After a long and demanding production journey that spanned over 18 months, Eswatini’s most celebrated homegrown drama, Ekhaya, has officially launched its second season. The show, which continues to capture the essence of family, identity, and community, has returned to Eswatini TV with more heart, emotion, and authenticity than ever before.
Produced by Bumba Productions under the creative direction of Samkelo Nxumalo, popularly known as Mr Sam, the new season stands as a testament to patience, passion, and persistence. Speaking to this publication after an uncontrollable applause from the actors, crew and officials on his arrival, his humility and dedication to his craft was immediately clocked as he broke down the process they undertook to come up with this exceptional production.
“In total, the whole process took roughly a year and a half to complete; we spent about three months writing the scripts, six months in production which is shooting and recording, and another six months in post-production. The hardest part is definitely during those production months, because we work 16 to 18-hour days. You’re up at four in the morning, shooting starts around eight, and you finish close to ten at night. It’s tough, but that’s the nature of the industry. You give everything for those few months.”
Mr Sam, who studied Film at the American University of Paris, has been active in the region’s creative industry since 2008. His early works include two South African short films, Batjele and Bloodline , both produced under Soul City. Batjele went on to become the top selection among 10 Southern African short films showcased at the Pan African Film Festival in New York in 2010.
Despite his international recognition, Mr Sam’s heart remains in Eswatini.
“After that success, there was a long gap because opportunities were scarce. But I never gave up, it wasn’t until around 2016 that I got the chance to start creating again. That’s when Ekhaya began to take shape. It’s been a long road, but it’s all been worth it.”
The cast is made of returning local stars from the first season and a few new faces that enrich the story. Lead role remains a man well known in the creative space because of his versatility, the chief himself, Thembinkosi Mavimbela, as we well as Bongi Lukhele, Setsabile Masina, Bongiwe Mdluli, Nosipho Dlamini, Florino Santos and to name just a few.
