Shaka iLembe – the South African series produced by Bomb Productions for M-Net’s channel Mzansi Magic – has swept the board with 17 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) nominations, including Best Lead Actor and Actress, Best Achievement in Direction and Script Writing.

This sweeping epic tells the story of the young Shaka growing up, and his struggles to claim the throne. It is also about the powerful woman who contributed to his journey, including his mother Queen Nandi. It was the best-ever performance for a MultiChoice drama series in its history when Season 1 aired in June 2023, attracting over 7.5 million DSTV viewers in South Africa.

It also reached number one on the DStv App across Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and other African countries and had the unique honour of being South Africa’s most Googled TV show in 2023, with over 10 billion impressions on social media.