In her storied career, Desireé Markgraaff has produced some of SA’s most popular TV shows, which have won at the Emmys and Sundance (Amandla!), the Venice Film Festival (Yizo Yizo), and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award (Shuga). She’s created shows that have won more Saftas than would fit on the biggest shelf — including 27 for Isibaya alone — and has produced more than 70 video installations at the Apartheid Museum.
But Markgraaff’s crowning achievement is co-creating and producing Shaka iLembe, Google’s most-searched TV series in SA in 2023, which set the Safta record for the most Drama category wins ever in a year in 2024.
Now in its second season, Shaka iLembe continues to captivate audiences as new episodes drop every Sunday on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) — but Markgraaff reveals that making the newest chapter of this epic show was not without its challenges.
“We had a fantastic launch pad from season 1, which set us up well for the second season, but we had to scale up everything dramatically and it was hard,” says Markgraaff.
She says most of the sets, which were made out of natural materials, had to be rebuilt, so a year and a half between shoots took its toll. Similarly, the wardrobe couldn’t just be reused because the cast grew so much in season 2.
The biggest learning curve were the practical HR challenges.
“We created over 8,000 jobs on season 1 and more than 16,000 jobs on season 2. When you partner with so many people, it’s challenging to understand all of their dynamics,” says Markgraaff.
“And with all the extras, there could be a thousand people on the set on any given day. So just managing those logistics was challenging. How do you feed everyone and make sure you have enough toilets?”
At night, poachers would come in. Our stuff was being stolen ... even big, heavy things, like the lighting rigs you’d been planning on using the next morning. So, we really had to roll with the punches
— Desireé Markgraaff, co-creator and producer of Shaka iLembe
In addition, the weather was challenging. “We were working in the winter because in the summer there are snakes and it’s too hot for people to be out in the sun wearing very little: your skin is going to get burnt. But it was very hard in the winter, again because people are wearing very little, so how do you keep them warm?”
Shooting in a wildlife sanctuary had its surprises, too. “At night, poachers would come in. Our stuff was being stolen ... even big, heavy things, like the lighting rigs you’d been planning on using the next morning. So, we really had to roll with the punches.”
Most people would struggle to do that, especially with the weight of Mzansi Magic’s biggest-ever budget hanging over them, and the pressure to live up to the success of the first season of Shaka iLembe.
For Markgraaff, the key to managing the stress was remembering her purpose. “The purpose of the series is so much larger and more important than any given thing that is happening in a day. Everybody in the making of that show understood that we were doing something important. None of us came to that show saying it’s just another TV series. We all understood that what we’re trying to do is to bring a really important history to life for future generations, for our kids. When you can remember why you’re doing this and why it matters, that gives you the courage to push through the tough things.”
She also acknowledges the people around her. “We had an unbelievable team, so the stress was shared. It’s like Shaka — when he went into battle, it wasn’t him alone. He had great people around him, and that’s why he commanded so effectively. That’s why we celebrate [characters like] Ngomane [Shaka’s right-hand man], Nandi [Shaka’s mother], and Mkabayi [a visionary strategist and kingmaker] in Shaka iLembe.
“No great feat is accomplished without multiple hands — including our amazing directors, Angus Gibson, Adze Ugah, Zeno Petersen and Catherine Stewart, my co-executive producers Nomzamo Mbatha and Nhlanhla Mtaka, and our world-class crew and cast. We also had a good relationship with our client, Mzansi Magic. We were completely aware of the massive risk they were taking on their side, so we were extremely grateful.”
The captivating finale of Shaka iLembe season will air on Sunday August 31 at 8pm only on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) and DStv Stream. Missed an episode of this epic series? View it on Catch Up.
This article was sponsored by Mzansi Magic.
