Powerful storytelling in local offerings
WOW, it’s been a truly fantastic week on the TV front with the arrival of two telenovelas – Mzansi Magic’s DiepCity and SABC3’s The Estate – and the return of Rockville for a fifth season on Mzansi Magic.
I was drawn to DiepCity, more so because it was helmed by Mandla N of Black Brain Productions. Just to put you in the picture, he is the brainchild behind the critically-acclaimed drama series Lockdown.
And he proves his Midas touch once again with his powerful female anchors Lerato (Kgaogelo Monama), Nox (Nozuko Ncayiyane), Asanda (Zikhona Bali) and Snenhlanhla (Nompumelelo Vilakazi).
The story takes place in the heart of Diepsloot, a township where poverty is interlaced with crime, where hope is shadowed by disillusionment and where dreams are punctured by overriding despair.
This is where we find Lerato, Nox, Asanda and Snenhlanhla. Despite their happy-go-lucky demeanour, their necessitous background makes them easy prey for Elliot (Mduduzi Mabaso), a low-level gangster who is gainfully employed as a security guard in an affluent neighbourhood.
With access to sensitive information, he ropes in the close-knit teenage friends to break into the home of a wealthy family to rob them of their valuables.
It’s an easy enough set-up. Elliot has inside information (including the code to deactivate the alarm), which he passes onto the girls.
But sometimes the best-laid plans go astray. And, boy oh boy, does this one go pear-shaped. Nox’s younger brother, Sibusiso (Tshiamo Molobi), who has just been accepted into a prestigious school, gets caught in the crossfire when the homeowner returns earlier than expected.
DiepCity masterfully captures the grittiness of township life through the eyes of its characters.
Kudos to the masterminds behind this telenovela. The casting is on point. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out to give them a redemptive edge as victims of circumstance.
The storytelling is not just realistic, it is most profound.
Not too long ago, SABC3 got viewers excited when they announced The Estate.
Along with the fans, I partook in the giddy excitement around the telenovela, especially after sneaking a peek at the names attached to the show.
Seriously, we are talking about SA’s crème de la crème here.
And Clive Morris Productions has done a stellar job in establishing the interconnected yet polarised worlds of its
