By Tamlyn Canham
Local telenovela, ‘Isibaya’, wrapped up its final day of shooting this week. It was an emotional farewell for the cast and crew.
“I have met some absolutely beautiful people on this journey. And I am grateful for every last one of you,” Chris Q. Radebe, who plays Dabula, wrote on Instagram.
M-Net officials confirmed in January that the show had been cancelled after eight years on our TV screens. The show reportedly experienced a drop in ratings in 2020.
But ‘Isibaya’ is going out with a bang. The latest ratings showing it is one of the top 10 most watched shows on DStv.
Fun facts about the ‘Isibaya’ cast
Chris shared some interesting details about his journey on the drama series. He revealed that before joining the cast, he worked as a writer on the show.
“What many will not know is that I was one of the writers of the second season of the show in 2014. Yes, you heard right. I was just a writer then, still wet behind the ears.
“Four years later, Bomb calls me in and offers me the role of Dabula. I thought I was dreaming. I must have asked Angus about 5 times if he was sure I was gonna be able to play the role. I hadn’t acted before,” he said.
Chris had just 400 followers on Instagram at the time, but thanks to his appearance on the show, he now has more than 170,000.
READ: Isibaya’s Ayanda Borotho anchors township entrepreneurship
A trip down memory lane
Actress Zinhle Mabena also got emotional taking a trip down memory lane.
She shared a picture of herself with former cast member Andile Gumbi. Andile passed away in October 2019 after suffering a heart attack.
“What an emotional time… The picture that changed my life, the beginning of a beautiful story of a dream finally being lived… I remember watching season1 of Isibaya and thinking “boy oh boy Id love to be a part of that magic” little did I know that, that dream would become a reality…” she said.
Zinhle added that her character helped her become a better actress.
“What an emotional time… The picture that changed my life, the beginning of a beautiful story of a dream finally being lived… I remember watching season1 of Isibaya and thinking “boy oh boy Id love to be a part of that magic” little did I know that, that dream would become a reality…”
Aubrey Poo joined the cast less than a year ago, but still managed to build lifelong friendships.
“It’s been 18months of patience, passion, love, frustration and ultimately a commitment to storytelling for the end client… you our viewers. Thanks for the love and truth via Twitter. I’ve made some friendships and connections on this production I can never walk away from in this short time.”
Here’s a look at what the rest of the cast and crew had to say.


