Showmax has announced that the TV adaptation of Dudu Busani-Dube’s popular book series, “Hlomu: The Wife”, will hit the streaming site on November 11.
The streaming service released new information about the show, including the highly anticipated cast announcement of who would play the fan-favourite Zulu brothers.
“Hlomu: The Wife” is a romantic dramedy about a journalist who meets a taxi driver, falls in love and they quickly get married. But she doesn’t realise that he is not just a driver – he co-owns a taxi empire with his brothers and they are secretly wealthy.
But she also soon realises that in order to be in the family, she has to turn a blind eye to a many things the brothers need to do to stay ahead in the taxi industry.
Themed after each brother’s wife or lover, the books follow the lives of the eight Zulu brothers, a formidable crime family, through the eyes of the wives they marry.
The book series has become a cult classic, with follow-up books being quickly devoured by fans, and made Busani-Dube one of the most successful self-published authors in the country.
The adaptation comes after years of fans asking the author to sell the rights to a production company and produce a live action series or film. Finally it happened, as Showmax stepped up.
Showmax commissioned three seasons of 40 episodes each, inspired by Dudu’s books “Hlomu: the Wife”, “Zandile the Resolute”, and “Naledi His Love” respectively.
When the news was announced of a “The Wife” telenovela based on the “Hlomu: the Wife” book, fans immediately took to social media to offer their casting suggestions for the lead roles of Hlomu and Mqhele.
Now Showmax has confirmed that Mqhele will be played by Bonko Khoza, who burst on to the acting scene as Jabz in the multi-award-winning 2015 film directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, “Necktie Youth”, and has since appeared in the likes of “Professionals” and the Emmy-nominated “Roots”.
The other actors who bagged roles in the series as the beloved Zulu Brothers are Kwenzo Ngcobo as Qhawe; Sipho Ndlovu as Sambulo; Safta winner Abdul Khoza as Nqoba; Mondli Makhoba as Nkosana; Safta nominee Thulane Nkululeko Shange as Mqoqi; Ishmauel Songo as Mpande; and Swelihle Luthuli (eHostela) as Ntsika.
“The Wife” is being produced by Stained Glass, who’ve created Safta-winning shows like “eHostela” and “Ifalakhe” as well as “Durban Gen” and “Uzalo”, South Africa’s most-watched soap opera.
“The Showmax series expands on the world created in the novel,” says Busani-Dube in a statement.
“For fans of ’Hlomu: the Wife’, who know all the scenes and the lines, be prepared for new experiences and surprises on screen.”
The first three episodes of “The Wife” from 11 November 2021, with three new episodes added every Thursday.