Awash with raw emotions, Black Gold a love letter to storytelling
Oh, honey, hold onto your weaves because BET Africa’s Black Gold is serving drama hotter than a Joburg summer! Premiering on DStv Channel 129 at 6:30pm, this telenovela is already the talk of the town, and Shwa’s got the tea steaming and unfiltered.
The buzz around Black Gold kicked off with a star-studded launch event on Wednesday, August 13, hosted by BET Africa and Black Brain.
Black Gold is a gripping telenovela co-produced by Mandla N’s acclaimed Black Brain Pictures, set against the gritty backdrop of KwaZulu-Natal’s sugarcane fields and illegal mining world.
The story follows Amandla Zungu, portrayed by the radiant Nomalanga Shozi in her first lead role, a principled woman falsely accused of her father Bhekumbuso Zungu’s (Ernest Ndlovu) murder and cast out by her scheming stepmother, Florence, played by the iconic Dawn Thandeka King.
Florence is serving villain vibes so wicked, you’ll be clutching your pearls!
Add in Sello Maake KaNcube as her shady lover, Tom Motsepe, a mining magnate with a dangerous past, and you’ve got a recipe for -chaos that’s spicier than a bunny chow.
The cast? Darling, it’s a Mzansi all-star team! Warren Masemola plays the dangerous rebel leader Kotsi, while Thulani Mtsweni grounds the drama as the loyal Majika. Big Brother Mzansi season 5 winner Sweet Guluva (Akhonamathemba Mbele) makes his acting debut, sparking mixed reactions. Some fans are cheering his leap into the screen, while others on X are side-eying, whispering it’s more about fame than talent.
Newcomers such as Ashleigh Herman as the mysterious Starlight and Zinhle Sithole as the sharp-tongued Abongwe add fresh flavour, while Mbali Ngiba from The Real Housewives of Durban brings her signature sass.
Zamani Mbatha, fresh off his hailed performance in Shaka iLembe, rounds out this powerhouse ensemble.
With KwaZulu-Natal’s Empangeni township and Richards Bay as the backdrop, Black Gold is a love letter to African storytelling; think raw emotion, cultural pride, and women who fight back.
Series creator Nomfundo Dlamini sums it up: “Black Gold asks what happens when a woman stripped of everything becomes a force to be reckoned with.”
Airing Monday to Thursday at 6:30pm with repeats at 9:30pm on DStv Channel 129, Black Gold is poised to be a glittering hit, dripping with drama and Mzansi magic.
Grab your popcorn, silence your phone, and let’s see who betrays who next.
Spill your thoughts: will Amandla rise or burn?
Shwashwi’s watching.
