MTV Shuga: Down South World Premiere

The MTV Shuga: Down South world premiere hit Jozi in a BIG way, with the new season coming to your screens on the 8th March…

The fifth series of MTV Shuga is ready to take the world by storm. We have a host of new faces joining us in Mzansi to bring you our biggest season yet. Love, sex and relationships are all on the menu for the coming series, as well as MUCH MUCH MORE. We are bringing you 12 episodes filled with drama, action and lust. Don’t say we didn’t warn you fam. MTV Shuga: Down South premieres on Wednesday 8th March on MTV Base (SA) at 21:30 CAT and on MTV Base (ROA) at 22:05 WAT.

The new season will be set in our characters’ homes, the local parks, cafes and hangouts of the made-up township of ‘Zenzele’, as well as real-life Braamfontein. Keeping true to the previous instalments of MTV Shuga, we are bringing you powerful, modern and REAL story lines, as well as the hottest actors and musicians Africa has to offer.

MTV Shuga: Down South, directed by Mmabatho Montsho, Thabang Moleya and Rea Rangaka, focuses on the issues faced by young South Africans, with young girls and women in particular occupying our focus, due to their vulnerability to pregnancy and HIV infection. The stories don’t stop there though, and series five is filled to the brim with interweaving stories of heartbreak, love, betrayal and difficult decisions affecting South Africa’s youth. Wait fam, there’s more. We’ll be tackling the issue of ‘blessers’, living with HIV and topics concerning young members of the LGBT community.

You already know that the Shugafam roll deep, but here’s a little reminder in case you forgot…

MTV Shuga: Down South will be bringing in musical forces, Seyi Shay, Fifi Cooper and Kwesta for cameo appearances on the new show. Some old faces will be hitting us up too, with Mohau Cele returning as dissatisfied school girl ‘Bongi’. Emmanuel Ikubese is back as the one and only ‘Femi’, who is chasing his dreams of being the best music promoter in town whilst living with HIV. Our boy since day dot, Nick Mutuma, is back too as good kid gone bad, ‘Leo’. Vanessa Mdee plays “Storm”, wife to Clint Brink’s ‘Rakeem‘.

Other key roles are played by Adesua Etomi, Thuso Mbedu, Jezriel Skei, Lerato Walaza, Given Stuurman, Samkelisiwe Makhoba, Stephanie Sandows, S’thandiwe Kgoroge, Phila Mazibuko, Ayanda Makayi, Graeme Kriega, Lehlohonolo Makoko, Nqobile Sipamla, Thembsie Matu and Winnie Ntshaba.

Not only will the stunning visuals, dope music, and powerful storylines have you hooked, but by putting a spotlight on real issues that affect real people, MTV Shuga: Down South is looking to give us all an insight into the challenges people face.

You can catch the new series every week on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322). The series will subsequently air on BET (DStv channel 129), other networks including BET International (UK/France), and third party broadcasters including SABC (South Africa), NTA (Nigeria), Citizen TV (Kenya), KBC (Kenya), GHONE (Ghana), RTNC (DRC), Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation (Tanzania), NBS TV (Uganda), African Movie Channel US (USA), and TV Brasil (Brazil).

We’re also coming at you with a 15-part radio series, which will run alongside our TV series, peer educator programme, comic book, audience polling, consumer helplines, mobile information service, social media and other digital platforms. We are going IN!

Fam, we’re not done yet.

We have teamed up with MTV Base once again to produce a special, one-off episode of ‘16 and Pregnant’. Running alongside the new drama series, ‘MTV Shuga Presents 16 and Pregnant’ will follow the stories of three pregnant South African teens in an hour-long documentary, as they deal with the everyday challenges facing young people, whilst also having a baby on the way. The show will go out on MTV Base (SA) on Wednesday 15th June 2017 at 21:30 CAT and MTV (SA) on Wednesday 12th July at 21:15 CAT.

If you want to keep up-to-date with all things MTV Shuga then check out our website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, using the hashtag #MTVShugaDS.

Not long now Shugafam…