Story audio is generated using AI
Hlengiwe Lushaba-Madlala plays matriarch MaMbokazi in the new telenovela Kwa Baba. Set to premiere in June, the Mzansi Magic daily drama features an ensemble cast of Vuyo Biyela, Rorisang Mohapi-Grootboom, Lindani Nkosi, Kwanele Mthethwa, Nkanyiso Mzimela, Helen Lebepe, Mpho J Molepo, and Phumzile Mlangeni. She tells Sowetan what to expect:
Who is MaMbokazi?
She is a woman of prayer, first and foremost. But she is also a woman with a past she has not fully dealt with. That is the tension of her life. On the outside, she is respected; she is stable; she is a leader. But inside, she is carrying a lot more than people see.
What makes her complex?
It’s the contradiction. She is deeply faithful, but that faith is also where she hides. She is trying to rebuild herself through prayer, but sometimes prayer becomes a shield instead of a healing space. So, she is constantly living between who she is and who she is trying to become. She is not perfect. She makes decisions that come from fear, survival and trying to protect her family. People will recognise that. We all know women who carry everything for everyone else, even when they are breaking inside.
What is Kwa Baba about?
It’s about belonging. That’s the word that kept coming up. Everyone in this story is trying to belong somewhere: in their family, identity, truth... but belonging is not simple when there are secrets involved.
How is it like working with this cast?
Everyone is still discovering the story, so there’s this shared energy of “What happens next?” Working with Lindani, Vuyo, Rorisang, Mpho, Helen… the whole cast, actually, has been great because we are all building chemistry in real time. It feels fresh but also very grounded.
How does it feel filming in Soweto?
It adds so much authenticity and more of that culture. We are in the heart of Msawawa, Diepkloof Extension, and not just pretending to be there. Soweto is layered. It’s not what people assume from the outside. Being there helps us understand the characters better because we are living in their environment.
Every role I’ve played has...taught me something different.
— Hlengiwe Lushaba-Madlala
Which of your past roles has been a standout?
I can’t pick a favourite. Every role I’ve played has come into my life in a different season, and each one has taught me something different. I don’t see any of them as “better” than the others. They all add something to who I am as an actress and as a person.
What have your characters taught you?
They’ve taught me empathy. When you step into character work, you stop looking at people at surface level. You start understanding why people make the choices they make. Even with MaMbokazi, I find myself thinking about how much pain can sit behind the image of strength. And that changes how you see the world.
Lindani Nkosi played your husband in My Brother’s Keeper; now you are enemies. What is that like?
It’s very interesting. It’s a complete shift in energy. But that’s what makes it exciting — we already understand each other’s rhythm, so now we get to explore a totally different dynamic, which is so exciting.
