Connie Ferguson, Clint Brink and Malik Yoba on raising the stakes in 'Kings of Jo'burg' season 3
Connie Ferguson stars as Veronica Masire in Netflix's "Kings of Joburg". She also served as its executive producer. Picture: Supplied/Netflix
Image: Supplied/Netflix
The third season of the Netflix series 'Kings of Jo'burg' has finally arrived after a long wait from fans.
Season three features an impressive all-cast that includes Zolisa Xaluva, Connie Ferguson, Abdul Khoza, Maurice Paige, Cindy Mahlangu, Llewelyn Cordier, Altovise Lawrence, Keenan Arrison and Enyinna Nwigwe.
The third season is joined by renowned actor Clint Brink and American actor Malik Yoba.
'This season was a big task, coming from two successful seasons. We wanted to make season three even bigger, even better and that's a huge responsibility.
'We had to get the best of the best in cast, crew, and even the right pocket to do it cinematically," said Ferguson who is also the executive producer of 'Kings of Jo'burg'.
The cast of season three of "Kings of Jo'burg" at the premiere hosted in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Image: Timothy Bernard/ Independent Newspapers
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Cordier excitedly admitted how he couldn't stop reading the script after getting the email "I was late for a client meeting because I was reading it on my phone and needed an hour just to sit and finish it. It was that gripping," he said.
Brink was just as excited after reading the script and wanted to jump straight into shooting. 'It's ballsy, it's gutsy, it's brave, it's courageous, and the execution went along with the visions.'
The new season explores several themes, family, mystical, kingdom and legacy and as actors they need to serve the characters to their best to bring all those elements together.
Brink explained that if you serve the truth of your character and story and play things truthfully, things align.
'All you can control is being present in the moment, after that, it's in the hands of editing, PR, and marketing.
'Everyone came with a really honest, sincere, heartfelt, intentional, loaded performance, you know, with dynamic and range of variety, and made it special.
Paige revealed that the show's sauce is putting a lot of heavyweight actors in one show.
'There's no one person in South Africa, in Nigeria, or the whole of Africa – or even internationally – who won't see and feel this."
Collaboration was a word the entire cast echoed at the 'Kings of Jo'burg' press junket, with the actors all being able to come together and understand the main goal of delivering a great project.
"We were really, hard on this, but the teamwork made the dream work. After shoots, we'd get together, print out scenes, and brainstorm. So when you got to set, you were already in the moment," said Cordier.
Yoba joined the cast, can only be described as serendipity, while he watched the first season and during his trip to the country in 2024, through his connection with American film producer and director Samad Davis, who is also an executive producer of 'Kings of Jo'burg'.
"It all felt divine. I came here to screen a documentary on real estate, and somehow ended up in 'Kings of Jo'burg.' This was bigger than just doing a job, it was about connection, community, and purpose."
'Kings of Jo'burg' also delivers a product that showcases South Africa, especially Jo'burg, in an interesting light.
'It's beautiful to see how the execution is coming up at a time where we can project that quality, that beauty, that excellence to the world from South Africa.
'It shows how we can collaborate, having Nigerian, South African, and African-American actors, proving we can be connected globally through storytelling,' said Nwigwe.
With prison seasons also included in the third season viewers get to see another side to the ruthless world of the 'Kings of Jo'bug'. Khoza says that this element pushed him as an actor and left him with goosebumps.
'Each challenge brought about an opportunity to learn, to feed off the cast that was there and, you know, the safety of the crew was there and all that allowed you to be at your best at any moment,' said Khoza.
'Kings of Jo'burg' was the creation of late actor Shona Ferguson. His wife Connie opened up about being in a much stronger place than she was when she was filming season two.
'Season two was hard, losing him (Shona) between two and three meant rewriting everything. But for season three, I was more intentional. There's a legacy to uphold, and I believe he's smiling, proud of what we've done.'
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