Shaka iLembe returns with fierce battles, royal intrigue, and tender romance
The highly anticipated second season of the hit Mzansi Magic series picks up where the first left off: with Shaka no longer just the child of prophecy, but now stepping into his destiny as a leader and military strategist.
While the first season explored Shaka's birth, his trials, and the ancestral forces that shaped him, the second season shifts the lens toward his rise as the legendary founder of the Zulu kingdom.
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Lemogang Tsipa portrays the adult King Shaka, while Ntando Zondi plays the younger version of the future Zulu king.
Tsipa said there was a lot to expect in this second series – power struggles, intense political manoeuvres, fierce battles, and yes, a few steamy romantic moments that show a different side of the man behind the legend.
Yet at its heart, the series remains deeply rooted in historical truth, offering a visually stunning and culturally rich retelling of the Zulu kingdom's formation.
Asked how he found portraying the transition of Shaka becoming king in the second series, Tsipe said, 'It is a natural progression. For me, it was a surreal kind of experience because it's one of those things where you dream as a person and then pursue that dream. Before Shaka was born, and this [to be king] was supposed to be his destiny, so I think it's a beautiful moment to be able to walk the journey from the start to the fulfillment of what he wanted.
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'There's a particular side of Shaka that we haven't seen or heard about in the street books that we do explore in the series. A side that he is a bit more tender and romantic.'
Wiseman Mncube portrays the late King Zwide KaLanga, a very intense character who is always eager for war.
Mncube said tapping into KaLanga's spirit as a character was not easy. 'I always trust myself in anything that I do. Because it is a historical show, obviously we have to research, learn about AboZwide, and ask a lot of questions. So I just told myself, I'll just trust myself, and the script that was given.'
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To mark the return of the show, fans were treated to a vibrant series of activations, where they met the cast, and even got up close with the elaborate costumes used on screen.
The show will premiere its second season on June 15 on Mzansi Magic.
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