Leleti Khumalo as MaZulu on Imbewu
Despite being one of e.tv’s top-rated and most-watched local dramas, e.tv has announced that it will be canning prime time drama Imbewu.
Initially introduced as Imbewu: The Seed, the e.tv drama held the attention of viewers in prime time on e.tv for five years running.
Launched in April 2018, the show focused on two Durban families, the Bhengus and Rampersads and followed the drama in both families over more than 1 000 episodes, growing a fiercely loyal audience during that period.
One of the things that audiences loved about the show was the fact that story was set in KwaZulu-Natal.
Produced by Grapevine Productions, Imbewu successfully held a proud KwaZulu-Natal narrative with which many South African audiences identified.
The production also featured a stellar cast comprising both new and seasoned talent, giving both groups a platform to showcase their exceptional talent, portraying characters that audiences grew to love and hate.
“We’d like to thank the production for its commitment to delivering five great seasons of compelling stories, despite the highly competitive timeslots it found itself at 9.30pm and 9pm,” commented Helga Palmer, head of Local Programming at Media.
“The show managed to dethrone its biggest competitor in the 9pm slot and it is currently the most viewed show in the late-night slot. We are proud to be ending on a high,” she added.
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In a joint statement, Executive Producers of Imbewu, Leleti Khumalo; Duma Ndlovu and Anant Singh said; “We are proud to have created a trailblasing show that showcased the multicultural environment of Durban and KZN.
“Imbewu changed the face of the daily drama offering on South African television with its unique storylines, cliffhangers and high drama, resulting in it becoming one of the most-watched shows. We are grateful to our broadcast partner, e.tv for their support of the show and for the opportunity.”
After hearing news of the show’s cancellation, fans immediately shared their disappointment online.
Imbewu will still be on air until the end of the first quarter in 2023 and will be replaced by a brand-new local drama thereafter. Details about this drama have not yet been shared.
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