Season 8
The new season returns, tackling social issues such as HIV prevention, HIV self testing, treatment adherence, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, substance abuse, self-care, mental health, gender-based violence and various issues involving the LGBTQI+ community, amongst others.
Each storyline is laced with an original musical score from Amapiano to Afrobeats and every genre in between.
Amapiano power duo Mellow & Sleazy and Matorokisi singer Makhadzi make guest appearances, and this season unveils a dramatic drum majorette crew, that incorporates traditional and modern dance styles whilst adding a burst of colour to the episodes.
We'll see the return of some familiar faces from previous seasons, but there are also fresh faces unearthed from an open call to the public late in 2022.
The cast portrays each starry-eyed character on a mission to achieve their dreams no matter their circumstances, showcasing the character's life struggles and their efforts to break the cycle of hardship.
The cast includes young actors from the African continent and across the queer spectrum, each bringing unique perspectives to the show's storyline.
Loved or hated, each character takes you on a whirlwind experience of their lives, reflecting on views of issues that modern-day African youth are faced with.
MTV Shuga: Down South 3 (Season 8 overall) is produced by Burnt Onion Productions.
The season is executive produced by Sara Piot, Richard Chang-Warburton, Muchengeti Madhovi, Georgia Arnold, Rethabile Ramaphakela, Katleho Ramaphakela and Tshepo Ramaphakela.
Khomotso Kekana is a senior producer and the series producer is Lufuno Nemungadi.
Makgano Mamabolo is the head writer this season.
Music is by Samukelo Mahlalela.
The new cast includes:
Zazi Kunene as Nono (Lady Groove), a bubbly, up-and-coming Amapiano DJ on the rise, who seems to stop at nothing to become the next best thing in Mzansi.
Ziya Xulu as Warona, a shy, queer teenager who loves music and is a good dancer struggling with weight issues and the death of a close friend.
Tyson Mathonsi as Sandile (Snacks), a rich-kid hustler and manipulative flirt.
Ayakha Ntunja as Thembi, a feisty attention-seeking go-getter who is the star of her school's drum majorette team and a popular girl who finds herself growing up much faster than expected.
Ayanda Nzimande as Kedibone, a young queer girl who is very loving and supportive of those around her.
Lobisa Tsatsi as Azania, a young woman who is living with HIV, and is on a mission to document positive social media content to break the stereotypes around it.
She's also attempting to build a life and family with her HIV-negative high school sweetheart Victor.
Alex Aduka as Victor, a hardworking good guy with a big heart.
Living in the inner city of Johannesburg as a foreign national presents its fair share of challenges for Victor as he battles a two-year unemployment spell.
Palesa Mothopi as Vuvu, a quick-witted teen who hides her sense of displacement and the general feeling of lack of belonging by bullying and humiliating her peers who are all petrified of her.
Chidera Nwoha as Khenzo, a social recluse with a creative fashion flair, well-loved by his teachers but battling an addiction to Lean (a cough syrup mixture and antiretrovirals cocktail drug).
Naret Loots as Emma, a fun-loving girl who can dance and has immersed herself in black popular culture, and a friend of Nono's from primary school.
Also joining the cast for the new season are Nimrod Nkosi (Blessing), Seiphemo Motswiri (Robert Mosimane), Thuli Thabethe (Nomazizi Mkhize), Josias Moleele (Coach Sono), Lerato Mvelase (Mam' Grace) and Leera Mthethwa (Nurse Keitu).
This season will see various breathtaking reflections of South African society, from the grimy hustle and bustle of downtown Johannesburg with dwellings for the homeless, dumping sites, rats and pigeons.
This setting is home to this season's dilapidated inner-city high school that has seen better days Jubilee High, and the barren apartment occupied by controversial character Sol, played by Ayanda Makayi.
Viewers are also taken to the townships and exposed to the fast-paced streets of Orlando East in Soweto and then in contrast to the glitz and glam and manicured lawns of Sandton.
Then it's off to a rural KwaZulu-Natal beachfront village where we see Dee Rasedile's character Thuli's emotional journey begin this season as she returns to the series.
Character Bios
Sol (Ayanda Makayi)
Since his mother's passing at his father's own hands three years ago, Sol and his sister were split up with no home to go back to, so he has since moved to downtown Johannesburg, living in a derelict apartment at Crown Gardens, barely making ends meet.
Sol lands a job as an e-hailing driver for Nono's family and he knows that this is his only chance to turn his life around as his point of no return.
When Thuli arrives unannounced, he makes her promise not to disclose the secret of his sexually deviant past, as he is trying to hold onto this new job and can't afford to have anyone know about his damning lie.
He is able to do good with the money by raising his sister and helping out a friend in need.
Sol has trauma from his mother's death and develops dark thoughts around how he wants to teach Snacks a lesson so Nono doesn't end up like his mother.
Sol is determined to learn from his past mistakes by not giving into his sexual urges by forcefully taking what he lusts after.
But when the violence between Nono and her boyfriend Snacks escalates, triggering a nerve that reminds him that he never defended his own mother, Sol regresses back to his violent past.
This blows up his whole world when everyone around him realises that he has been lying about who he is.
Sol has to finally come face to face with his past and repair the relationships that are now broken.
Thuli (Dee Rasedile)
Thuli, Sol's sister, had to move to KZN to live with family since leaving Zenzele.
Life in the countryside is far from easy and she has grown tired of it.
Thuli makes a bold move and runs to the city to live with her brother, after she sees him living his best life on social media.
Thuli is a reminder of Sol's past but she tries to stay out of his way.
Azania (Lobisa Tsatsi)
Azania is one of Sol's new neighbours and friend.
She is married to Victor and she is living with HIV/AIDS.
Pheladi has put a positive spin on living with HIV by spreading awareness on her social media pages and breaking the stigma.
Although she has made the most of her lifestyle, there is one more journey she will take us through, she will be educating us on how to conceive without passing HIV onto her child.
Victor (Alex Aduka)
Victor is Pheladi's husband. They both live in downtown Jozi across from Ayanda.
Victor is an immigrant and life in South Africa hasn't been easy but at least he has Pheladi and now Ayanda.
Victor and Ayanda both dream of a better life and that starts with a better job.
Trying to find a better job and overcome all the other life obstacles might be a bit much for just one person.
Thembi (Ayakha Ntunja)
The only time Thembi gets to feel like a carefree teenager is when she is dancing with her drummies team.
This is a safe space for her, where she gets to feel seen for her own unique talents.
She does, however, carry the burden of her family problems on her shoulder.
Thembi moves heaven and earth to get the attention of Snacks at the launch party.
She spends a lot of time thinking about how to get out and speaks about it very openly.
She is not of the belief that if you work hard, you will make it in life, as she has enough examples in her life, confirming the opposite.
Instead, she has come to recognise that she is rather pretty and understands how to use this to her advantage, as an early bloomer with a developed pubescent body.
Vuvu (Palesa Mothopi)
Vuvu is a spiteful, angry and seemingly displaced teenager.
Vuvu has struggled with abandonment issues and a general feeling of lack of belonging.
A lot of the kids at the school fear her as the matric bully who takes no nonsense and humiliates many of them, including Warona, who makes her feel better about herself.
What she doesn't realise is that this is what inspires Warona to finally stand up for herself and come into her own as a proudly dark teenager who is queer.
Warona (Ziya Xulu)
Warona, unlike most of the girls, is not on the drummies team.
She loves dancing but would never dare try out for the drummies because Vuvu is on the team.
Instead, Warona is a social recluse with a quirky best friend Khenzo who thinks the world of her.
Warona is intrigued by Kedibone and instantly develops a crush on her.
She can't tell this to anybody, as she believes that nobody knows that she is queer.
It is only when Thuli contracts TB and has to officially drop out of the drummies team, that Warona is compelled to fill the gap and audition to take Thuli's place, or else the team won't qualify for the competition.
It takes her father's encouragement and her friends' support to get Warona over her fear of facing Vuvu on the dance floor and pluck up the courage to audition for the team, and she makes it.
Khenzo (Chidera Nwoha)
Over the course of the season, Khenzo goes from a good student to almost failing as his addiction worsens.
His only friend at school is Warona.
He promises to get off the sizzurp and start taking school seriously as being smart was one of the things he used to pride himself about, but now that his grades are going down, he only has the booze to blame and needs to do something about it.
He is a cool 17-year-old boy in matric and an awkward social recluse, but is beloved by the teachers, partly because he is an A-student.
He sells booze filled 'straws' to the pupils, harmless, yes, but devious, nonetheless.
As a heterosexual male, he chooses to sometimes wear skirts to school, as a form of his artistic expression as well as his attention seeking need to disrupt the system.
Nono (Zazi Kunene)
Nono is from a wealthy and influential Johannesburg family.
She is also a well-known Amapiano DJ known as 'Lady Groove', who wants to be the next best thing in Mzansi.
Her fame is growing exponentially but not all her choices are paying off as good, she is dating Snacks who is adding more problems to her life.
Nono lives for the glitz of her job but at what cost?
Snacks (Tyson Mathonsi)
Snacks is the coolest gent on the block – every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to be with him.
Snacks should have eyes only for his girlfriend, Nono but that proves to be difficult when there is so much to look at in these streets.
Snacks is Nono's manager and boyfriend, and he is always looking for the next deal that will put both of them on the map.
He has immersed himself into Nono's world, charming her parents and gaining their unwavering trust and support for his career, as they all fell for his sob story as a neglected self-made rural kid, devoted to their daughter, as her self-appointed manager.
Emma (Naret Loots)
Emma is one of Nono's closest friends since primary school.
A big part of that comes with dealing with the odd things that Snacks does, listening to all that drama and just being there for her friend.
Emma and Nono are inseparable and she is here to enjoy the good times that come with being friends with a well-known DJ.
Kedibone (Ayanda Nzimande)
Life hasn't been so kind to Kedibone.
The stories of her past that led her to where she is now isn't kind but she tries to navigate through the world by being kind to others because she knows what it is like to not have a friend when you need one.
She immediately recognises that Warona is queer, but knows better than to out someone, so is patient with her, as she enjoys their friendship.
Kedibone helps Warona overcome her woes with her bully who is always tormenting her.
Kedibone tries to help build Warona's confidence and encourages her to audition for the drummies team and face Vuvu on the dance floor.
Season 8 Cast
(scroll to bottom for available actor bios)
Starring
Ayanda Makayi ... Sol
Dee Rasedile ... Thuli (as Dineo Rasedile)
Lobisa Tsatsi ... Azania
Alexander Adika ... Victor
Chidera Nwoha ... Khenzo
Palesa Mothopi ... Vuvu
Ziya Xulu ... Warona
Ayanda Nzimande ... Kedibone
Ayakha Ntunja ... Thembi
Zazi Kunene ... Nono
Tyson Mathonsi ... Snacks
Naret Loots ... Emma
Recurring / Guests
Josias Moleele ... Coach Sono
Nimrod Nkosi ... Blessing
Thuli Thabethe ... Nomazizi
Lerato Mvelase ... Mam'Grace
Alex Motswiri ... Robert (as Seiphemo Motswiri)
Baby Cele ... Aunt Julia
Leera Mthethwa ... Nurse Keitu
Sydney Gwadiso ... Mr Modise (as Sydney Thabo Gwadliso)
Aphelele Shezi ... Mbuso
Mamodibe Ramodibe ... Arabeng
Kgotso Molefe ... Thug
Omega Mncube ... Young Man 1
Simangaliso Zungu ... Young Man 2
Okahle Zuka ... Student 1
Silungile Ncube ... Drummie
Boiketlo Motheelane ... Drummie
Victoria Maake ... Drummie
Masego Mashele ... MC / Drummie
Naomi Ngubane ... Street Kid
Mandisa Sibanda ... Street Kid
Ayanda Mthunzi ... Fan
Shoki Mmola ... Nurse Tshepi
Kat Mohoaduba ... Pharmacist (as Katlego Mohoaduba)
Jet Novuka ... Mthunzi
Sana Mchunu ... Gogo (as Sannah Mcunu)
Tebogo Tsweu ... Themba
Ponakgatso Mhlongo ... Samke
Mellow ... Celebrity Guest (as Mellow and Sleazy)
Sleazy ... Celebrity Guest (as Mellow and Sleazy)
Zola Radebe ... Drummie
Unathi Radebe ... Drummie
Thando Dube ... Girl 1 / Thembi's Friend
Brenda Ntanza ... Miss Kunene
Aaron Molemo ... Mr Mthembu
Gcina Mdikane ... Guy #1
Ayanda Zweni ... Guy #2
Njabulo Menye ... Guy #3
Dineo Nthuthang ... Girl #1
Melusi Nhleko ... Sello
Pholosho Kupe ... Thabo
Lungisani Thusi ... Mandla
Sibongile Nojila ... Clinic Nurse
Toss ... Celebrity Guest
Mfundo Mthembu ... Friend #1
Ms Party ... Celebrity Guest
Gabriel Mini ... Principal Ndlovu
Wandise Samela ... Doctor
Sindi Khumalo ... Wannabe Girl
Siphamandla Nyembe ... Policeman #1
Thuso Nyelimane ... Team Coach #1
Bohlale Musungwini ... Team Coach #2
Kgadi Khumalo ... Warona Body Double