Hit or Miss: Mzansi Magic’s ‘Shaka iLembe’
South Africa’s Mzansi Magic channel recently released the trailer for its upcoming historical epic, Shaka iLembe, the premiere of which has been six years in the making. According to the summary from DStv itself, the series “tells the story of the making of the iconic African king, with iterations from his early childhood through adulthood.” If the trailer is any indicator, the series appears to dive head first into the history and anthropology of Shaka iLembe and the Zulu people in its dramatic telling of the king’s decades-long story.
The first shot viewers are exposed to reveals a breathtaking vista of rolling hills and grass— the hint of the stunning scenery the series draws on as a backdrop. The narrative begins before Shaka iLembe’s birth with Nomzamo Mbatha (Coming 2 America, Tell Me Sweet Something) as Nandi, the princess of an inland tribe. “Soon you will be preparing for marriage,” Nandi’s mother tells her. In response, the princess asks why she can’t decide who to marry herself. “Because you are a princess, Nandi,” her mother shoots back, it is not up to you.” But the princess isn’t so easily convinced and dares to ask “What if I’m a princess who wants freedom?”
In a sequence of clips, viewers see Nandi dance in a tribal ceremony where she is presented to the leader of an alley tribe. The man is overweight, much older than Nandi, and uncomfortably infatuated with her. In comparison, the strange Zulu warrior whom Nandi encounters on the banks of a nearby river is attractive and athletic. Later, viewers come to recognize this man as King Senzangakhona, played by Senzo Redebe (Isono, Jewel), a Zulu leader. Nandi remembers the flash of Senzangakhona’s flirtatious grin before her mother’s voice cuts through the memory and demands “Did you sleep with that Zulu boy?” The princess cries without answering. “I won’t marry that old man,” she declares. “If that baby truly is a Zulu,” her mother warns in a somber voice, “he’ll be the heir to their throne.”
Over her mother’s narration, Nandi is escorted by armed guards to a private hut in her tribe’s village. “You have disgraced our people,” Nandi’s father rages at her. In isolation from her child’s father, Nandi gives birth to the future Shaka iLembe. The new mother clutches her infant and in a soft, loving voice, hails him as “Prince of the Zulu.” In two successive images, the young prince grows from a baby to a toddler on his mother’s back. “Some day,” Nandie tells her adolescent son by a dying fire, “You will rule over all other kings.” Overlaid on Nandi’s words are majestic shots of wildlife, first a herd of antelope, then a single male lion.
After a tense confrontation, Shaka— now a young boy played by newcomer Ntando Zondi— stabs an aggressive opponent with a spear before fleeing the village as Nandi’s voice predicts that his future kingship “was destined before he was born.” Eventually, Shaka accepts his fate when he meets his mentor King Dingiswayo of the Mthethwa, played by Thembinkosi Mthembu (The Rivers, The Gamechangers). When presented to a council of leaders, he recites proudly to himself, “King Senzangakhona kaJama is my father and I am Zulu.” In two matching shots quickly shown in succession, a lion opening his eyes cuts to the adolescent prince waking from his sleep.
The trailer makes an admirable effort to give audiences a look at all phases of Shaka’s story. In one shot, the prince as a teenager walks down two columns of tribesmen in an initiation ceremony. In the very next shot, the prince is shown as a strong and powerful adult man played by Lemogang Tsipa (Beyond the River, Amandla). His maturity is marked in other ways beyond his physical appearance— one scene shows a group of warriors hailing him as their leader, the next shows him wrapped sensually in the loving embrace of a young woman.
More fast-paced footage features Shaka attacking an animal on a hunt, leading a group of warriors through the brush, and fighting off European colonizers. “He is ready to take his father’s throne,” a male’s voice plays over these displays of Shaka’s prowess, adding Shaka’s duty “to lead his father’s people.” Building to a crescendo in the final sequence of the trailer, viewers see Shaka leading a band of warriors in an armed conflict against another small army. As fires burn in the dry brush behind him and his retinue, Shaka leads the charge against his tribe’s foes.
Shaka iLembe promises its audience a little bit of everything. The series is a historical epic with elements of war, romance, thriller, and even coming-of-age. The intense final shot in the trailer is visually stunning— Shaka standing with his spear raised standing on a rock outcropping overlooking the jungle. It's a powerful image with intentional positioning of its central subject, a real life king who’s taken on legendary status for people in South Africa and beyond.
Judging by the trailer, Shaka iLembe appears poised to become a major hit in South Africa. While a US release has yet to be announced, it’s fair to say the show’s grand production scale and historic subject matter will set up its success with audiences on the international market.
Shaka iLembe is set to premiere on DStv’s Mzansi Magic channel later this year. The series is created and executive produced by Teboho Mahlatsi (Angel’s Song, Isibaya) and features episodes directed by Mahlatsi and Angus Gibson (Back of the Moon, Heartlines).
