Season 1
End Game is a South African political thriller television drama series created by Thandi Brewer and produced by Tunc Productions and Fireworx Media which follows Khosi Hlatswayo, a minister's wife who finds herself at the centre of a major conspiracy to kill the President as her strained marriage is pushed to the brink by the murder of her husband's mistress - for which she is framed.
Khosi Hlatswayo is the minister's wife - the perfect accessory to a politico.
She's elegant, beautiful and charming; carefully kept wrapped in designer clothes in their house in Waterkloof. She's the perfect wife (despite a small drinking problem, kept tightly under control and away from her husband's eyes) to her husband, Jet Hlatswayo, minister of the Environment, and her two apparently equally perfect children: 17-year-old Ayanda at Tshwane University studying journalism and 14-year-old Zweli who is seriously bright but also dealing with puberty and bullying issues at school.
Khosi is the epitome of a lady who lunches, smiling charmingly for the cameras on her husband's arm at all important political and photographic events, sitting on charity boards and doing her bit for the community, as long as it involves nothing more than her smiling face.
She is a career cover girl who does charity. And despite her creeping sense of boredom and stagnancy, and the fact that Jet has no time for her anymore due to work pressures, Khosi enjoys her life.
She enjoys the comfort, the quiet wealth, the kids of private schools, the parties. She loves her husband, believing him to be a man of integrity who has sacrificed much for his country.
When the destitute and desperate Siya approaches her, wanting help but causing panic, a young man – Thato Kunene is assigned by the government to the household as driver and security.
Khosi is not impressed with the government's intervention in her home life and nor is she impressed with the super-efficient and charming Thato.
She is more concerned that Jet's interest might have wandered, but it's something else she doesn't want to interrogate, like she doesn't want to acknowledge the growing anger and poverty of the country that her band aid charities are unable to help.
Still, she could keep on ignoring all this – as she ignores her daughter's anger and disassociation from her, and her son being bullied - except that she intercepts an sms meant for Jet from Rose, Jet's research assistant, late one night.
Khosi goes to Rose's apartment, determined to have it out – female to female – and discovers Rose – bound and murdered – by a scarf exactly like the one that Jet just gave her for their wedding anniversary.
This is where the series starts. A woman with apparently everything, and the slow dissolution of her life.
Scared that her husband might be behind Rose's brutal murder, Khosi starts the hunt on her own, trying to discover Jet's guilt or innocence. Bewildered by the secrets and betrayed by her husband, Khosi is drawn more and more to Thato and they start an affair.
An affair that is going to lead Khosi into an explosive situation, because Thato is not everything he appears to be, neither simple, nor innocent. Nor is her husband the decent, upstanding politician she had always thought him to be.
Khosi slowly starts to uncover a conspiracy, where she can never be sure who is the intended victim, or who the villain is.
Where her life is endangered, and where she can't turn to either her lover or her husband, because they're on opposing sides, and she's doesn't know which side is the right one or who is using her.
She becomes increasingly alienated from her friends and family, because Jet doesn't appreciate having a wife who's putting his political career at risk with her questions, and worse yet, who is questioning him.
Her kids don't appreciate having a mom who's becoming a crusader, and the people her husband works for don't appreciate having a socialite prying into their affairs.
While Ayanda becomes increasingly political and radical, Khosi discovers that nothing is as it appears, that the conspiracy is far wider spread than she could have possible imagined.
Finally Khosi has to make choices between the personal and the political, between her life and family against that of the ideals her husband has always professed to believe, between her husband, her lover, and her own life.
The cast includes Hlomla Dandala as Jet Hlatswayo, Bubu Mazibuko as Khosi Hlatswayo, Dineo Nchabeleng as Ayanda Hlatswayo, Siyabonga Xaba as Zweli Hlatswayo, Yonda Thomas as Thato Dhlamini, Tango Ncetezo as Rose Bacqua, Sipho Ngwenya as Freddie, Jerry Mofokeng as Hamilton Shenge, Letoya Mangezi as Naledi Zondo, S'thandiwe Kgoroge as Nozipho Kunene, Lucky Khoza as the President and Ronnie Nyakale as Siya Bacqua.
Created by Thandi Brewer, End Game is produced by Tunc Productions and Fireworx Media, with executive producers Bridget Pickering and Thandi Brewer. The series was written by Peter Goldsmid and the music composed by Joel Assaizsky. The pilot episode was directed by Akin Omotoso.
Season 1 Cast
(scroll to bottom for available actor bios)
Starring
Bubu Mazibuko ... Khosi Hlatswayo
Hlomla Dandala ... Jet Hlatswayo
Yonda Thomas ... Thato Dhlamini
Ronnie Nyakale ... Siya Bacqua
Dineo Nchabeleng ... Ayanda Hlatswayo
Siyabonga Xaba ... Zweli Hlatswayo
Recurring / Guests
Tango Ncetezo ... Rose Bacqua
Sipho Ngwenya ... Freddie
Jerry Mofokeng ... Hamilton Shenge
Letoya Mangezi ... Naledi Zondo (Letoya Makhene)
Sthandiwe Kgoroge ... Nozipho Kunene
Lucky Khoza ... President (later Sam, as Lucky Koza)
Pope Jerrod ... The Slav
Zakeeya Patel ... Suresha
Leti Ndubane ... Detective Ndlovu (as Nyeleti Ndubane)
Akin Omotoso ... Estate Agent
Lerato Marabe ... Precious (as Lerato Marebe)
Sana Mchunu ... Mrs Qoboza (as Sana Mcunu)
Emmanuel Castis ... Clive
Amanda Du-Pont ... Suzie (as Amanda Du Pont)
Salamina Mokome ... Headmistress (as Salaminah Mokome)
Jonathan Pienaar ... Skype Voice (voice)
Tebelelo Sephuma ... Journo 1
Sipho Nhlapo ... Bra Diggs
Daniel Hadebe ... Garth
Bonginkosi Twala ... Dumi
Lizz Meiring ... Secretary
Litha Booi ... Nerdy Male Receptionist
Lionel Newton ... Pawn Shop Owner
Treasure Tshabalala ... President
Zewande Bhengu ... Fanyana (as Zewande Bhenghu)
Pleasure Nkosi ... Gonzo
Desiree Luthuli ... Nomsa
Jeffrey Sekele ... HR Official
Sana Maizu ... Mrs Qoboza
Pumla Ndlazi ... Detective Ngubane (later Warrant Officer Ngubane)
Jacqui Achilleas ... Vault Receptionist
Vuks Ngcingwana ... Barman
Imani Seboni ... Mr Sithole
Zaba Mfusi ... Mining Boss
Joel Modikoe ... Homeless Man 1
Deliwe Mapeka ... Homeless Woman 1
Justice Pitjeng ... Gardener
Bobo Mokgoro ... Video Blogger 1
Tendayi Nyeke ... Video Blogger 2
Thulani Sundu ... Video Blogger 3
Duncan Mamokgere ... Video Blogger 4
Michael Hall ... Video Blogger 5/Hacktivist
Carlo Radebe ... Cop 2
Ian Inos ... White Collar Man
Thato Woody ... Student Type
Callum Hill ... Biker Man
Broadcast Notes
The series originally aired on SABC1 on Thursdays at 20h30 from 31 October 2013, ending with a double bill at 19h30 on 30 January, 2014. There are 13 hour-long episodes in the series.
Only 12 of the 13 episodes aired on SABC3. According to the channel Episode 7 did not air as the tape wasn't delivered on time by the production company.