Kings of Joburg season 3 drops — Connie Ferguson and Malik Yoba bring the fire
The series features Connie Ferguson, who is also the executive producer, Zolisa Xaluva and Thembi Seete, among others.
Ferguson says they invested in the show because they believed it was not a one-hit wonder.
Season 3 of one of SA's most loved series, the star-studded Kings of Joburg, hits Netflix screens in just a few hours.
Executive producer, Connie Ferguson, led a tight ship and kept this going even after her husband Shona's passing in 2021. The iconic actress, who plays Veronica Masire in the series, said that, although viewers thought they knew what to look forward to, based on the first two seasons, they were in for a surprise.
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Season 3 will see the Masire family facing new challenges and an enemy who wants to take down their empire.
When asked whether they had expected Kings of Joburg to gain momentum the way it had, the former Generations and Generations: The Legacy actress laughed and said: 'Definitely!'
She said they believed in the show and were willing to invest in it and the partnerships went a long way.
We hoped for it. We had high expectations, but you never know how the public will receive it. It was a risk, what we did with Kings of Joburg [season] 1, but how it was received was such a pleasant surprise because it said to us, we were on the right track.
Connie Ferguson
She added that, when they developed the first season, they had other seasons in the pipeline. She said season 1 had been a test and they had passed it with flying colours.
Ferguson, who recently celebrated her 55th birthday, shared that Netflix was a supportive partner and her US co-executive producer, Samad Davis, brought knowledge about the international film and television space.
'Our approach of bridging the gap between SA, the rest of Africa and America paid off. We didn't know how that would be received, but it was received very well. As much as Kings of Joburg is a South African show, we believe it is a world show.'
Ferguson said season 3 would showcase how her character had developed and would do anything to protect her family.
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Part of Veronica's development includes revealing her sensitive and loving side. This will introduce US actor Malik Yoba, who plays Isador, Veronica's love interest.
Yoba, who was in SA for the season 3 press junket, the launch and Ferguson's birthday party, said he was honoured to be part of the show.
He said filming on the continent as an African American was also an honour. 'I don't think I have done this before in a character, where a woman holds the power and the man is in support of that power, which is a nice dynamic.'
The actor said his first visit to Johannesburg had been in 1996, adding that this was his sixth.
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Veteran actor Abdul Khoza shocked many in May when he announced that he had quit acting after 14 years of bringing different characters to life. At the time, he also shared his last self-tape audition, saying it was for aspiring actors to see what it took to get a role.
Talking about his character Lester in Kings of Joburg, Khoza said he experienced physical strain and endurance. In this season, Lester had had to run and fight a lot, but he did his best.
'It was exciting to play Lester. I enjoyed that there was a story for me to finally play as Lester and discover more of Lester myself. With the first season, I only had a glimpse of what my character was really about, the story I had,' he said.
Thembi Seete, Busisiwe 'Cici' Thwala, Clint Brink, Enyinna Nwigwe, Maurice Paige and Zolisa Xaluva round up the cast.
Season 3 was launched in Sandton last week, with Ferguson assuring viewers that this would be the most thrilling and amazing project.
The new series starts streaming on Netflix on Friday.
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