Growing pains
After a four-year hiatus, Single Galz returns for a second season of romance, bromance and adulthood.
Season 2 Mondays (from 5 February) SABC1 (*191) 19:30
Girls just want to have fun, but if your apartment is in the heart of Joburg, that “fun” feels a lot like responsibility. And that’s the main theme as Single Galz (2014- current) pops up for season 2. “It’s all about ‘adulting’ this time,” explains producer Harriet Gavshon. “It’s a term you’ll hear a lot in the season. It’s defined as the stage between life-as-you-know-it and what will later be known as ‘real life’.” For 20-something flatmates Nompendulo (Nomtha Zikalala), Ivy-Ella (Swankie Mafoko) and newcomer Mimi (Lehlohonolo Hloni Padi), they’ll decide over the course of 13 episodes if they could commit to a relationship, commit to being non- committal, or just hope that romance and adulating will find them along the way. “The possibilities are endless and they explore them all. But the fact that they live together, sharing 80% of their waking life with and around each other can make their lives collide in disastrously funny ways,” teases Harriet.
CASTING RECALL
The comedy did a revamp for season 2, with only Sis Pinky (Linda Sebezo), building caretaker Anthony (Warren Masemola), hustler SK (Tumi Matila) and local bar lady Charlie (Altovise Lawrence) returning. “Single Galz is a companion series to Single Guyz (2013-2017) and viewers will recognise them from the crossover. The shows take place in the same building, where the stories are about the inhabitants. We tie into season 1 of Single Galz with them,” adds Harriet.
FLATMATES
The three “galz” at the heart of this season are all new. “In staying true to the issues that confront our characters and the world they inhabit, we reali- sed that our cast would need to stay in their early 20s and it’s on this basis that we did a recast,” explains Harriet. Nomtha adds that her character Nompendulo is ambitious but “only wants to work for top companies and that’s why she’s jobless”. For Swankie her character Ivy-Ella “is a hipster who was adopted by a white hippy family”, and Lehlohonolo “is a fashionista and always on top of the latest trends”.
GOOD NEIGHBOURS
Tich (Siyabonga Sepotokele, Lehasa in Keeping, 2016- current; see p21) is Nompendulo’s businessman fiancé. “But he tries too hard to succeed and the wedding planning serves as the catalyst that throws Nompendulo on a journey of selfdiscovery,” warns Harriet. Margaret (Mentiwe Ngcobo-Mlobela) is Tich’s 40-something mom who interferes in his life. Molefi (Tefo Magengenene, Sello in drama Bedford Wives, 2017- current) is the girls’ favourite IT guy who knows how to press all of their buttons thanks to his good looks. And rounding off the circle of friends is hairstylist Duna (Kuthula Magubane, Malibongwe in drama Is’thunzi, 2016- current).
BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL
When season 1 ended in 2014 and a renewal didn’t happen immediately, Linda and Warren made sure that they had other shows to keep them busy. Linda had roles on shows like comedy Skwizas (2010-2017) in 2016 and teen sitcom Thandeka’s Diary (2016- current) and admits that she prayed for a second season. “I love comedy so much and Single Galz is such an amazing show.” Warren danced to a different tune and swapped comedy for dance drama as MaFred in Tjovitjo (2017- current; see more on p36).