Season 2
Society returns for an introspective journey that deals with subject matters relevant to young South African women.
Season 2 catches up with the four lead characters a year later. The four friends - Akua (Zandile Msutwana), Beth (Sibulele Gcilitshana), Inno (Lele Ledwaba) and Lois (Samela Tyelbooi) - were initially reunited in Season 1 by the suicide of their high school friend, Dineo (Vuyi Matomane).
This time around the fabulous friends are once again drawn together by their renewed commitment to the monthly society meetings.
Their friendships have strengthened as they face the challenges affecting young black women, living in urban Johannesburg; love, career, family, personal growth and not always in that order.
Akua Yenana is still the same hard-to-please financier that she was in Season 1, except that this time around, she makes an attempt at finding the love of her life.
What she doesn't realize is that in the process she might have to sacrifice her much-loved career, by which she identifies herself.
Beth Mazibuko continues on her journey of coming out as a lesbian, and dealing with the consequences.
All seems well until her family take it upon themselves to intervene, causing some regression on Beth's confidence about being out of the closet and destabilizing her relationship with her longtime partner, Thuli Ngwenya (Ferry Jele).
Lois Gumede tackles the difficult and multi-layered role of a doctor who struggles immensely with post-natal depression and the pressure to balance work and family.
As Lois juggles all her responsibilities of work, community service, raising a one-year-old baby Dineo and being a wife, she is forced at times to make the impossible choices of where to place her priorities.
In Season 2 she stumbles upon an unexpected element, which throws her off course once again.
Weathergirl extraordinaire Innocentia Phemba returns as one of the series' most celebrated characters. In this season, Inno's mother Aus' Lala (Grace Mahlaba) joins the cast and sheds light on additional layers of Inno's complexity, who is struggling to come to terms with the reality of her financial status.
In the new season the four leads are joined by a support cast consisting of: Ferry Jele; Pepi Khambule as Mandla Gumede; Bubu Mazibuko as the sexy huntress Mantoa Makgoba; fresh-faced Capetonian David Johnson as Dr. Bennett; Charmaine Kweyama as Beth's sister Buyi; Manaka Ranaka as the lovable lesbian Ayanda; and Grace Mahlaba.
Cameos include Justin Strydom as Stanimir Onishenko; Stoan Seete; Putla Sehlapelo; Luthuli Dlamini; Antonio Lyons and Thapelo Mokoena.
Puo Pha Productions' artistic duo, Lodi Matsetela and Makgano Mamabolo helm the second season of Society once again, retaining the dual roles of Head Writers and Executive Producers.
The objective of the new season has been to develop the characters even further, while upping the aesthetic stakes of the show and telling universal truths of women countrywide, in an effort to match shows like Sex and the City.
The director's chair for the second season is filled by Nigerian-born Adze Ugah (Jacob's Cross).
Other crew members include Zeno Pietersen (behind the lens as the DoP), stylist Barbara Seane (who headed the wardrobe department), Bongi Mlotshwa (make-up and hair) and Vivienne Mahloko, overlooked the Art Direction of the series.
Background
Society is set in the urban jungle of post-apartheid South Africa, Johannesburg. An icon of prosperity and everything that Africa could be, most of its residents are still digging for gold in the corporate structures and environments of the modern age, but in essence still seeking their fortune.
Many South Africans and other Africans make the pilgrimage to this city all with the hopes that they'll be able to realise and live the African dream. The main characters are just four of the 4-million people living in and around the city.
The universe of Society seeks to put a microscope on the effects freedom and free trade has had on the lives of young black South Africans, BEE Buppies, who are taking advantage of all that the city has to offer.
It is an urban cosmopolitan environment, which supports the lifestyles that the characters in the series choose to live. It is 21st century South Africa, a country full of opportunity, a world where it's everyone for himself and ubuntu is a catchword more popular with the white population.
During the apartheid era, black communities set up informal saving schemes, known as Societies, to assist each other in burying their loved ones, because they were barred from using the existing financial infrastructures that were reserved for the white population.
The title of the series is derived from these schemes. It is also a direct reference to the definition of the word society. The unwritten rules of a particular culture, that society's expectations and norms of young black women in particular, living in an era of plenty.
Trivia
The show was made by fledgling production company Puo Pha (which means "tell it like it is"), which was founded by Makgano Mamabolo (of Mazinyo Dot Q fame) and business partner Lodi Matsetela (award-winning writer for Home Affairs and City Ses'la) in 2004.
Society was Puo Pha's first television production.
It is directed by first-time drama director Vincent Moloi and the Director of Photography is Natalie Haarhoff. It was written by Mamabolo and Matsetela.
Ferry Jele received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama at the second annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) in October 2007, for her role as Thuli.
Broadcast Notes
The first season (which at the time was billed as a mini-series) aired on SABC1 from 18 January to 8 February, 2007, on Thursdays at 21h00. There are four hour-long episodes in the first season.
Following generally positive reviews the channel commissioned a second season of 26 episodes. Episodes in the second season are half an hour in length.