WATCH: ‘Africa’s time has arrived’ – Duma Ndlovu on ‘Queen Modjadji’ premiere following court case

Legendary filmmaker, producer, and playwright Duma Ndlovu is thrilled about the premiere of Queen Modjadji.

The highly anticipated, historically inspired series will debut this Sunday, 14 July, on Mzansi Magic, following a victorious court case regarding the interdiction of its airing.

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Ndlovu, the show creator and executive producer, told The Citizen that he is looking forward to the debut.

“I feel excited, I am elated. I feel Africa’s time has arrived. It is a pity that only 30 years into democracy we are now telling African stories, which is what we should have been doing all along.

“Not only that, we are telling a woman’s story. Queen Modjadji has come down to earth; she is telling her own story. We are living in Queen Modjadji’s times,” said Ndlovu.

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Strength, wisdom, and spiritual power

At the premiere event in Montecasino on Thursday night, Ndlovu said when they were creating Queen Modjadji, they had one major objective.

“We wanted to bring a deeper understanding and appreciation of African heritage to future generations and the global audience. The story of Queen Modjadji is one that represents strength, wisdom, and spiritual power,” he explained.

He said this offers audiences a chance to connect with an important part of African history.

To ensure authenticity, Ndlovu said the production team sourced local artisans to create Indigenous artefacts.

“We believe that this production was greater than the visuals, but also left a positive impact on the Balobedu people.

“These stories that we tell are handed down to us by those who came before us. They don’t belong to us. And because of that, we have to exercise massive caution and care in how we tell them,” said Ndlovu.

Queen Modjadji to air across Africa

The series will be broadcast in several African countries, including Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique, and Ghana.

Nomsa Philiso, CEO of General Entertainment at Multichoice, highlighted the significance of sharing these stories across the continent:

“On Sunday, we are not only going to premiere in South Africa, but we are going to show the power of Multichoice and bring this programme throughout the continent.

“When we talk about heritage, we always say that we must acknowledge it to understand our future. Otherwise, if you don’t know where you come from, we are really all over the place. This is yet another step to ensure that future generations are well-informed,” said Philiso.

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