Latest news with #ShakaiLembe
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Shaka iLembe is about to get ‘pretty wild', says Lifetime Achievement Award-winning director Angus Gibson
Gibson received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Simon Mahunu Sabela Film and Television Awards in KZN. Gibson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Simon Mahunu Sabela Film and Television Awards in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture : Supplied Shaka iLembe creator and director Angus Gibson said he was pleased with the reaction to the second season of Shaka iLembe and shared that the season will get heated in the coming weeks. 'The season has been very warm. It's got a slow start, but this Sunday it kind of erupts. From the next few weeks, it's pretty wild,' Gibson told The Citizen. The second of Shaka iLembe is six episodes deep, and last night's episode was probably the most captivating as the Ndwandwe's plans to weaken Shaka's alliances took shape as King Dingiswayo finds himself captured by the Ndwandwe tribe, thanks to the queen mother's powerful potions that manipulated Dingiswayo, who Thembinkosi Mthembu portrays. ALSO READ: From heartbreak to triumph: Amanda Seome's journey to starring in Shaka iLembe's Ndwandwe clan Angus' Lifetime Achievement Award Gibson spoke to The Citizen at the 12th Simon Mahunu Sabela Film and Television Awards hosted this past weekend at the Durban ICC in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech, the renowned director said that when he made films in the 1980s, no one in South Africa watched them. However, alongside the late Tebogo Mahlatsi, he created the high school-based drama Yizo Yizo in the late 1990s. 'And suddenly people were watching. It was such a relief. What was really important for me was that the people we represented saw themselves and recognised themselves, and I didn't care whether people loved it or hated it. I was just happy that it was communicating and that they are watching,' he shared. Through Bomb Productions, which Gibson co-founded with Mahlatsi and producer Desiree Markgraaff, they have created popular TV shows, including Isibaya, Zone 14, and Shaka iLembe. 'For the last 12 years, at least, I've been engaged in this part of the world [KZN] by way of Isibaya, by way of Shaka iLembe. So, it is you guys that I want approval from. This kind of affirmation makes me happy,' the director said. ALSO READ: Real Housewives of Durban wins at the Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN film and TV awards Gibson scouts new talent at Sabela's The Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and TV Awards celebrate talent from KZN and shine a spotlight on productions shot in the province. Gibson said one of the reasons he attends the Sabela awards is to spot new talent. 'I've been to these awards many times, and what always excites me is that it celebrates the beginners, the people that are hustling and making small things, and that's what interests me,' he said. 'I come here in search of new talent.' NOW READ: 'Umjolo' dominates Simon Mabhunu Sabela film and TV awards
Mail & Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mail & Guardian
Shaka iLembe: Inside the writer's war room
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.
IOL News
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Meet the stars of 'Homecoming': Thembinkosi Mthembu and Mpume 'Six' Nyamane lead the telenovela charge
Thembinkosi Mthembu and Mpume "Six" Nyamane will star in the upcoming Mzansi Wethu telenovela "Homecoming". Image: X A new culturally-rich telenovela, 'Homecoming', is coming to our small screens soon. In the announcement that was shared by DStv on Monday, July 14, it was revealed that 'Homecoming' is replacing 'Sibongile & The Dlaminis", which will be coming to an end on Wednesday, July 23. Produced by the award-winning production house, Tshedza Pictures, 'Homecoming' follows the life of Zethu Hlongwane (played by former 'Generations: The Legacy' actress Mpume 'Six' Nyamane), a medical graduate who dreams of joining the list of a few black female surgeons in our country. However, she realises that her dream appears to be far-fetched because things are not going as she had hoped or planned out, which forces her to go back to her rural town of Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal. While back at home, she faces unexpected life hurdles and a complicated, unexpected love life. This telenovela features a star-studded cast including 'Shaka iLembe' star Thembinkosi Mthembu, 'Smoke and Mirrors' actor Khaya Xaba and former 'The Queen' actor Sipho Manzini. Mthembu plays the role of Sifiso Kubheka, a police officer and a traditional healer who crosses paths with Hlongwane and leaves her in a dilemma between science, tradition and love. Mthembu has solidified and dominated the acting industry for quite some time since his role on 'Shaka iLembe' for his role as King Dingiswayo, the son of King Jobe of the Mthethwa. He has gained widespread recognition and won multiple accolades for not only appearing on the historic series, but Mhembu received nods for Best Actor for his role on 'Outlaws' and Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor in a Telenovela for 'The River' in 2024. The recent announcement about his new role on 'Homecoming' received a positive reception from netizens, as many revealed that he is one of their favourite actors in Mzansi. 'Bagging roles all day, every day. Love it for him,' one social media user said. 'I love the fact that he plays different characters, he's versatile,' another user shared. ∎ 'Homecoming' premieres on Mzansi Wethu (DStv channel 163) on Monday, July 28, at 6.30pm.
TimesLIVE
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Actress Mpume 'Six' Nyamane joins Mzansi Wethu's new series
Homecoming, a compelling new telenovela from award-winning production house Tshedza Pictures, is set to premiere on Mzansi Wethu at the end of July. The telenovela features a stellar ensemble cast, blending familiar industry powerhouses with rising stars including Sabelo Hadebe, Sipho Manzini, Khombi Phetla, Mpilo Mbatha, Khayalethu Xaba and Amahle Khumalo. Set in the scenic backdrop of Bergville, KZN, Homecoming follows the journey of Zethu Hlongwane, played by rising star Mpume 'Six' Nyamane (Unmarried), a brilliant medical school graduate with dreams of becoming one of South Africa's few black female surgeons. However, when reality hits hard — no job, no placement — Zethu is left with no choice but to return to the rural village she once left behind, her aspirations seemingly stalled. Back in Bergville, Zethu finds herself torn between two worlds — one of Western science and medicine, and the other deeply rooted in African tradition. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with Sifiso Kubheka, portrayed by the award-winning Thembinkosi Mthembu (Shaka iLembe, The River). Sifiso is a man of dual identities: a dedicated police officer by day, and a traditional healer by night. Their meeting ignites a powerful exploration of identity, healing, belief — and ultimately, love. Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Shirley Adonisi, director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net said: ' Homecoming is a story that speaks to so many South Africans. It is rich in emotion, grounded in culture and full of heart. We are proud to have a show on Mzansi Wethu that reflects the complexity and beauty of rural life in a way that feels fresh, honest and deeply relatable.' Homecoming is helmed by acclaimed producer Lulu Hela, who sees the series as more than just entertainment. ' Homecoming is a deeply meaningful project for us,' Hela explains. 'The title reflects a return to the places, people and practices that shaped us. At the heart of this story is a powerful conversation between traditional and Western medicine — two worlds often seen in opposition. Viewers can expect a rich, character-driven narrative that challenges, heals and sparks conversation.' This promises to be one of the most talked-about new local dramas of the year. Don't miss the premiere on Monday July 28 at 6.30pm. The show will air every Monday to Wednesday on Mzansi Wethu. Homecoming takes over the time-slot of fan-favourite Sibongile & The Dlaminis, which wraps up on Wednesday July 23.
The Citizen
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
‘A profound loss': Fashion world mourns Sun Goddess Vanya Mangaliso
Friends, colleagues, and those who love Sun Goddess have paid tribute to Mangaliso. Tributes have poured in for Vanya Mangaliso following her passing. Picture: sungoddessmarimba/Instagram Fashion designer and entrepreneur Vanya Mangaliso has passed away at the age of 53, prompting an outpouring of tributes from the fashion world. Her passing was confirmed through a statement shared on Sun Goddess' social media pages. 'She passed away peacefully on Thursday, 26 June 2025, surrounded by loved ones,' read the statement. 'Vanya Mangaliso was widely respected for her contributions to South African fashion, a field she dedicated 25 years of her life to. She led her multi-award-winning brand, which has received over 50 awards both locally and internationally, proudly representing South African fashion,' expressed the statement. The statement goes on to celebrate her, noting that her work has touched countless lives. This is expressed in the manner and outpouring of messages from colleagues, friends, and those who loved the Sun Goddess brand. Like many people, I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Vanya Mangaliso. I was introduced to Vanya by Unathi Nkayi in 2004. We spent years in and out of the Sun Goddess studios, and in that time, a warm and respectful friendship was formed between the Mangaliso… — @luphumlongcayisa (@luphumlongcayis) June 28, 2025 'The family kindly requests privacy as they grieve this immense loss. We ask the public and media to respect their space and refrain from any direct contact during this time.' ALSO READ: How the last episode of 'Shaka iLembe' made Nomzambo Mbatha feel like a 'new person' 'A distinguished fashion designer and businesswoman' Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, founder and chief executive of Africa Fashion International (AFI), described Mangaliso as a distinguished fashion designer and businesswoman. Mangaliso co-founded the luxury fashion brand Sun Goddess with her husband, Thando. 'Almost immediately, the brand became part of national memory and admired for its fashion-forward isiXhosa, Sesotho and Tshivenda aesthetics,' said Moloi-Motsepe. 'Her loss is a profound one for the fashion industry on the continent.' David Tlale, a fellow designer who emerged in the 2000s around the same time as Mangaliso, also paid tribute to her. 'Oh Vanya Mangaliso. You ran your race, a true African woman who shaped South African Fashion and heritage,' said Tlale. 'Your work and efforts to unite the fashion industry will forever be remembered and continue. Your positive and kind spirit lives forever. To the Mangaliso's family, may the Lord comfort you and guide you through this difficult time.' Vanya Mangaliso (Sun Goddess) passed away. What a remarkable woman. Vanya created what was called the Afro-Gucci. She was the first to commercialise African designer wear taking it from the back room to boutique stores in top malls. She cracked the door open for Maxhosa, Bathu… — ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) June 27, 2025 ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula paid tribute to Mangaliso as a trailblazer in the fashion world. 'She was the first to commercialise African designer wear, taking it from the back room to boutique stores in top malls. She cracked the door open for Maxhosa, Bathu and others by mainstreaming African designers and brands,' wrote Mbalula. Thank you Mrs Vanya ManglisoSunGoddess for making me the most beautiful fan in the whole world by dressing me started 20l6 going to Brazil RiO De Janeiro Olympics I have known her through @KassNaidoo @gsport4girls Rest in Peace ,,Condolences to Mangaliso family — MamaJoy Chauke (@JoyChauke5) June 27, 2025 Popular sports supporter Mama Joy Chauke thanked Mangaliso for helping her dress in proudly South African attire, which Mama Joy wore at global sporting events. 'Thank you, Mrs Vanya Mangaliso Sun Goddess, for making me the most beautiful fan in the whole world by dressing me; started [in] 2016, going to [the] Brazil Rio de Janeiro Olympics.' NOW READ: Boitshepo Lamola to fly SA flag at Miss Grand International 2025 in Bangkok
