Skeem Saam's Tiisetso Thoka and Mogau Keebine discuss the impact of their affair storyline

IOL News

20-05-2025

'Skeem Saam' actors Mogau Keebine and Tiisetso Thoka portray Mapitsi and DJ Thomas on the long-running drama series.
Image: Supplied/SkeemSaam
'Skeem Saam' knows how to grip viewers with a storyline and the latest revolving around the adulterous affair of DJ Thomas and Mapitsi Maputla has been no different.
The pair, both radio presenters at Berry FM, have been entangled in an illicit relationship. The twist? Mapitsi is a married woman and her husband, T'bose, has no idea what's been going on behind the scenes.
That is, until the affair was accidentally exposed, live on air, thanks to Kamo's meddling.
In an interview with IOL Entertainment, the actors behind the characters Tiisetso Thoka and Mogau Keebine, shared that when they first read the script of how their character's secret would be exposed, had quite a reaction.
'I immediately had goosebumps thinking of the aftermath,' said Thoka.
'It meant the whole of Turf would know about the affair and the chances of Thomas losing his radio gig were high.'
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Keebine was just as shocked and worried about how the characters would recover from such a huge blow, being exposed on the whole community radio station.
'It was a very exciting time to be reading the script I was shocked and I was also very proud of how the writers just didn't go the conventional route of, you know, them being caught in the act, they exposed themselves,' said Keebine.
Character Insights
The storyline was a challenge for both actors and they both prepared for it by reading up on scenarios on how people felt or reacted when they were caught cheating or when they caught their partner cheating.
For Keebine, who is married in real life, the storyline brought personal challenges. She had to prepare her family ahead of the episodes, reassuring them that it was all just a role. She also admitted she disagreed with her character's actions.
'I had to put my feelings about what Mapitsi and Thomas were doing aside and play the role of a broken-hearted, lonely, married woman with two kids who was finding affection from someone else.'
The radio station setting added an element of pressure on the characters they had to act professionally when on air, even on days they were not getting along off-air. 'Eventually it put so much pressure on the affair because of our fights,' said Thoka.
Mapitsi is already dealing with the pressures of her personal life. When her husband T'bose came back from overseas, it wasn't all smooth sailing, he didn't find her attractive, her wardrobe choices.
'He was kind of almost borderline agreeing with the listenership of the radio station, and you put that together with having just been pregnant and having had a baby," explains Keebine.
'There's insecurities about weight and physical appearance, and there's obviously like a disconnect between Mapitsi and T'bose an emotional disconnect between them at the time.
'I guess, you know, Thomas came in at a time when Mapitsi was very emotionally vulnerable and feeling lonely in her relationship.
The radio station's audiences' emphasise on appearance after having a baby was an added pressure.
'I think the main pressure came from what was happening in her personal life because I think if Mapitsi had felt more reassured and more connected to Tbose as her husband, things probably wouldn't have gotten to where they did," said Keebine.
Audience Reactions
Audiences have been loving the storyline, many have been waiting for the day DJ Thomas and Mapitsi get caught.
On Facebook, posts about the storyline have been flooded with comments, and on the week of the big expose May 12 - 16, the median rating pull was around 3.7 million viewers and Friday's fiery episode pulled around 4.3 million.
Thoka reveals that the real-life audience reactions have been crazy. 'It's funny how most people take this seriously and think it's real life.' More than 50 people have approached him and told him how disgusted they are by what he is doing with Mapitsi.
'I'm used to handling such situations because it's not the first time it has happened. Mostly, I avoid going out in the public,' he said.
Through social media, Keebine got mixed reactions to Mapitsi cheating, from women understanding where the character was coming from and disappointment from men, who were hurt by their respectable Makoti's change of ways.
TV:
Skeem Saam ratings
This past week's drama driven by the Mapitsi storyline pulled some decent numbers for the show.
The week's median ratings pull was around 3,7-million viewers, peaking with the fiery episode on Friday which pulled around 4,3-million.
The numbers will… pic.twitter.com/z1aME18p37 — Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) May 20, 2025
'There was a huge group of other women who were like, we cannot wait to see Mapitsi's downfall when all of this is revealed, because I am not representing women well.
'I liked that as much as, you know, it's not nice to hear about the character that you're playing, but I like that women are standing up for their character as women and saying that, no, we are not like this. This is a bad representation of most of us, even though it is what happens.
The adulterous storyline is not without lessons, Keebine says it reminds us that 'it will always end in tears'.
'Be careful, tread lightly, and also be aware of your emotional state, so that you don't fall into the trap of unintentionally catching feelings for someone who you're not supposed to be looking at in that kind of way, from Mapitsi's perspective,' said Keebine.
'You can't expect a person to be the way you envision them to be according to your expectations. Human beings have feelings and make mistakes too,' adds Thoka. 'But it also tells us about the results of those mistakes. How your decisions can alter your life so drastically.'
As the scandal continues to unfold, viewers remain glued to their screens, wondering: Will Mapitsi and T'bose reconcile? Will DJ Thomas still go through with paying Lobola for his girlfriend? And will the listeners of Berry FM and the people of Turfloop, ever forget what happened live on air?
IOL Entertainment