Nomzamo is a South African television sitcom produced by T.O.M. Pictures and Authentic Images which is a take on closing the generational gap between three generations of one family: a young mother (the title character), her father and her young son.
With the help of her friends, Michelle and Sthe, Nomzamo is raising her son into a young man and navigating the dating world as a single mother.
Nomzamo originally aired on SABC1 from 14 February, 2006 to 18 January, 2010. It later aired on SABC2. There are 39 half-hour episodes in three seasons. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 1 premiered on SABC2 on Tuesday 14 January 2014, at 19h00. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 13 episodes in the first season.
Season 1
Nomzamo is a fresh take on closing the generational gap between three generations of one family – a young mother (the title character), her father and her young son.
With the help of her friends, Michelle and Sthe, Nomzamo is raising her son into a young man while navigating the dating world as a single mother.
The cast includes Zinzile Zungu (Nomzamo), Treasure Tshabalala (Timothy Gumede), Glenn Masemola (Tshepo), Nkanyiso Bhengu (Sthembiso), Vatiswa Ndara (Gladys) and Mandisa Bardill (Michelle).
The producers are Akin Omotoso (Tom Pictures), Makhaola Ndebele (Authentic Images) and Motaung Borotho.
The first season was directed by Josias Moleele, with original score composed by Selaelo Selota.
Season 2
Nomzamo returns for a second 13-part season. The series centres around the life a single mom’s relationship with her young son and aging father.
Nomzamo (now played by Ayanda Ngubane, who replaces Zinzile Zungu) lives in Randburg in a townhouse that she shares with her son Tshepo (Glenn Masemola), who is in grade 5, and her father Timothy (Treasure Tshabalala), who has recently been widowed and is now living with them.
Also living in the same complex is Nomzamo's best friend Michelle (Mandisa Bardill) and friend Sthembiso (Nkanyiso Bhengu).
Nomzamo, Michelle and Sithembiso help and support each other through life’s difficulties. They also enjoy the pleasures of life together because they are “family”.
Nomzamo’s place is where everyone meets and hangs out, when they aren’t at work. Michelle is Tshepo’s godmother; she helps Nomzamo with raising him.
Sithembiso is convinced that what Nomzamo needs to complete her life, is a good man. He has made it his mission to hook her up in this regard.
The series explores issues of personal and family struggle; family relationships; friendships; generational differences; and everyday social challenges.
The cast includes Ayanda Ngubane (Nomzamo), Treasure Tshabalala (Timothy Gumede), Glenn Masemola (Tshepo), Nkanyiso Bhengu (Sthembiso), Thembsie Matu (Gladys) and Mandisa Bardill (Michelle).
Season 3
The third season of Nomzamo features a few changes, with Nomzamo's father leaving and her uncle Babo (Siphiwe Nkosi) making a grand entrance. Nomzamo’s brother Mdu (Matli Mohapeloa) also moves into the house.
Nomzamo (Ayanda Ngubane) is a single modern Zulu mother, caught up with the pressures of raising a young son and following a career in this rapidly globalising world.
Nomzamo lives in a townhouse complex North of Johannesburg. She seemingly came to Joburg seeking a new life for herself and her boy. But secretly, her sights were set a lot higher.
She came to Johannesburg determined to be an all-round achiever: Supermom, Accounting Wiz and Socialite of the Year.
But things haven’t been rosy in her big-city Paradise. Nomzamo has a very large extended family and it hasn’t taken long for them to make life in her complex... well... complex.
There is her maid - not blood - but certainly family. Gladys (Thembsie Matu) constantly keeps Nomzamo very, very real. Her sense that she is destined for greatness, her middleclass pretensions and any idea she may have that she is in charge are all bubbles that Gladys takes delight in bursting.
There is her half-brother, Mdu, a millstone around her neck, placed there by her father in the hope that she will get him to do something useful with his life.
This is a seemingly impossible task and more often than not he drags Nomzamo down the ladder rather than her managing to get him up it.
There is her uncle, Babo, who is not only a constant source of irritation and embarrassment in his job as Head Security Guard of her gated community, but also the all-seeing eye of the family hierarchy and there to keep her on the very straight and narrow path of family tradition.
And then there is her son, Tshepo (Glenn Masemola), on the cusp of teenagerdom, his hormones, pimples, and other sources of adolescent angst are poised to severely challenge Nomzamo’s idea that she is the perfect mother.
Of course, beyond family are the various friends and neighbours who make urban communal living, at best, ‘interesting’ and at worst, like one of those strange experiments involving a small cage and too many rats.
From the well-intentioned, like Sthembiso (Nkanyiso Bhengu) to the downright malicious, like Nomzamo’s arch-nemesis Pamela (Bubu Mazibuko), the Super Socialite - on the odd occasion where Nomzamo’s household isn’t causing mayhem, people on the other side of the fence are always ready to fill the vacuum.
The cast includes Ayanda Ngubane (Nomzamo), Thembsie Matu (Gladys), Glenn Masemola (Tshepo), Nkanyiso Bhengu (Sthembiso), Siphiwe Nkosi (Babo), Matli Mohapeloa (Mdu) and Bubu Mazibuko (Pamela).
Awards
The first season of Nomzamo received three nominations for the 2nd Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) Awards: Best Multi-Camera Team in a TV Comedy (Natalie Haarhoff), Best Art Direction in a TV Comedy (Martha Sibanyoni) and Best Music in a TV Comedy (Selaelo Selota).
Martha Sibanyoni won the Golden Horn for her category.
Seasons
Season 1 (13 episodes)
Channel: SABC1 | Premiere: 14 Feb 2006 | Finale: 9 May 2006 | Tue, 20h30
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 14 Jan 2014 | Finale: 8 Apr 2014 | Tue, 19h00
Season 2 (13 episodes)
Channel: SABC1 | Premiere: 31 Dec 2007 | Finale: 24 Mar 2008 | Mon, 19h00
Season 3 (13 episodes)
Channel: SABC1 | Premiere: 26 Oct 2009 | Finale: 18 Jan 2010 | Mon, 19h00