Why Zakes Bantwini chose the men of The Wife for his latest music video

The male stars of The Wife are the hottest commodity in the entertainment industry right now and as an astute entertainer and proud Zulu man himself, Zakes Bantwini understands this.

As such, Zakes Bantwini, along with the director for his latest video cast the Zulu brothers for the visuals.
The video is for the song iMali which also features Karyendasoul and Nana Atta which was released about a year ago. 

It is no surprise that this song – like most of Zakes Bantwini’s work – has been the anthem of celebration in South Africa and now has accompanying visuals. 

The iMali music video, directed by Zeith Benza, recently debuted at a premiere event hosted by the money magnet herself, Khanyi Mbau, at the Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg. 

Benza said he was intentional with who and what was included in the visuals, hence the decision, the husbands of the Showmax series, The Wife.

Zakes Bantwini, who has been in the music industry for over a decade now, has managed to stay relevant without clamouring to be trendy and still releases music enjoyed by many. 

He described the success of his music as a collaborative effort saying, “I was empowered by someone to be in this position, so I have to empower other people”. 

“Music in itself is a power of collaboration, instruments working together to make music.”

The visuals for iMali do not fall short when it comes to reflecting the theme of the power of collaboration. 

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Benza said he intended to create something unlike any typical music video but rather make it lightly cinematic and tell a story. 

The video was also made possible thanks to sponsors in the form of Superbets and Bhatu and the brand mentions are seamlessly incorporated into the storyline.

“I wanted to incorporate the brands without making the video look like an advertisement,” said Benza, before adding, “Getting actors of The Wife was appropriate. They are currently very relevant in South Africa, especially in money.” 

The iMali visuals are definitely a show stopper, and while watching the exclusive behind the scene footage, it is clear they had a good budget.

“Whatever Keith needed, we gave to him. We didn’t go cheap,” quipped Zakes Bantwini in closing.