Get the show on the road
New drama series Ingozi brings lives together in a tragic way thanks to a shocking traffic accident.
Ingozi Season 1 Sundays (from 12 February) SABC1 (*191) 19:30
The path leading us through life may not always be clear, but in SABC1 drama Ingozi (2017- current), the one thing that is certain is that it’s going to be a dangerous journey. Things go pear-shaped for three young students whose evening is filled with “ingozi”, the isiZulu word meaning “danger”. The events that unfold in the first episode on Sunday 12 February will see Zikhona (Lunathi Mampofu), Sizwe (Wiseman Mncube) and Dali’s (Senzo Radebe) lives altered and their families dragged into the mess. “We are all affected by horrible road accidents,” says Ingozi producer Duma Ndlovu, who adds that the show’s production team took this specific storyline because “it hits close to home and we’ve tried to make it relatable for our audience”. Duma says that the show isn’t just about drama though – it’s got an educational aspect and is “very similar to the format of iconic drama show Soul City (1994- current). It aims to entertain and educate the viewers about incidents that have never been formally addressed”.
SAFETY FIRST
But with a topic like car accidents comes extensive research and Ingozi’s production team drew inspiration from their own life experiences. Getting the show on South Africa TV screens was a learning curve in itself, adds Duma. “We spoke directly with the Road Traffic Management Corporation and thought of characters from our own lives. That was important in telling a story about one of South Africa’s biggest killers.” When it comes to this show, the team wanted to change lives and make the audience aware of this streetwise matter but it wasn’t easy. “It was like we were on a battlefield [Laughs]. The production fought for long hours but the passion kept us going,” Duma adds. When it comes to the cast, the show isn’t star-studded and Ingozi’s producer reveals that it was intentional – “We didn’t want to take away the importance of road safety and fatalities with big celebrities, so we decided to give other people a chance and introduce new characters to TV screens.”
THE DRIVING FORCE
Zikhona (Lunathi Mampofu) is a young and enthusiastic student living her dream. She is voted as the student body president at her varsity and wants to tell her mom the news in person but the accident stops her in her tracks.
Magotso (Mmabatho Mogomotsi) is Zikhona’s domestic-worker mom who struggles to make ends meet. The thought of her daughter becoming a successful chef spurs her on.
Sizwe (Wiseman Mncube) is starting fresh. He’s finally getting the hang of being a taxi driver and the night changes his life in a big way, as well as his newfound career path.
Dali (Senzo Radebe) is reckless and this student has a “forever-young” spirit. On the night of the accident, he goes out with his friends and a few girls from campus. When they run out of alcohol, Dali wants to impress his new squeeze but he’s too drunk to focus of what’s happening on the road ahead.