New stars and plotlines, same polish: Hit drama series Shaka ...
Lemogang Tsipa in Shaka iLembe.
MultiChoice announced on Monday that a second season for the epic Shaka iLembe has been greenlit.
According to a press release by the company, season 1 showcased the origins story of the legendary African King, culminating with a victorious Shaka returning to take the Zulu throne. Season 2 will pick up the story as he begins his long prophesied reign, writing himself into history.
"MultiChoice is really committed to telling the Shaka iLembe story, and this season 2 announcement confirms our intentions to honour the iconic figure of King Shaka with a continuation of his story on air, said Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO of General Entertainment.
She added:
The fact that viewers across South Africa, and indeed the continent, have been so passionately supportive of the show, tuning in to watch weekly, sharing their commentary online and really engaging with this layered story of the Nguni Kingdoms, has been fantastic. We are now looking forward to bringing season 2 to life.
After its premiere in June, the show set a new record as the best-ever performance for a MultiChoice drama series.
At the time, it reached more than 3.6 million viewers across DStv in South Africa and also took the number 1 spot on the DStv app across Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and other African countries.
The cast include Nomzamo Mbatha, Lemogang Tsipa, Thembinkosi Mthembu, Wiseman Mncube, Khabonina Qubeka, Hope Mbhele, Mondli Makhoba, Abdul Khoza, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, Don Mlangeni, Vusi Kunene, Mduduzi Mabaso and Ayanda Borotho.
Shaka iLembe is MultiChoice's most expensive, yet while they aren't willing to divulge the amount that was invested, Philiso told News24 in an interview: "The bigger the production, the bigger the budget; the more complexities you have in terms of the labour that actually comes into the picture".
For Philiso, Shaka iLembe's triumph is MultiChoice and M-Net's triumph. She said: "What makes me happy about Shaka iLembe is that we achieved what we set out to do. We set out to tell an African story, by us, for us, and we achieved that. It's just a reaffirmation that our stories matter. Our stories are just as important."
Lemogang Tsipa, who plays Shaka, told News24 it was a "life-changing role".
"It was a life-changing opportunity, and I think it's a moment we've all been waiting for as South African filmmakers to be ourselves and be given the authority to tell our own stories," he said.
READ MORE | 'It's a massive role': Lemogang Tsipa opens up about 'life-changing' Shaka iLembe
According to the press statement, season 2 will unveil a new chapter of Shaka iLembe with new stars, characters and plotlines delivered with the same polish as season 1.
The full 12-episode season of Shaka iLembe is now available to binge. DStv Premium, Compact Plus and Compact subscribers can access the Catch-Up service on their decoder or online at DStv Stream.
