The Sunday News
With their latest offering that aired last Sunday, Mzansi Magic has heeded the call to open up the television industry with the debut of its very first IsiNdebele production titled Komkhulu.
Set in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province countryside, the show follows the story of a chiefdom with a succession crisis and power struggles that result in a series of tragic events. On the decision to work with Rhythm World Productions to produce this show, Shirley Adonisi, director of local entertainment channels at M-Net, said it was purely based on diversifying the content on the platform.
“Traditionally we’ve catered for our isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sepedi, Setswana/Sesotho audiences, and the success and warm reception to those shows proved that our subscribers appreciate diverse content and storytelling. We are now working on expanding our range to cater for other language groups, starting with isiNdebele.
“Creating more content that reflects the diversity of cultures and perspectives of our viewers is a priority for us. We want to ensure that our content is authentic and reflects the true culture and spirit of the communities within which we operate,” she added.
Speaking to Sowetan, veteran actor Sipho Mbele who plays the lead role of Hlangabeza – a greedy village elder who is gunning for the chieftaincy – says that it’s important for Ndebele people to be represented on television.
“It’s so important to have such a show on our screens because remember we (Ndebele people) are considered a minority.
“People love how we dress and they love our art but they don’t know how to speak the language and I feel like this show will teach people a lot about us. Much like Muvhango and how it made people aware of the TshiVenda culture, Komkhulu will do the same and our people will also feel respected. The show will showcase our language in a beautiful way,” he said. -Sowetanlive
