ARC DOCS is a South Africa–based non-profit documentary channel that combines feature filmmaking with narrative-driven podcasts to examine social justice, history, science and belief. Formed in 2025 from the coming together of Sound Africa and the film house MED CINE, it carries forward a record of fact-driven storytelling grounded in rigorous reporting and inventive form. Its audio slate includes Unburied, a multi-season series: season one, Built from Bones, traces early 20th‑century exhumations in the Kalahari and today’s movement to return human remains, produced with Iziko Museums of South Africa; season two, The Taung Child, revisits the 1925 fossil discovery that anchored human origins in Africa with the Human Evolution Research Institute. Earlier work such as They Killed Dulcie—created with Open Secrets—probes the assassination of anti-apartheid activist Dulcie September, while One Night in Snake Park investigates xenophobic violence after the 2015 killing of Siphiwe Mahori and was backed by a Taco Kuiper Investigative Journalism grant. Nuclear SA unpacks the country’s secretive nuclear past and its political legacy. On the film side, the feature !AITSA explores meaning and astronomy in South Africa’s Karoo, and the team’s outreach has taken rural screenings to communities with partners like Sunshine Cinema. Through collaborations with public institutions, civil society groups and local communities, ARC builds work that challenges dominant narratives and opens space for voices seldom heard.

Source: Code for Africa

Last updated date: July 2026

Location:
Cape Town, South Africa
Year the organization started publishing:
2016
Languages:
English
Type of coverage:
International
Countries of coverage:

Content

Editorial coverage:
Generalist, focused on multiple topics
Type of content produced by theme:
Science
Education
Politics
Health and well-being
Society and human rights
Entrepreneurship
Ethnic minorities
Journalism genres:
Investigative journalism
Narrative journalism
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Engaged, community-driven or participatory journalism
Explanatory journalism
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Website
Social media platforms
Podcast
Facebook
Instagram

Audience and reach

Social media audience

Facebook number of followers:
5,800
Instagram number of followers:
395

Management and team

Founders

Female:
0
Male:
3
Founders:
Rasmus Bitsch
Directors:
Rasmus Bitsch, Neil Liddell, Dane Dodds

Team

Full-time employees:
4
Part-time employees:
0
Freelancers or consultants:
0
Volunteers:
0

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
Non-profit

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

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