Replacing Mzansi Magic’s “The Queen” is no mean task. The award-winning telenovela, which was produced by Ferguson Films, ran for seven seasons and was a hit with viewers across the country.
With that run coming to an end, “Gqeberha: The Empire” will be tasked with filling that void as it takes over the same slot on the channel.
When it premières on Monday, the show will make history as the first-ever Mzansi Magic telenovela filmed entirely in the Eastern Cape.
The show’s star-studded cast includes Zikhona Sodlaka, Zandile Msutwana, Mbulelo Grootboom, Kay Bikitsha, Phila Madlingozi, Anele Matoti and Akhenime Mfenyana.
Ahead of the airing of “Gqeberha: The Empire”, we caught up with the excellent Sodlaka.
While she seems to be relishing the entire project, one thing that’s been particularly fulfilling for her has been the opportunity of shooting in the Eastern Cape, which is where she’s from.
“That has been something of a novelty. I’ll tell you that for free,” she said.
“It doesn’t happen a lot that you get to go shoot in your hometown. I’m from a different town, but I’m from this province. That part has been so sweet – it feels good, it feels familiar. It’s home, and it’s beautiful to be within your people. No matter what, that’s the part that will always lead.”
In “Gqeberha”, Sodlaka plays the role of Bulelwa, one of three strong women married to a successful businessman, Luzuko Mxenge (played by Mbulelo Grootboom).
Mxenge ignites mayhem that threatens to break the family apart after he decides to expand the family by adding another wife. The subsequent in-fighting invites danger as the family's enemies seek to seize the opportunity to attack while their guards are down.
The show is produced by one of the most successful production companies in the country, Tshedza Pictures (“The River”, “The Republic”, and “Legacy”).
“Tshedza being the company that’s known for leading and creating incredible work, they definitely haven’t dropped the bar there,” said Sodlaka.
“The thing with them is every single thing that they’ve created, produced and been part of has just been a cut above the rest. I don’t think that the ball has been dropped here when it comes to that.
“The story itself is incredible, which is something they’re really famous for – making beautiful stories in a beautiful fashion.”
She also added that she thinks viewers will enjoy the complex dynamics that unravel throughout the show.
“I think investigating stories of family dynamics, in general, will always be something that the audience will enjoy to watch. It’s even better when the family is set up the way the Mxenge family is set up, which is highly dynamic, to put it mildly.
“It’s playing with the themes of love, betrayal and trust within a plot that is as different as this one. I mean, it’s very, very different to belong to a family such as this because not every family is set up the way the Mxenge family is set up.
“It’s interesting for us, and it’s a first for me and the entire cast, actually, to try and figure out how to play the storyline because we cannot draw from real life because we don’t come from families like this.”
The pleasure of working from home (the Eastern Cape) is something Sodlaka believes her co-stars also relished.
“I think what we share with the entire cast, and I can say I speak for them when I say we are all so honoured to be working at home because it’s something that doesn’t happen so much – we’ve all been living in Joburg, we’ve all had to travel for work.
“Being in the Eastern Cape and creating Eastern Cape work is something that we don’t take lightly. It’s not lost to us the fact that there’s never been a Xhosa soapie since ever.
“There’s always been Xhosa series’, maybe a series that we all love, and the audience is just attached to it because we all just yearning for something that sounds like us.
“But now, it’s long-form, and actually, it has never been done… all of us share that, and it just makes the experience sweeter working with them.”
Apart from “Gqeberha”, the veteran actress has been having a stellar couple of years that included recent roles in “Blood and Water”, “The Wife”, and “Blood Psalms”.
The key to this success, she believes, has been applying herself and making sure she stays on top of her game.
“I just think that when you ask people who seem to be enjoying their career, they say a lot of things when you ask them how and why.
“One of the things they mention is what really, really matters is just applying yourself to the work that you do so that no matter what happens, when people get to experience your work people are not left feeling like that was a half-hearted experience.
“When you really want to be good at your job, you really have to invest yourself in it. In every single take, every single day and every single thing that you do, you have to be at the top of your game.”
“Gqeberha: The Empire” premières on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) on Monday, January 16, at 9pm.