As one of the standout stars of the youth-driven drama Youngins, Kealeboga Masango (Buhle) reflects on the impact of the show and what fans can expect from her character and the new season.
In Season 3, Youngins will unravel Buhle’s vulnerability, personal battles, and the unfiltered truth of growing up. Catch Youngins’ final season on Showmax, with three episodes dropping weekly.
Watch launch trailer HERE
What kind of impact do you believe Youngins has on young audiences across South Africa?
The show has had a really positive impact. It’s not just fun and vibrant – it’s educational too. It highlights real-life situations that many young people have experienced. And for those who haven’t, it helps them understand and maybe even avoid certain challenges.
But what I think is really interesting is how adults have reacted to the show. Their keen interest in what’s happening in high schools these days, when watching Youngins, either came as a shock or turned into something meaningful, where they actually sat down with their teens and started conversations about everything affecting them. And I think that’s so important, because these days, kids are basically raised by their phones and whatever they see on social media. So if Youngins is influencing parents to just pause and have one-on-one convos with their kids, then honestly, Youngins has done its job.
What excites you most about the upcoming season of Youngins, especially in relation to your character, Buhle?
This season, we really get to see more sides to Buhle. In Seasons 1 and 2, she was mostly either hot or cold – there was no in-between. But now, we’re peeling back all her layers. Season 3 shows Buhle in her most vulnerable moments. Things seriously start falling apart for her as she tries to find an outlet and a new sense of purpose.
What also excites me about Buhle this season is that she has to navigate some really tough decisions. But in true Olifants 5 spirit, you’ll see the gang rallying behind her and supporting her through it all.
In Season 2, Buhle found herself losing Khaya and moving right into the arms of Mahlatse. Without giving too much away, what does Season 3 look like in the relationship department for Buhle?
Yoh! Let’s just say, relationship-wise kubi [it’s bad] for Buhle. Shame, I really feel for her because at one point you think things are going well and then BOOM! Everything takes a sharp left turn. Honestly, there’s only one sentence to describe her love life in Season 3: A HOT MESS!
Speaking of rocky relationships, Buhle and Amo have also had a crazy friendship. How will the sisterhood unravel this season?
Yeah, so in Season 1, those two had a really rocky start. Buhle was the “it” girl at school, and Amo was the new pretty girl, which caused a lot of friction. I mean, the girlies even got into a full-on physical fight. But somehow, they’ve always managed to find common ground, even though they’ve both kissed each other’s boyfriends – even though Buhle took it up a notch by sleeping with Mahlatse.
So in Season 3, I wouldn’t say they become besties, but they definitely become a support system for each other. I mean, they’ve got a court case looming, so they have to stick together no matter what. At some point, they were sworn enemies, but this season definitely shows that now, more than ever, they’ve got no choice but to lean on each other.
What kept you awake while filming this season?
Honestly, the set environment was amazing. The makeup department, for example, always kept our energy up. On days when we were tired, we supported and motivated each other to give our best. Even when someone was running on empty, we pushed through and kept it fun. What made it even better is that we’re all around the same age, so we really clicked and brought our characters to life, even on the difficult days.
Stream Youngins S3 now on Showmax, with three new episodes landing every week. You can also binge-watch S1-2 on Showmax.
