Chat with 'Kings of Joburg' cast members about new season
The stakes are higher, and family bonds are tested like never before in the explosive third season of Kings of Joburg, which premiered on Friday, 13 June.
The new season sees the Masire family maintain their grip on Johannesburg's criminal underworld, but a deadly curse and rising betrayals threaten their empire.
With new characters, expanded settings, and elevated stakes, the cast says audiences are in for the most thrilling ride yet.
We caught up with cast members Thembi Seete (Keneilwe Masire), Zolisa Xaluva (Mo Masire), and Sindi Mahlangu (Phumzi) to hear what excites them most about the new season – and how their characters have evolved.
'I'm really excited to see both worlds come together — Joburg and Cape Town — as well as the collaboration of incredible actors from different parts of the world.
'When I first read the script, I thought, 'Oh, we have a good story,' and with the other characters' worlds and how the story played out, I was really excited for them,' Seete told The Citizen.
Season three takes viewers deeper into the supernatural and criminal elements that define the Masire family saga, with new characters and expanded locations bringing fresh energy to the storyline.
For Xaluva, who plays family patriarch Mo Masire, the thrill lies in the complexity and visual scale of this season.
'It's a strong, clear story — dynamic, constantly evolving. From a visual point of view, we would say it's a heightened, cinematic offering — far superior to anything we have done so far. We had two directors of photography, one shooting in Joburg and the other in Cape Town. It's an exhibition of South African technical brilliance.'
Mahlangu, who returns as Pumzi, said she was excited to see talent from different parts of the world come together and create magic.
'We've got a lot of actors coming together from different countries to tell one story, and that's also very exciting. We don't get a lot of those here, so I feel like for me, it was good to see everyone unite to tell this beautiful story.'
ALSO READ: 'My intimate scenes have never been this intimate' – Thembi Seete on her 'Adulting' role
Character development in the 'Kings of Joburg' new season
Season three also highlights deeper character growth. Seete said her character, once known for her fiery temper, now serves as the family's voice of reason.
'This season, you see her heart and her commitment to saving her family. She's a mother, a voice of reason — someone who'll do anything to protect her family. In the first and second seasons, it was more about fighting, but now we see her saying, 'Please, let's not do this. Let's solve this. Let's rather go about it this way.''
Xaluva said Mo's character remains consistent in his moral compass, but the challenges he faces become far more intense this season.
'Mo has always been an open book. What you see is what you get. But this time, he just goes through a more intensified journey. He's in prison, breaks out to save his family, and travels from Johannesburg to Cape Town by car to hide out and try to eliminate this big enemy from Cape Town.'
Meanwhile, Mahlangu's Phumzi undergoes a transformation of her own, shaped by motherhood.
'Phumzi this season is a mother. And once you become a mother, there's a lot that shifts. Your child's well-being becomes the centre of it all. So she's changed — she's basically trying to figure out a life that best suits her child and is doing everything she can to make sure that her child is protected.'
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