2 SA TV Soaps That Got the Can: ‘Generations’ & ‘Isidingo’ Actors Share What Life’s Been Like After Showbiz

Some of Mzansi's most beloved soapies just had to come to an end. From Generations to Isidingo, the saucy characters and plotlines of these shows filled loyal viewers with hours of entertainment for actual decades. But times change, and so does what's hot and popping on our TV screens. With the help of some familiar faces from back in the good old days, Briefly News takes a walk down television's memory lane.

Generations cast stage a walk-out

While some shows get cancelled over a lack of viewership, this definitely was not the case with one of Mzansi's most popular soapies. Generations took to the airwaves in 1994 at the dawn of democracy in apartheid-era South Africa.

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Characters like Kenneth Mashaba (played by Seputla Sebogodi) and Queen Moroka (Sophie Ndaba) effortlessly embodied the aspirational world of the black middle-class that so many young South Africans dreamt of. For 20 years, the soapie sat comfortably in its place as Mzansi's most-watched nighttime drama, BBC reports.

However, things took a turn in 2013 when 16 actors, including vets like Katlego Danke, stood up to management and complained about their wages. The actors headed straight to the SABC, demanding a pay increase, extended contracts and royalties, as is common practice overseas.

The show's execs and actors butted heads for two months, but in 2014 things finally came to a head when the performers refused to show up to work for the second time, forcing the SABC to cancel their contracts.

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"We gave a deadline for Wednesday last week, then they did not come back... and we further gave them until today," said SABC's spokesperson at the time.

Since then, SABC 1 has introduced a spin-off of the popular drama series with a whole new storyline and cast of actors. Loyal fans, however, never stopped loving the original show and have definitely not been quiet about it on social media either.

Check out some of the love from Generations viewers:

@CypticNoOne said:

"The og 'Generations' getting cancelled is still the craziest thing to ever happen to SA TV bro, like 20+ years down the drain cause the man didn't wanna pay people."

Generations actors: Where are they now?

Since the show's cancellation, many cast members have gone on to make it big in new local productions. Others have seemingly left the life of showbiz for a more peaceful existence.

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Actor Seputla Sebogodi, who played the legendary Kenneth Mashaba, recently headed online to share a few pics from a trip to Robben Island:

He's also still booked and busy doing local theatre productions:

Sophie Ndaba is still the incredible superstar we all know her to be. The icon made headlines a few years back for her amazing weight loss.

Check out a few snaps from Instagram:

Sophie and her former co-star, actress Connie Ferguson, are still very good friends. Just look at this adorable snap they recently shared:

Katlego Danke is certainly no one-hit-wonder and has been headlining the popular soapie, Gomora. This queen has always been a star.

Take a look at a few pictures from Instagram:

Isidingo loses viewers with lame storylines

In a similarly sad turn of events, Isidingo got the sack in November 2019 after over 20 years on the air. The once-popular soapie apparently just wasn't bringing in the ratings, failing to resonate with a younger audience.

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“The decision to decommission Isidingo was informed by a number of factors which includes poor audience ratings during the time slot, decline in revenue and poor return on investment," The SABC told IOL at the time.

Once again, the SABC's choice to get rid of the show shocked many loyal followers of the drama series. Some peeps were really upset the old-school show had been given the boot due to budget cuts, but newer, less popular shows were still being aired.

Check out some of the comments below:

Isidingo: Kgomotso & Tema still living it up

Once she played the role of Mzansi's favourite TV villain, but former Isidingo actress Kgomotso Christopher has been living it up as a wife and mother. The stunner has been enjoying some much-needed quality time with her family, and fans could not be happier.

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Here's Kgomotso on her mom's 75th birthday. The mommy and her daughter are two peas in a pod:

Tema Sebopedi has been keeping to herself these days, sharing the odd selfie on her social media accounts. The happy-go-lucky actress continues to be all smiles, and the years have definitely not done anything to this ageless beauty.

Check out a few snaps from Instagram:

Fans of Generations and Isidingo were sad to see the shows go. Even though nothing has yet replaced the iconic soapies, it seems Mzansi's TV viewers will remain forever loyal to the iconic programmes.

Source: Briefly News