Shaka iLembe season 3: Stunning first look at final chapter
Shaka iLembe season 3 will take South Africa’s priciest TV drama beyond the borders of the Zulu kingdom. Studiocanal released the first images from the final season this week, ahead of the isiZulu-language series’ international debut at MIPCOM in Cannes, France, later in October, Deadline reported Oct. 1.
The new season jumps ahead four years from the end of season 2, according to Deadline. Internationally, the show is being launched under the title “Shaka iLembe: Zulu King.”
What the Shaka iLembe season 3 first look shows
One image shows Lemogang Tsipa’s King Shaka kaSenzangakhona alone on an icy mountain, Deadline reported. Others show Nomzamo Mbatha’s Queen Nandi in tears, a burning village hut and a circle of Zulu men.
By season 3, Shaka rules the dominant power in Southern Africa, but British expansion and rising European influence create new threats from outside, according to Deadline. The story also widens to take in Moshoeshoe’s emerging Basotho Kingdom, King Faku’s Mpondo Kingdom and the Port Natal settlement.
New cast members
Four actors join the cast for the final run, per Deadline:
- Lerato Mvelase (“Justice Served,” “Marked”) as Queen Mpikase
- Aiden Scott (“One Piece”) as Henry Francis Fynn, a British trader who grows close to Shaka
- Conrad Kemp (“G20,” “Novocaine”) as Lt. Francis Farewell
- Wonder Ndlovu (“The Polygamist”) as Prince Mpande
Angus Gibson, whom Bomb Productions calls an Oscar-nominated director, has directed all three seasons.
Shaka iLembe season 3 release date
Shaka iLembe season 3 is coming “soon” to MultiChoice’s Mzansi Magic in Africa, Deadline reported, but no premiere date has been announced. MIPCOM runs Oct. 12-15 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, according to the Palais des Festivals.
Studiocanal is treating the show as a priority launch at the market after its parent company, Canal+, acquired MultiChoice last year, according to Deadline. The series has already reached French-speaking Africa through CanalAfrique+ Magic.
Why the final season matters
Deadline reported in 2025 that season 3 would be the show’s last. The drama, which follows Shaka’s rise in late-18th- and early-19th-century Africa, is South Africa’s most expensive TV drama and MultiChoice’s highest-rated original, according to the outlet. It also set a record for wins by a drama series in one year at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), taking 12 awards, including Best Drama Series.
“Shaka iLembe: Zulu King is proof of what African storytelling can achieve when it’s given the room to be ambitious, told at scale, and shared from the inside out,” said Mbatha, who is also an executive producer on the series, per Deadline.
Bomb Productions executive producer Desireé Markgraaf said making the show “has been a journey of more than 12 years for the Bomb creative team.”
Markgraaf also credited the show’s partners, M-Net, Studiocanal and Canal+, with making “this enormous undertaking possible.” Mbatha said she is most proud, as an executive producer, of “the series’ success at home and abroad, and of its real contribution to our creative economy.”
What Canal+ says about Shaka iLembe season 3
Anna Marsh, Studiocanal’s CEO and Canal+’s chief content officer, said the company was “incredibly proud” to bring the series to MIPCOM. “Our continued goal is to bring local stories to the world stage,” she said, per Deadline.
Nomsa Philiso, vice president of content at Canal+ Africa, called the international launch “an important moment not only for this extraordinary franchise, but for African storytelling as a whole.” She said MultiChoice has invested in local stories for decades because it believes “cultural authenticity and global appeal are not opposing ideas.”
Recent MIPCOM showcases have included “Boston Blue” and AMC’s “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.” For more series news, visit our TV & Streaming section.
Reporting from Deadline contributed to this story.