Thula's Vine is a South African television drama series which tells the story of a successful urban celebrity who encounters a fall from grace and returns to her roots to discover a passion for her birthright.
Thula (Renate Stuurman) is a charming, well-known radio personality who is living the life in Jozi. She is caught having a secret affair with a well-regarded, married politician and flees to her rural farm home to escape the escalating media scandal.
The owner of the farm, a white man, was her father, who had an affair with a local black woman and became pregnant with Thula. After many years of being away from home, Thula is now forced to face her estranged relationships with her older white sister, her activist black brother and her biological black mother.
To make matters worse, Thula learns that her older sister is planning on selling the family farm where she grew up and her older black brother is fighting the sale, claiming that the land belongs to the black community.
A bitter battle ensues between the farm owners and labourers and Thula is put in a difficult position of having to choose one side of her family over the other.
The series explores the topical theme of land ownership and rights, as well as themes that can be understood and related to by any South African such as sibling rivalry, parents and children struggling to understand each other, and family feuds that last generations.
The series stars Renate Stuurman as Thula, supported by Sivan Raphaely as Patricia, Wandile Molebatsi as Nkanyezi, Connie Chiume as Nothando, Nandi Nyembe as Ntombi, Martin Le Maitre as Gerard, Mary-Anne Barlow as Susanne, Emmanuel Castis as Jaco, Bontle Modiselle as Lindy and Yule Masiteng as Uncle Boy.
Thula's Vine is produced by Coal Stove Pictures. Directors include Mmabatho Montsho, Que Ntuli and Sello Letsatsi; the head writer is Busisiwe Ntintili. The music composer was Zethu Mashika.