a closer look at the production.
Table of Contents
Where was Yoh! Christmas filmed?
The entire series was filmed in and around South Africa, with the production company BBZee Films making sure that the series would celebrate the unique style and feel of the country.
Johannesburg
Much of the show, including establishing shots, was filmed in and around the megacity of Johannesburg. Many major South African companies and banks have their head offices in Johannesburg and the city is located within the mineral-rich Witwatersrand Hills, the epicenter of the international-scale mineral, gold, and (specifically) diamond trade.
Johannesburg | Image via British GQ
Soweto
The production team would inform us that they filmed throughout Soweto, specifically in the regions of Rosebank and Dube. Rosebank is a cosmopolitan commercial and residential suburb to the north of central Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dube is found in the region Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa.
Studio Set
The hospital where Thando works, and where a lot of the drama in the series unfolds, was a set that was built especially for the show.
What is Yoh! Christmas Based On?
Yoh! Christmas is based on the Norwegian series Home for Christmas and does stay quite close to the original storyline of that show. The Norwegian original did well enough to encourage Italy to make a version too.
The Norwegian series managed to provide a second season, so I imagine if Yoh! Christmas does well, there is material there for a second run of this version too. The idea for the show was created by two advertising students, Amir Shaheen and Kristian Andersen, who must be over the moon that the idea has already received two international remakes.
How many episodes of Yoh! Christmas are there?
There are six episodes in Yoh! Christmas, just the same as the Norwegian show, and the runtime for each one is around thirty minutes, so this is an easy binge-watch while snuggled up on the couch.
Who produced Yoh! Christmas?
Yoh! Christmas is produced by BBZEE Films. It was created and produced by Johnny and Tiffany Barbuzano, with Morishe Matlejoane, and as stated above, it is a remake of the Norwegian series Home For Christmas.
BBZee has an Instagram page that has various posts that all relate to YOH! Christmas, so it looks as if this production company was set up to make the show.
View this post on Instagram
Yoh! Christmas Cast
The cast of South African actors that appear in the show includes:
- Siv Ngesi as Xolani
- Siya Raymond Sepotekele as Charles
- Katlego Lebogang as Thando
- Bongani Dube as Lungile
- Ntobeko Sishi as Motheo.
Fans of South African TV shows will recognize most of the ensemble from other productions.
Do you have any other information about where Yoh! Christmas was filmed? Let us know in the comments below.
