Selected works

 

Features

The Church Mafia

18min mini documentary series (3 x 6min). Researched, shot and produced for DW's youth magazine The 77 Percent in 2023.

Despite multiple cases of rape, fraud, and murder, fake prophets and their miracle churches continue to flourish in South Africa. The latest installment of our Digging Deep series delves into this burgeoning phenomenon, interviewing pastors and their victims, and exposing some of the most heinous sexual offenders in the country's recent history.

Unveiling the criminal network behind South Africa's power crisis

7:30min feature. Researched, shot and produced for DW's youth magazine The 77 Percent in 2023.

South Africa is currently grappling with its most severe power crisis in history- The situation has instilled deep concerns that it may escalate into significant civil unrest. We meet courageous journalists who delved into the underlying causes of these power cuts. Their investigation revealed a complex network of criminal syndicates & rampant government corruption.

Tropenholz fürs Klima

30min reportage. Produced for NZZ format (Neue Züricher Zeitung) in 2022. Video can be seen here:

Gabon is a natural paradise: 80 percent of the country is covered by rain forest. So far, the country has made a living from oil, but now Environment Minister Lee White wants to make Gabon a green model country. Gabon wants to develop the rainforest economically without destroying it. On the contrary - the felling should protect nature and the climate and make Gabon independent of the petroleum industry.

"NZZ Format" gets to the bottom of the question of whether deforestation and nature conservation really go together. Because critics say that every felled tree is one too many.

Namibia: New safe zones for wildlife

7:30min feature. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Global Ideas magazine in 2021:

Namibia’s brown hyenas are perfectly adapted to desert conditions, but are in serious decline. With growing recognition of their value to the ecosystem, community-based efforts are helping to protect them from farmers who fear for their livestock.

Illegal Gold Mining in Mozambique

7:30min feature. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Global Ideas magazine in 2021:

Thousands of miners descended on Chimanimani National Park to find their fortune digging for gold. But environmental costs have been high. Can legalization and organized cooperatives help preserve what's left untouched?

A Royal Clash: Eswatini's youth has had enough of its king

4:40min feature for DW's youth magazine The 77 Percent. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa programme in 2021:

Eswatini, the small Southern African country – formerly known as Swaziland – is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world. According to constitution, King Mswati III is not bound to any law. And he takes great advantage of it. Enriching him and his family to great wealth during his reign. The young people in the country, however, are starting to ask questions.

Street Style Khumbula

8min fashion feature for ARTE's prominent youth culture magazine Tracks. Edited and Shot in 2015. Broadcasted in German and French (please have a look at the German version here):

Die neuen Dandys Südafrikas sind das Streetstyle-Kollektiv Khumbula aus Johannesburg. Ihr Dapper oder Sartorial Dressing hat in Fashionkreisen Aufsehen erregt. Sie finden in den Kleiderschränken ihrer Eltern und Großeltern, was sie brauchen, legen größten Wert auf Eleganz und Stil und sparen damit noch eine Menge Geld. Praktisch, wenn man aus ärmeren Teilen der Stadt kommt.

Environmental Defender Clovis Razafimalala: Protecting Madagascar's  Rosewood Forests

Feature for DW's Africa programme. Researched, shot and produced in 2018 (feature in video file starting at 02:00min, please have a look at the German version here) :

In Madagascar, the contrabandwith tropical hardwood created a mafia whose money and power reaches into the highestlevels of government. While the population lives in abject poverty, therosewood barons mercilessly exploit the country's natural wealth. ClovisRazafimalala, an environmental activist in the east of the island, is one ofthe few people who oppose the mafia. Under high danger, he reveals the criminalschemes and protects the last primal rainforest of the island. Razafimalala hasbeen awarded the German Africa Prize in 2018 for his extraordinary commitment.

 

Debunked

Debunked is a format that was developed and created by Stefan Mohl and Cult Wife (Cape Town). It is produced exclusively for DW. Debunked episodes are usually 90 seconds in length and work with animations and video footage to unpack populist claims and debunk fake news. With a Pan-African perspective and the help of animated data visualisations and infographics, Debunked scrutinises claims that are for the most part making the rounds on social media but also finding their way into traditional media outlets and official government channels.

Debunked: mRNA vaccines are safe for you

1:30min Animation. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa programme in 2021:

Many people globally are worried that using one of the mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 could change peoples’ genetic material. That is wrong. We explain why mRNA vaccines are safe for you and your genes and will protect you from the virus.

Debunked: virginity testing

1:30min Animation. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa programme in 2021:

Virginity testing remains a common practice in some communities in Africa, especially South Africa. We explain why virginity testing does far more harm than good, and show how virginity itself is a social construct.

Debunked: 5G is not harmful to your health

1:30min Animation. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa programme in 2021:

Claims that the mobile technology can cause cancer and other illnesses have emerged on several social media networks. We wanted to find out if there was anything to these claims. So we checked the facts! Take a look!

Debunked: Africa's emerging economies

1:30min Animation. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa programme in 2021:

African countries have some of the fastest growing economies worldwide. But for decades, the dominating image of Africa has been that of a poor and helpless continent. See why this image is misleading.

Debunked: life expectancy in Africa

1:30min Animation. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa programme in 2021:

Life expectancy, or the age to which people in a given country are expected to live, across Africa is low compared to other continence. But is it actually true that Africa's life expectancy is increasing faster than ever?

 

Street Debates

77 percent of Africans are younger than 35. But they are also the least represented demographic. It's time their voices are heard as they shape the future of Africa. Street Debates is an informal and youthful talk show format of about 20min that Stefan Mohl produces for DW's Africa programme on public spaces in cities around the African continent - getting young people and experts to discuss burning and relevant issues that matter most. 

Lorem Ipsum

22min talk show for DW's youth magazine The 77 Percent. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa Programme in 2021:

DW host Christine Mhundwa meets young people demanding change in Eswatini. The small southern African country is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world, and some young people believe the king is abusing his powers.

Gender-Based Violence in South Africa

19min talk show for DW's youth magazine The 77 Percent. Researched, shot and produced for DW's Africa Programme in 2020:

Gender-based violence in South Africa is increasing at an alarming rate, which makes it one of the world's most unsafe places for women. We talk to survivors of domestic abuse and rape to find out how South African society needs to change.

Using Format