Mpumi Mpama Discusses Replacing Siyabonga Thwala in ‘Empini’: “I Brought My Own Shoes”

• Former Lingashoni actor Mpumi Mpama has replaced Siyabonga Thwala in Showmax's Empini
• Mpama will star alongside Broken Vows and The Queen actress Nambitha Ben Mazwi on the show
• South Africans have taken to social media to respond to the second season of the upcoming series
• Briefly News got more insight about the second season of Empini from one of the show's actors

Actor Mpumi Mpama who stars opposite Nambitha Ben-Mazwi in the second season of Empini opens up about his latest character.

The former The Queen actor has joined Showmax's drama series, Empini as Khaya Bhodoza.

The actor who has replaced Siyabonga Thwala in the second season praises the former Isibaya actor for his work in the first season.

Mpumi Mpama adds in an interview with Sowetan that Thwala did a great job in the first season and shares that he has to bring his expertise in the second season.

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“I refuse to make the mistake of asking for guidance. The thing is, if you ask for tips, you might end up doing what the previous actor did, which defeats the purpose of the replacement," he adds.

Speaking to Briefly News journalist, Moroba Maepa, Ernest Ndlovu, who plays Enoch Mbatha, spoke about what attracted him to the show:

"What stood out to me about Empini is its raw and unfiltered reflection of South Africa’s political landscape since 1994. Back then, people had high hopes for change and a better future after the first democratic elections. But now, we’ve realised that many things have gone terribly wrong.

"My character, Enoch Mbatha, is part of both the movement that once fought for change and the corruption that followed."

Ahead of the second season, Ndlovu spoke about what viewers can look forward to:

"Season 1 laid the foundation, but Season 2 is where everything truly takes off. We’re connecting the missing pieces, answering the lingering questions, and exposing even deeper levels of corruption. Betrayals will unfold, secrets will be revealed, and tensions will explode.

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"Every episode is packed with twists that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. If you thought Season 1 was intense, just wait - Season 2 is going to blow people away."

Entertainment commentator Jabu Mcdonald recently shared a teaser for the second season of the popular series, Empini on X.

South Africans react to new season

@kbhebhe replied:

"I thought these were short series. Why are we having character changes?"

@NubianBella_Don replied:

"Honestly, I don't even know where the show is going. And Mr Twala is an A-list actor man, he deserves better. So I am not against this."

@KabeloMohlah02 said:

"I don't think this is a good replacement."

@AfrikanChefZA wrote:

"Why can't they just kill off the character and introduce Mpumi with a new character but same script as Khaya Bhodoza? Similar to how Gqeberha tried to introduce someone who's going to continue with Luzuko's role but with a rather different character name."

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South Africans react to Showmax series

In more entertainment news, Briefly News reported in 2024 that South Africans took to social media to respond to the first season of the Showmax series, Empini.

Mzansi seemingly revealed on social media that the show did not meet their expectations and demanded the series to get cancelled.

Source: Briefly News