Award-Winning Psychological Thriller ‘Close to Home’ by Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling Set for National SAfm Broadcast

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — Following its triumph in the prestigious SAfm National Playwriting Competition, Stephen "Spling" Aspeling’s second-prize-winning audio drama, Close to Home, has been officially produced by SAfm’s award-winning drama department.

The highly anticipated production will broadcast nationwide on Saturday, 27 June 2026, at 21:00.

National Recognition For South African Storytelling

The SAfm National Playwriting Competition holds a long-standing reputation for discovering and nurturing exceptional South African storytelling.

Out of roughly 650 submissions, Aspeling—a well-known local film critic, broadcaster, and writer—secured second place, captivating the judges with his atmospheric scriptwriting and tense narrative.

A Psychological Thriller Set On The Eastern Cape Coast

Close to Home is a gripping psychological thriller centering on Ava, a 42-year-old author and divorced mother who travels from Cape Town to a remote coastal village in the Eastern Cape.

Seeking the solitude needed to finish her book and heal, she retreats to her family's seaside holiday home—only to discover she is still haunted by the very past she is trying to escape.

Brought To Life By SAfm’s Award-Winning Drama Team

Brought to life by SAfm’s seasoned drama team—internally and internationally recognized for their premier audio engineering, immersive sound design, and dramatic direction—the production promises a rich, cinematic sonic experience for listeners across the country.

"I'm incredibly proud that my script was selected for production and broadcast," says Aspeling.

"While playwrights hand over creative oversight after the writing process, I’m fully confident that SAfm’s experienced team has crafted something special that honors the depth, tension, and unique South African flavor of this story."

From Audio Drama To Film Ambitions

Aspeling’s vision for Close to Home extends far beyond the airwaves.

Driven by the recent Hollywood demand for contained conceptual thrillers, he aims to transition the story to the silver screen.

In fact, a short film adaptation—co-produced by Cinuwav Productions and Spling Movies—is already in post-production, serving as a standalone piece and a proof-of-concept for a future feature film deal.

"The story has been brewing in my mind as a feature for several years, and the SAfm competition motivated me to crystallize the idea," Aspeling explains.

"I was inspired by Locke, a film that essentially functions as an audio drama. My philosophy was that if the story works powerfully through audio alone, adding visuals can only enhance the narrative weight. The short film hinges on the same central concept but boasts a much sharper, localized focus."

Broadcast Details

Production: Close to Home by Stephen "Spling" Aspeling

Date: Saturday, 27 June 2026

Time: 21:00 – 22:00 (SAST)

Platform: SAfm & SABC+

Listeners can tune in live on SAfm (104–107 FM), via the SABC+ streaming platform, or through the official SAfm website livestream.

ENDS