The cast of the popular South African soap opera Generations have been fired after going on strike over a long-running dispute over pay and contracts.
The 16 cast members of the show, which aired nightly on national broadcaster SABC, were fired after resisting calls to return to work at a Johannesburg studio.
The show is scheduled to air until October, but producers have indicated they will be using new actors.
Generations depicts a group of black middle-class characters working in the advertising industry.
The show first aired in 1993, the year before Nelson Mandela won power in South Africa's first democratic, multiparty elections.
The show, known as 'The Soap', is popular with the South African public and provides a source of aspiration for television viewers.
Analysis: Pumza Fihlani, BBC News, Johannesburg
The showdown between the 16 actors and the public broadcaster caused an uproar in this soap-loving nation. Although South Africa's entertainment industry is very small and jobs are difficult to find, many have praised the actions of performers who have gone on strike over pay.
“Generations” is one of the longest-running shows and reportedly the highest-rated show in the country. Wage strikes are not uncommon in this highly politicized country, but the arts have always been exempt.
Now, they say, actors want more from their talents and are tired of “dying poor” while making “millions” for their bosses. Some politicians liken their position to an era of struggle. This may be an exaggeration, but it shows that their “plight'' resonates with many people.
But the show's directors seem determined not to forcefully conform to what they call “Hollywood” pay.
Words like “exploitation” have been thrown around a lot since the story began, but little has been said about the actors' actual incomes, only that they are below industry standards. . Critics hope the heated debate will lead to policy on how to regulate pay in the industry, leading to a move away from the “struggling artist” label.
Executive producer Mfundi Vundla told a South African radio station that they are looking for new cast members.
“There have been other actors before, and there will be other actors in the future,” he said on Talk Radio 702. “The generations will continue, but that doesn't mean the end of the series.”
“We have been in negotiations with them since October of last year,” Vandra said, adding that the cast had been asked to continue recording the show while negotiations continued, but that they had not returned to work. He added that he had not.
“That's it, it's over, it's over,” he added.
Vandra said the actors' salaries and contractual demands were “unreasonable” and claimed that 12 of South Africa's highest paid actors were from Generations.
The performers claim they are underpaid and receive no re-appearance fees for their films shown in other African countries.
Among the actors who lost their jobs is Sophie Ndaba, who has played Queen Moroka since the show's inception.
Lawyers for the cast said they would seek further advice before deciding how to fight the show's producers' decision.
South Africa's Minister of Arts and Culture, Ngati Mthethwa, said he was ready to work together to “promptly and amicably resolve this issue”, adding that the drama had helped foster the development and growth of the country's creative industries. .