Shaka iLembe: Inside the writer's war room

Mail & Guardian

3 days ago

Shaka iLembe, produced and directed by Angus Gibson. Photos: The Bomb Shelter
When Shaka iLembe premiered, it announced itself as more than a historical drama. From the beginning, the creative team approached it as an epic with long-range intent, a cinematic treatment of precolonial Southern African history rarely seen on local television.
'We pitched it as three seasons from the start,' says series executive producer and director Angus Gibson.
'Season one would be Nandi's story and Dingiswayo's, with Shaka growing up during that. Season two is about him becoming king and emperor, with campaigns against the Ndwandwe. Season three, he's at the height of his power, then comes the internal conflict and his eventual demise.'
This level of planning is typical of The Bomb Shelter, the production company behind the series. It is in their DNA to research rigorously, an approach that has shaped their previous work on Yizo Yizo, Isibaya, Zone 14 and Ayeye. These stories hold because they do not leave the writers' room until they get it right. They are not afraid of rewrites either.
Because of his experience with Yizo Yizo, Gibson was not fazed by the transition from one season to the next. In Yizo Yizo, nobody expected the character Papa Action to have such a strong effect on South Africans. Many real-life school bullies patterned themselves after Ronnie Nyakale's portrayal, which affected how the second season of the show and that particular storyline was crafted. With Shaka iLembe, Gibson is more relaxed.
'With season one, the impact was great because people were seeing something they had never seen before. Now they have seen it, so there will be a bit of a difference. But this never changes our approach from season to season.'
Gibson does not speak in great oratorical flourishes; his tone is gentle and measured. Once the formalities are out of the way and the interview begins, he is cordial, assured and clearly occupied with the demands of the series. When the conversation stretches a little too long, he does not say it's time to wrap up, but his body language shifts. He grows slightly restless, his attention drifting back to the task at hand: Shaka iLembe, the most awarded show in South African television history.
This commitment included convening a colloquium led by Zulu historians and experts, interviewing people from the various lineages depicted in the show and working directly with the Zulu royal family. They pursued the truth not only as it is archived, but also as it is remembered and felt in the communities where these stories still live. There is nothing absolute about these historical accounts, written or oral.
'We spoke to King Misuzulu and also to his late father, King Goodwill Zwelithini,' says Gibson of some of the processes they undertook to bring the series to life. It was not merely about research but about getting the blessing of the Zulu monarchy.
Writer and executive producer Nhlanhla Mtaka was a strong advocate for historical accuracy, helping to balance the tension between fidelity and creative licence. The result is a show that does not shy away from myth, but neither does it indulge in fabrication for its own sake.
Cast: Mondli Makhoba plays Mthethwa general Ngomane in Shaka iLembe. Photos: The Bomb Shelter
'We wanted to make informed choices,' Gibson says. 'Not just make things up, but know all the different versions of events before deciding on a direction.'
Mtaka's role was pivotal in shaping the political and cultural grounding of the story. His long-standing work with Zulu history, oral tradition and custom brought depth to how characters speak, move and assert power. He helped ensure the series was not only historically informed but culturally alive, contributing to the fully rounded storytelling of the series.
Also among the team are prominent figures from South African theatre. Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom, an acclaimed playwright known for his politically sharp and socially layered storytelling, contributes to the writing. Gregory Maqoma, one of the country's leading choreographers, brings depth to the series' physical language and staging. Calvin Ratladi, the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre, also lends his voice. Their presence reflects the production's interest in bridging the disciplines of theatre and television, drawing on stagecraft, rhythm and narrative form to enrich the visual storytelling.
Season two expands the canvas significantly. The Tsonga make another appearance, as do the Swati and the Xhosa. The arrival of the Boers and British begins to signal the slow encroachment of colonial power. These geopolitical developments, unfolding at the edges of the story, foreshadow a coming transformation of the region and the eventual clash between indigenous power and European imperialism.
Alongside these broader shifts, a web of personal relationships adds emotional weight. Myriad love stories emerge — between Shaka (played by Lemogang Tsipa) and the level-headed Liyana (Luyanda Zuma), between Dingiswayo (Thembinkosi Mthembu) and deceitful or torn Ntombazana (Amanda Seome), and among the Ndwandwe brothers, Nomahlanjana and Sikhunyana (played by Zamani Mbatha and Anele Sphamandla Nene, respectively).
These stories lend texture and humanity to a narrative often dominated by war, power struggles and succession. They show that while history remembers kings and battles, people live through longing, betrayal, ambition and tenderness. Mkabayi (played by Dawn Thandeka King) had a Ben 10. Probably untrue, but it makes for entertaining television.
This season has been a quiet build-up, focused on complexity and layering the characters. It is, in many ways, a cinephile's dream. Gibson and his team allow the story to unfold with patience and depth. In an era with streamers that reward fast pacing and instant drama, this approach feels rare. It is a welcome artform compared to the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am format we have become accustomed to in South African television. Props to Mzansi Magic for allowing artistry and filmmaking to flourish.
Dingiswayo is portrayed by Thembinkosi Mthembu in Shaka iLembe. Photo: The Bomb Shelter
This is not to say the season will not erupt. With its melodic and poetic dialogue and carefully calibrated tension, it is clearly building toward a moment of dramatic release. The second half of the season promises to unleash drama where some favourites may or may not continue on the show, depending on your knowledge of history.
It is, after all, the story of Shaka kaSenzangakhona, UNodumehlezi kaMenzi, Inyoni edl'ezinye, Yadl'ezinye, Ilemb'eleq' amany'amalembe ngokukhalipha.
What has driven the show is a writing process rooted in debate, contradiction, and historical questioning.
'Our writers' room is full of argument,' Gibson says. 'That's always been the way since Yizo Yizo.'
In season one, the storyline involving slave trading out of Delagoa Bay was hotly debated.
'Some historians say there was no slaving. Others say Portuguese records show there was,' he recalls.
These disagreements were welcomed as necessary in the pursuit of a richer narrative. The same approach was used when dealing with gaps in the historical record.
'Before 1800, very little was written down. We relied on praise poetry and oral accounts that were only recorded from the 1860s. But memory shifts,' Gibson says.
These narrative silences gave the team creative space. They filled in the gaps with emotionally plausible and culturally grounded storytelling, but never without rigorous interrogation.
Some criticism from viewers on language and historical interpretation was expected.
'We made a decision to use a contemporary rural Zulu. No one knows what it actually sounded like back then. And no doubt the Mthethwa and Ndwandwe spoke differently,' he says.
Even widely accepted sources — such as the writings of Mazisi Kunene or A Bryant or John Laband and Jabulani Sithole — were treated with caution. None were taken as gospel. Oral history was also a major factor in the process.
'People would say, 'my grandfather said this,' not realising it might be rooted in fiction.'
Shaka iLembe is produced and directed by Angus Gibson
At one colloquium, a moment of light relief emerged when a member of the Mhlongo family told an anecdote suggesting that lobola for Nandi had never been paid. The remark drew laughter and served as a reminder that history is also lived through stories and jokes, through small details passed down in families.
What holds the series together is its commitment to cultural depth and narrative integrity.
'We try to tell a story that is entertaining,' says Gibson, 'but also one that celebrates a very complex society.'
This is a show that takes seriously the task of historicisation but never forgets the audience. Its success lies in balancing research and resonance, fact and feeling.
In portraying Shaka, the team avoids one-dimensional heroism. He is neither demon nor saint. He is a man forged by exile, loss and military discipline, but also seduced by power and haunted by prophecy. As his legend grows, the show never loses sight of the human being behind it — the son of Nandi, the product of political unions and betrayals, and the figure around whom memory continues to swirl.
Shaka iLembe is beyond a chronicle of one man's rise. It is a story shaped through memory, consultation and craft. A Zulu epic that is as much about how we remember as it is about what happened. In giving shape to the past, it opens a space for viewers to reflect not only on who Shaka was, but on the kind of stories we tell about ourselves as a people.
Watch Shaka iLembe season two every Sunday on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) at 8pm.