From left to right: Don Mosenye, Paballo Khoza, Xoli Zondi, David Dennis, Sive Mabuya and Austin Shandu.
A new drama series called Easy Money premieres on e.tv once Z'bondiwe ends and it has a unique ka-ching to it.
It premieres on Tuesday, 12 September at 21h30 and centres round a school teacher who falls victim to a pyramid scheme.
Xoli Zondi (Generations, Family Bonds, Greed & Desire) stars as Khosi, a conscientious teacher who needs to make an extra buck. She gets involved with a pyramid scheme called Pharaoh Holdings and her life spirals into chaos.
The series is produced by Quizzical Pictures (Rhythm City, iNumber Number) and is inspired by real life Ponzi schemes that have seen South Africans lose millions.
Stylistically, the series is wrapped in a narration by Khosi's son Moagi (played by Paballo Khoza) who shares Khosi's story as an observer and someone who is directly impacted by the consequences of her decisions.
Other starring cast include Sive Mabuya (High Rollers, Scandal!), Connie Chiume (Rhythm City, Yizo Yizo) Noxee Maqashalala (Tsha Tsha), David Dennis (Soul City, Soul Buddyz), Don Mosenye (Rhythm City, Generations), Andrea Dondolo (Home Affairs, Stokvel) and Austin Shandu (Intersexions, Mfolozi Street).
Here's a close-up on the characters they play:
Khosi (Xoli Zondi)
Khosi is a 34-year-old history teacher, wife to Justice and Moagi’s mother. She is a proud woman who does good and likes to be recognised for it.
Her standing in the community is important to her and wants to live her #bestlife in all aspects of her life from work, to family and socially. But Khosi’s pride is also her undoing as she does not manage well when her own faults become apparent to her.
Leano (Austin Shandu)
Leano is a 34-year-old professional scammer. He has never had an honest job and has made a living going from scam to scam. His charming nature makes him very good at manipulation and he knows how to get his way.
Leano has been employed by Mr. Eddy (David Dennis) to be the face of the Pharaoh Holdings
investment scheme and he plays his part to a tee.
Justice (Don Mosenye)
Justice is 36, Khosi’s car salesman husband. Justice is a man who enjoys the finer things in life and loves to be seen as successful. He is highly aspirant and has no issue with living beyond his means if it makes him look good.
He is a good father to his son, Moagi but as a husband he is less attentive and tender, even though he truly loves his wife. He has a penchant for luxury cars and tends to get them in a financial bind.
Dipuo (Sive Mabuya)
Dipuo (30) is a well-put-together and attractive estate agent, who has found her way into the world of the pyramid scheme, thanks to Leano taking her under his wing.
Her background and property sales makes her a great salesperson and she accepts the job of being a ‘fisher’ for the scheme. She enjoys the perks of the job (nice house, nice car, good money).
Gloria (Connie Chiume)
Khosi’s work colleague, Gloria is a maths teacher who invests her retirement money in the scheme. She is no stranger to these sorts of schemes, having invested in Miracle 2000 and MMM and both times got out ahead of the crash.
Zee (Noxee Maqashalala)
Zee (40) is Khosi’s older sister. She works as a cashier at the local superette. A fun-loving, glamorous woman who likes the good life, Zee isn’t good at taking responsibility.
She is desperate to get her mother’s approval but is often her own undoing as she very rarely sticks to her word or sees anything through.
Moagi (Paballo Khoza)
Moagi (12) is Justice and Khosi’s son who is on the Autism Spectrum. He attends school in Mondeor where his mother teaches and he struggles socially. He is sensitive to strangers and does not fare well with a change in routine and new spaces.
Moagi has an above average affinity for numbers and is something of a number genius. His creative outlet is drawing, which he uses to create animated flip books to express his thoughts and emotions
Johanna (Andrea Dondolo)
Johanna is a domestic worker in Bassonia. She is a bossy woman who commands the respect of the other domestic workers, her virtual minions. She holds a position of power and wields it with pleasure.
As the treasurer of the domestic workers’ Stokvel, Johanna rules with a stern hand. But she will be tested when her know-it-all ways backfire and she finds herself at the mercy of her minions.
Real world stuff
Hawks probe MMM ‘pyramid’ scheme
R3m a day for Miracle kingpin