It has been more than a year since “Shaka iLembe” Season 2 came to an end, but viewers are still waiting for one important question to be answered: when will Season 3 finally land on their screens?
The second season of the hit historical drama ended on August 31, 2025, leaving fans eager to find out what happens next in the story of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona.
Now, it seems viewers might have to hold their breath a little longer.
StudioCanal has announced that it will launch international sales of “Shaka iLembe: Zulu King” at MIPCOM 2026, where international buyers will get their first look at the highly anticipated third season.
But for local viewers, there is still no confirmed premiere date.
Local fans get a first look at Season 3
Mzansi has not been completely left out in the cold.
As viewers wait to hear when the historical series will be greenlit for its local release, StudioCanal has released new images from Season 3, giving fans a glimpse of what is coming.
And if the new storyline is anything to go by, there is plenty for viewers to look forward to.
Season 3, according to the official synopsis, picks up four years after the events of Season 2, with Shaka’s kingdom now dominant across Southern Africa.
But with greater power comes new threats, including British expansion and growing European influence.
The new season will also broaden the story beyond the Zulu kingdom, introducing the emerging Basotho Kingdom of Moshoeshoe, King Faku’s Mpondo Kingdom and the settlement of Port Natal.
At the centre of the story are Queen Nandi, played by Nomzamo Mbatha, and Shaka’s politically formidable aunt, Mkabayi.
New faces join the cast
Season 3 will also introduce several new characters.
SAFTA-winning actress Lerato Mvelase joins the cast as Queen Mpikase, while Aiden Scott, known for “One Piece”, plays British trader Henry Francis Fynn.
Conrad Kemp takes on the role of Lieutenant Francis Farewell, while Wonder Ndlovu, who appeared in “The Polygamist”, plays Prince Mpande.
Mbatha, who also serves as an executive producer, has described portraying Queen Nandi as a career highlight.
“Portraying Queen Nandi, a woman whose courage helped build a kingdom and whose values still shape our understanding of the modern Zulu woman, has been an honour and a career highlight,” she said.
‘Shaka iLembe’ is now going global
While local viewers wait for news of a premiere date, “Shaka iLembe” is entering a new chapter internationally.
StudioCanal will introduce the series to international television buyers at MIPCOM 2026, marking the first time the record-breaking isiZulu drama will be offered to buyers outside Africa.
The move follows the show’s enormous success locally.
Across its first two seasons, “Shaka iLembe” became the highest-rated drama in DStv history and the most-searched TV series in South Africa in 2023.
It also holds the record for the most wins by a drama series in a single year at the SAFTAs, taking home 12 awards, including Best Drama Series.
The series has already expanded into Francophone Africa through CANAL+ Afrique/MAGIC, with 24 episodes from its first two seasons available to audiences there.
