Thabo and the Rhino Case

Thabo is an eleven-year-old boy living in the quiet African village of Hlatikulu who dreams of becoming a private detective. His peaceful environment offers little opportunity for investigation until a rhinoceros is killed for its horn in a nearby safari park. Alongside a group of friends, including a girl from Germany named Emma, Thabo attempts to identify the poachers while caring for an orphaned rhino calf.

This German adventure film was directed by Mara Eibl-Eibesfeldt, marking the first entry in a list of two directed works, followed by Ein Sommer in Sommerby in 2025. The screenplay was written by Martin Gypkens and Ursula Gruber, with Peter Herrmann serving as producer. The cast includes Litlhohonolofatso Litlhakayane as Thabo, Ava Skuratowski as Emma, and Andrea Sawatzki as Aunt Agatha, with supporting roles played by Faith Baloyi, Claudio Caiolo, and Gontse Ntshegang.

Released on November 9, 2023, the movie has a runtime of 97 minutes. Audience reception is similar across platforms, with a rating of 6.1/10 on IMDb based on 181 votes and a score of 6.2/10 on TMDB from 24 votes.