A gripping new drama, Isibhamu is set to hit Mzansi Magic and take over the Sunday night 20:00 slot from 7 June 2026. Isibhamu is the story of a heartbroken young man, Siphamandla, played by Khojane Morai, who sets out on a mission to avenge his father’s murder, a decision that unleashes powerful and evil forces that could change the course of his life forever.
In his pursuit of justice, he comes into possession of a powerful gun possessed by an evil muthi spirit, which ignites a relentless thirst for vengeance. As the story unfolds, the gun makes its way through the community, possessing whoever comes into contact with it. Siphamandla must find a way to end the chaos it is causing, uncover his true identity, and find a way to calm or rid the cursed gun of its thirst for blood.
Isibhamu also stars Lerato Mokoka (Gomora), Ncibijana Madlala (Shaka Ilembe, Outlaws, Youngins), Nhlanhla Masiya (The Wife, The River), Duduzile Ngcobo, Elliot Makhubo (Legacy, The Queen) and Mazola Ntombela, with guest appearances from the likes of Zakhele Msibi (Isibaya), who reprises his role as Sunday Nkabinde.
Khojane speaks about his character and shares insights into the world of Isibhamu.
If Siphamandla could speak to his father one last time, what would he say?
“You should have told me the truth and let me decide. You shouldn’t have lied to me. Now that you’re gone, you’ve burned me with your lies.”
How does Siphamandla evolve from a grieving son into someone capable of confronting the supernatural forces threatening his world?
The turning point for Siphamandla is losing someone who truly loved him and would do anything for him – his father. The fact that they didn’t stop after killing his father but continued to come after his family changes everything.
Imagine your life being perfect and then, all of a sudden, one day it’s turned upside down. The people who protected you your entire life are nowhere to be found. What would you do? I think that’s where he evolves. He reaches a point where he says, ‘Let me stand on my own and fight for myself and the people who are closest to me now.’
Your love interest in this story is the lovely Lerato Mokoka, who plays the role of Naleli. Tell us about your working relationship with Lerato on set.
Lerato is an amazing person and she’s so funny. She has this sense of innocence that makes things interesting. She’s playful and always joking, which I really appreciate about her. She’s goofy, playful and a real people person. We started this project together and most definitely ended it on a high note. She truly is someone I’d want to work with over and over again.
What sets Siphamandla and Naleli’s love story apart from the many other love stories we’ve seen on TV?
I think what sets them apart is the contrast in their backgrounds. Siphamandla is a man who is deeply hurt and torn apart. His family is in shambles and then along comes this almost angelic-like woman who is a doctor and seemingly comes from a perfect background.
Despite Siphamandla’s imperfections, she chooses him. She looks beyond all the trauma, toxicity and violence that surround him. Naleli loves Siphamandla through all his chaos and his dark past.
Naleli wants Siphamandla to heal. She hears all these negative stories about him and his family that would easily have made another woman run for the hills, but despite that, she stands by him. Naleli views Siphamandla’s issues as a ‘we’ problem, and she is willing to tackle those challenges as a team. Through it all, that’s what I think sets this love story apart from many others.
Viewers haven’t seen the show yet. What do you think they’ll find most intriguing about the production?
The story is compelling because the foundation of the storyline doesn’t unfold only through me, but through the entire cast. We take viewers on a journey that explores the danger of this gun (Isibhamu) through multiple characters. Wherever this gun goes, it causes chaos and unfortunately, it moves around quite a lot. That elevates the intensity of the storyline with every character who comes into contact with it.
What are you working on besides your acting career?
I have a podcast called The Master Key, where I sit down with various storytellers and we dissect everything related to the film and television industry. It doesn’t end there. I’m also looking into making films and I’ve just launched a new clothing line in collaboration with Calibri Farri and Khojane Morai. We recently released a winter collection together. There’s a lot happening, but right now I’m really focusing on business.
In terms of television, people will still be seeing more of me on their screens. I’ve simply chosen to focus more on the business side of things because I believe this is the right time for me to do so.
Isibhamu premieres on Mzansi Magic and will occupy the Sunday night 20:00 slot from 07 June.
