When did it become okay for shops to hang full of Christmas decorations in October? Wherever you look, there are red balls, green leaves and golden tinsel to remind you that it is almost the end of the year. There are only two ways to ignore it: look away or watch ShowMax. Fortunately, this October there are so many new programmes, seasons and movies on ShowMax that it will not be difficult to keep your eyes on the screen instead of the premature Santas.

Leandie du Randt really is easy on the eye. She is the host of the new series Slank that starts on ShowMax on 10 October. Leandie and a team of experts will help participants in this programme to sort out their heads and eating plans in order to shake off the flab.

For those who are not interested in slimming but rather wants to tuck in, there also is a new season of Edik van Nantes met Nataniël this month. In Season 2 he leaves the farm with his brother Erik and together they prepare delightful dishes in a new, secret location outside Nantes.

Karen Zoid is also back on the telly (or the smart phone or tablet – depending on where you watch) with a new series of her super popular programme Republiek van Zoid Afrika. After each episode you will be more convinced that this woman should have been the president of the homeland. Well then…

While South Africans are looking for another president, there are a lot of new farmers who are looking for love in Season 9 of Boer soek ʼn vrou. Minki Joubert (formerly Van der Westhuizen) takes over from Nadia and travel all over the country’s farm roads to help farmers in their quest for the right women.

If you’re the kind of person who is more interested in farmers’ hay bales than in their affairs of the heart, make sure you watch the new season of Megaboere. The new presenter, Bun Booyens, visits large farms across South Africa to find out the secret of their success and how they ensure their ongoing prosperity, no matter what the challenges are.

You can watch new episodes of all these new programmes on ShowMax within 24 hours after it was broadcasted in South Africa. It’s fresh entertainment at the right time and just the thing to help you relax and forget about the end-of-the-year rush.

Sign up now for ShowMax to make sure you don’t miss any of your favourite shows – and make a daily appointment with your favourites. ShowMax costs only US$8,99 per month and gives you unlimited access to thousands of episodes of wonderful South African series as well as amazing new Afrikaans movies like ‘n Pawpaw vir my Darling. You can watch ShowMax on several devices – from your laptop to your smart TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, tablet and smartphone. If Christmas has to arrive early, let it at least be in the form of good and convenient entertainment – and not as shiny, snowy eyesores.