Nomzamo Mbatha made her international mark with the release of Coming 2 America back in 2021. With her international trajectory already set, it surprised many when she returned to South Africa to executive produce and lead the stellar cast of the remake of South Africa’s classic series Shaka.
Read more: "Evil Walks Ka Confidence": Ntsiki On Nomzamo Mbatha?
Read more: "Evil Walks Ka Confidence": Ntsiki On Nomzamo Mbatha?
Throughout the fanfare of the cast announcements and leading isiZulu speaking actors taking a break from their productions to see this dream of the remake material. While there is still a wait until the official release of the series, fans now get to see the first look at the official teaser ahead of the full-on promotional rollout of the series in 2023.
A first look at Nomzamo Mbatha’s Shaka Ilembe
Seeing as Nomzamo Mbatha collected a good sizable bag from starring in the sequel to the classic Coming to America, she decided to plough that wealth in realising one of her biggest dreams. Seemingly, it was to recreate one of the most legendary series in South Africa, Shaka.
Not only is she the lead of the remake, but she stands as one of the executive producers of the series. This is as along with the production that gave her her first big acting role as Isibaya’s Thandeka, Bomb production.
Mbatha first confirmed that production on the project has began in May 2022, revealing the main cast of the project to include Isithembiso’s Lemogang Tsipa as the adult Shaka, The River’s Thembinkosi Mthembu as King Dingiswayo, Uzalo’s Wiseman Ncube as Ukhakhayi, and JIVA’s Senzo Radebe as Senzangakhona KaJama.
For a while after the production was announced, many wondered how this remake will be different or the same to the original, which was filled with mysticism and folklore, which to date is hard for anyone to forget. However, with the first official teaser revealed, we got to know a little bit more.
It seems that this version of the series will be centred on the story of Nandi, her rebellious spirit to want to find love rather than marry out of royal familial responsibility and the journey she took to eventually mother the most iconic rule ruler there has ever been.
Not to mention, Mbatha bears all for the role as she plays uNandi from a virgin to the stoic matriarch she is mostly known to have been. In sharing the official teaser, Mbatha made it clear that the series is a celebration of black history. A black history actually told as accurately as possible by actually using a predominantly isiZulu cast, avoiding perceptions of appropriation in the creation of the remake.
When is Shaka iLembe set for release?
Currently no official release date for Shaka iLembe has been released or confirmed. What we do know is that we can expect the official release sometime in 2023. But as to the exact details, no official word has been shared.
But as we wait, here are other highlights from the days of shooting the remake. Like when Bayede Dawg paid a visit to bless the production, or meeting the gigantic co-star set to share the screen with the young Shaka Zulu.