Mzansi Magic (DSTV 161) ushers in a new era on 1 June with the premiere of KwaBaba which joins the highly contested 7:30pm prime time television slot. Currently, this slot is dominated by the likes of Skeem Saam on SABC 1 and House of Zwide on etv.
The plot is built around Zwelakhe Mkhize and his bride Bahumi Motaung; a proudly South African couple whose love story is rooted in this country’s multi-cultural identities. Played by Vuyo Biyela and Rorisang Grootboom, their romance merges their rural KwaZulu-Natal and urban Soweto upbringings in a union that closely resembles Married at First Sight Mzansi as Zwelakhe is so drawn to Bahumi that he will not waste any time putting a ring on it. This behaviour, however, is atypical of traditional Zulu men who have been known to pursue women for many years before sending the lobola delegation to their intended’s family home.
The wedding is threatened by a past traditional obligation tied to Zwelakhe’s late father’s unpaid debt, and how far his uncle Dumisani, played by veteran actor Lindani Nkosi, will go to stand in the way of Zwelakhe’s happiness.
The two families are portrayed by a host of colourful characters including Zwelakhe’s sister Khethiwe, played by Kwanele Mthethwa, who is described as a modern makoti, their wild and reckless younger brother Musa played by Nkanyiso Mzimela and the Motaung protective matriarch and Bahumi’s mother Dikeledi played by Helen Lebepe. The media launch held in Diepkloof
While the media launch held at the Zodwa Khoza Foundation in Diekploof on 8 May introduced guests to more members of the groom’s family than those of the bride, Grootboom clarified that more of her character’s relatives would be unveiled on screen.
Born to a Mosotho mother and married into a Xhosa and coloured family, Grootboom told City Press that her own experiences with multiculturalism made it easier to embody Bahumi.
“I’m speaking Sesotho and Setswana in the show and maybe viewers will scrutinise how I speak these languages, but the main thing is I was able to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself,” she added. The actress said Habumi resonated with her because just like her character as she too is a lover-girl who married at a young age. She feels that their journeys align as they both believe in commitment, stability and family.
While Mthethwa’s character is equally family orientated, the “modern makoti” says she doesn’t understand the logic behind husbands who demand that their wives who are just as tired from their day jobs as their men, should not delegate domestic chores where possible.
To play an authentic Khethiwe, the actress drew from her own experiences and those of wives and mothers around her who are juggling careers and households and says the argument by these husbands is illogical because just because the wife is not the one doing the housework doesn’t mean the housework is not getting done.
“It’s not the 1800s anymore and if I want to hire someone to wash my windows and curtains, I should be able to do so without people telling me that I’m not wife material.”She described her character as a soft woman who is everyone’s keeper, adding that most of her previous roles were more hardcore.
While she is a nice girl, Mthethwa warns against messing with Khethiwe, suggesting that she has elements of the subject in Ava Max’s 2018 hit Sweet but Psycho.
Mzimela who broke into the small screen as Melusi Zungu in Mzansi Magic’s critically acclaimed drama Isibaya as a teenager. Now a full-grown man in his late 20s, the actor plays an adult who has been allowed to get away with so much that he still approaches life with adolescent delinquency.
“He wants to be seen because his older brother has always been in the forefront. Musa has lived in his brother’s shadow for a long time,” said Mzimela. Mzimela further descried Musa as a man who “hates condoms,” painting a picture of a sexually reckless individual who has left a string of single-mother homes in his wake.
Reflecting on his early career, Mzimela recalls there being fewer telenovelas, and even remembers Isibaya and Uzalo being popular.
“The industry opening up means viewers have options, but it also puts us creatives under pressure to ensure that we pull up our socks and put out our best work.”
The young thespian performs alongside Nkosi in KwaBaba and acted alongside the legendary Siyabonga Thwala in Isibaya. In Shaka iLembe, he performed alongside younger but equally revered actors Thembinkosi Mthembu and Wiseman Mncube.
“The pressure is intense. I just shot a scene the big legend Ernest Ndlovu for KwaBaba. When you work alongside people who are that great, there is no room for mistakes. It’s made me a better artist because I know I must always be on top of my game.”
The star studded Kwa Baba which also features veteran thespian Mpho Molepo, is a daily telenovela that will be aired from Mondays to Fridays. Guests at the media launch predicted that this might be one of those shows that bring the “not another Zulu show” to social media, however time will tell if the producers will succeed in producing a multi-cultural show.