Since it premiered in 2023, Shaka Ilembe has been dubbed as one of the most popular African dramas. PHOTO/COURTESY
Nomzamo Mbatha is such a renowned figure on Africa’s film circuit. She is a talented actress with credits on films such as Tell Me Sweet Something, Umlilo, The Jakes are Missing and for her role as Mirembe in the Eddy Murphy’s sequel, Coming 2 America.
However, for people consuming African content now, Mbatha is mainly known for the role of Queen Nandi- the mother of Shaka KaSenzangakhona in the TV series, Shaka Ilembe, where she is also one of the producers.
Since it premiered in 2023, Shaka Ilembe has been dubbed as one of the most popular African dramas. And in South Africa, it is one of a kind from the magnificent sets, scenery, writing and post production.
Generally, it is an African show doing serious work. In an exclusive interview between Saturday Monitor and the cast of Shaka Ilembe, Mbatha says she believes in preservation of language and culture, which was one of the biggest motivators that saw her become part of this production in the first place. Shaka Ilembe took Africa by storm. Why? It was a fresh story and the approach used was quite unique.
Shaka KaSenzangakhona’s story is an African legend that has been captured for screen twice before and is also widely taught in schools as part of African history. However, for TV purposes, most Africans are already aware of the famous 1986 Shaka Zulu TV series and a three part mini series Shaka Zulu: The Citidel and a TV movie, Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior.
All these versions of Shaka were brought to life by South African actor Henry Cele, who was initially cast for the series role after he was seen acting as Shaka in a stage play. You could say he was born for the role.
Cele’s turn as Shaka is monumental that he got many people thinking he was the real Shaka and to date, memorabilia about that great Zulu leader such as coins, artifacts and statues have been made based on his portrayal.
With such a celebrated series, it was clear Shaka Ilembe was filling big shoes and bigger shoes for Mbatha, who plays Queen Nandi, whose significance in Shaka Ilembe is more pronounced than in the first series and then Lemogang Tsipa, who acts as Shaka KaSenzangakhona and would be compared to Cele.
“Playing Nandi was a big honour, she is such a big character whose contribution may have been suppressed over the years, but we are bringing them to light. Besides Nandi, I love the fact that we are telling this historical story ourselves. We get to preserve it for future generations. Now we have to find ways of moving on from Shaka Ilembe to other historical stories,” Mbatha says.
It should be noted that most African historicals have not been written or produced by Africans, they have been told by foreign production houses with African performers as punctuations to the story. For instance, a bulk of stories on Idi Amin, Nelson Mandela, the genocide in Rwanda and crises in Nigeria or South Africa, have mainly been written, produced and performed by people that were not connected to the subject matter in anyway.
The fictional events in The Last King of Scotland, about Idi Amin were mainly reprised by American and British actors portraying Ugandans, while most films about the Rwanda genocide have employed American, British, South African and Ugandan actors to tell the Rwandese story.
Nigerians last year are remembered for going viral after most of them opposed the casting of Idris Elba, a British actor for the role of Okonkwo for the adaptation of Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart. Many believed the role should have be given to a Nigerian actor.
In fact, at the time of producingShaka Ilembe, Showtime- an American premium television network was working on a series about the same king with a working title, King Shaka.
The series was set to be directed and produced by American filmmaker, Anthony Fuqua with British actor Charles Babalola, starring as Shaka, while French actress Aissa Maiga was taking on the role of Nandi. “It is motivating to be part of something. There was misinformation that Africa cannot produce something as grand as Game of Thrones. From the sound, set design, Africans and Africans in the diaspora have been waiting for something, this is great,” Mbatha says.
Tsipa, whose breakthrough to the African scene with films such as Beyond the River, Felix and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, made his mark on TV shows such as Reyka, Blood Psalms, Troy: The Fall of a City, and The Book of Negroes among others.
However, his turn as Shaka is probably his biggest and critical one. “Of course, I started seeing Shaka from Henry Cele, but I cannot try to be his Shaka because I cannot. I have to find an identity within myself,” he says, adding, “It is a big honour to play such a big character.”
Dawn Thandeka King who takes on the role of Mkabayi says when they did the first season of Shaka Ilembe, she felt the weight of the show. She said the fact that the story they were telling was going to be a history reference for generations to come, helped her understand her role more.
Shaka iLembe takes the audience on a journey into the heart of South African history, courage, and legacy. It is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of the Zulu Kingdom. The story captures the grand history of a formidable warrior – Shaka Zulu. This is a story of kings, queens, prophets, and warriors. It is a story about love and romance, conflict, betrayal, sacrifice, and so much more. Shaka Ilembe will be returning with a second season later this year.
Honoured.
Playing Nandi was a big honour, she is such a big character whose contribution may have been suppressed over the years, but we are bringing them to light.’’
