Multi Award winning screen star, Nambitha Ben-Mazwi, continues to make boss moves, now joining the CBS and Showtime family, in her role as Queen Bhibhi on the international dream team cast, King Shaka.
The star enjoyed a remarkable 2022, having made history as the first South African to hold 6 Netflix International credits. She also recently scooped two awards; Feathers Hot Chick of the Year Award; and a SA Style Award for Most Stylish Performing Artist in Film/TV.
Reacting to her Feather's win she wrote "This @featherssa award goes out to every person who has ever felt unseen before. I said this before, every girl who sees themselves in me, WE ARE HOT CHICKS!!! Thank you to the LGBTQ+ community for always seeing me, and for the unwavering support & love. My craft of storytelling has always been a beacon for advocacy for me, and the honour of telling YOUR story with sincerity and truth is my act of service. Here’s to more representation in storytelling! Thank you Jesus for always using me. I see your works," she wrote.
The actress was also nominated for the VN Global Media and Entertainment Awards, in the category, of Actress of The Year and she bagged the award. Reacting to her win she wrote "Guuuuys, we did it, we won another award!!! We can now add “Actress of the Year” to the titles I’ve been blessed with this past month. And that is all thanks to YOU and my clan that is my family. Thank you for all your support, votes, and my agency MLA for honing my career."
Ben-Mazwi will play the role of Queen Bhibhi kaSompisi Ntuli, the head wife to Shaka’s father, Chief Senzangakhona. The story is rooted in actual events, hailing from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films, and CBS Studios. Studios. Production kicked off in September 2022, in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) South Africa province and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.
“I am particularly excited about this production, not only because we are getting an opportunity to tell our own stories to the world, but the team behind it is a stellar one and Showtime is pulling out all the ranks on this one. Charles Babalola who leads as Shaka, is an impeccable storyteller whom I got the opportunity to play across at our test shoot in June in LA. That truly was a rewarding part of the auditioning process when CBS flew me out for the final callbacks, performing for the executive team of King Shaka.” Ben-Mazwi said.
King Shaka is executive produced by Odebunmi and Awosika, Antoine Fuqua, Bridget Carpenter, Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, and Rodney Ferrell. Seith Mann, who is directing the pilot, and Spencer Medof are also executive producers. Scott Greenberg is a producer, and Michael Callas is producing for Fuqua Films.
Judging from Ben-Mazwi’s outstanding performance on her last hit series, Savage Beauty, we cannot wait to see how she will truly live and tell Bhibhi’s story. She remains one of the best leading ladies on the continent, and we love seeing her continued international rise.
