From Sunday 7 December, Mzansi Magic viewers will be transported to the lush lands of the Eastern Cape for the channel’s first ever isiMpondo drama series, Mpondoland. Behind this ground-breaking and ambitious project are co-executive producers Chumisa Cosa and Mmamitse Thibedi of Origins Pictures, who worked with shared passion for authentic storytelling and the preservation of culture, which are at the heart of Mpondoland.
With cultural richness at the centre of the show’s creative vision, Thibedi and Cosa were happy to sit down and talk about what it takes to bring a story of heritage and magic to life.
Mzansi Magic (MM): How did the initial concept for the series come about?
Chumisa Cosa (CC): I’ve been fascinated by the Mpondo people for a while. Their pride in who they are, even though they are marginalized, and how they have fought against the system but have been unrecognised for their efforts, their beauty, sense of living life to the full, and the beautiful land they live in. That fascination combined with me thinking that the decriminalisation of marijuana was finally going to make them rich resulted in the idea for Mpondoland.
MM: What was the biggest challenge in getting the show greenlit?
CC: This show is the first of its kind for Multichoice. We had to find the sweet spot in our storytelling because we wanted to make a contemporary story that would celebrate the regular, everyday people while showcasing the uniqueness and beauty of the people, all the while also being an entertaining piece of work.
MM: What are your strategies for weaving in different story arcs?
CC: Strategies for weaving different themes, I think for the most part, is asking if the arc serves the story and moves it forward.
MM: Can you describe a time when you had to adapt to unexpected changes during production?
CC: We shot at a game park, and we were not made aware before signing the lease that the park had hippopotamuses and at night and early evenings, they liked coming out to “hang out” on some of the locations that our sets were built on. This resulted in our inability to shoot at night on certain locations and we had to make last minute adaptations to our scripts.
MM: What are your strategies for managing risk and making difficult decisions under pressure?
CC: Mmamitse is excellent at risk management and acting under pressure. I think it is mostly due to her vast experience and having experienced most of the crises we faced. Most, not all. It was all our first time experiencing hippos.
MM: How do you decide on the visual style and tone for the series?
MT: The creative process is layered. Personally, I try to listen to the project and let it direct me. For example, one of the core visual themes of Mpondoland was Isinuka, an existing body of water in Port St Johns with healing powers. We went there on one of our research trips, got into the water, and observed people as they performed their traditional rites there. Watched them pray. We watched the landscape, observed the cows that sit by the beaches. Looked at the magical green landscape. From all those visual signifiers and the stories or the people we spoke to, we knew there was something magical about the people, so it was very clear that our show would have elements of magic realism and fantasy.
MM: What role does location play in the overall creative process?
MT: A huge role. The actual location inspired every aspect of our design and our big question was: How do we make what we have seen look and feel even better, larger than life, and more aspirational?
MM: What was the most valuable lesson you learned from this production?
MT: That enough pre-production time makes a huge difference.
MM: If you could change one thing about the process on your last show, what would it be?
MT: Only start shooting a drama series with the scripts fully written.
MM: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the industry today?
MT: The industry risks stagnation because we don’t have a proper plan for skills transfer at both junior and senior levels.
MM: What is the long-term vision for the series?
MT: More seasons!!!
Watch Mpondoland, premiering on Sunday 7 December at 20:00, only on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161).
TJ: Brave, unapologetic, and a must-see show.
Watch Mpondoland, premiering on Sunday 7 December at 20:00, only on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161).
Join the conversation on our social media platforms: Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok using #Mpondoland.