A four part, one hour mini series focusing on the lives of four “empowered’ black women who are reunited by the suicide of a friend will premiere on SABC on 18 January at 21h00.
Society is helmed by first-time female producers Makgano Mambolo of Miss Kwa-Kwa and Mazinyo dot Q fame and business partner Lodi Matsetela, award winning writer for Home Affairs and City Ses’la. The duo formed their production company Puo Pha, (which means ” tell it like it is’), two years ago.
The series was directed by documentary filmmaker Vincent Moloi in his drama debut, with Natalie Haarhoff as DOP. Scripts were written by Mambolo and Matsetela over the past 12 months. They refer to Society as “a South African Sex and the City with a serious take on the life of the single gal living in the city of gold’.
The cast of Society comprises a quartet of actresses who range from established veterans to the unknown. Lele Ledwaba, known for her role as Pinkie on Stokvel, plays the role of Inno, a pseudo celebrity weather girl, who uses her five minutes of screen time every evening as a ticket to a life of luxury, something her weather girl salary doesn’t quite afford her.
Zandile Msutwana, who has played minor roles on Soul City 8 and Home Affairs, makes her debut in the lead role of Akua Yenana, the half Ghanaian half South African workaholic stockbroker. On the surface she seems to have it all, including a penthouse apartment, two cars and a toyboy for a lover.
Sibulele Gcilitshana, known to most as Zandi from Soul City 7, a series which made her a familiar face on South African television, takes up a completely different role as the closet lesbian Beth, who risks losing the love of her life because she won’t come out.
Newcomer, Samantha Tyelbooi, who’ll be seen shortly in a cameo role on Generations, plays the role of coloured Lois Gumede, nee Van Wyk. A qualified doctor, married to the ideal husband, who finds herself battling a drinking problem, while pregnant with an unwanted baby.
Other cast members include Ferry Jele, Hugh Masebenza, Bongani Masondo, Vuyi Matiwana, Kenneth Pepi Khambule, Tumisho Masha, Kenneth Nkosi and Neil McCarthy.
