Filming starts on the third and final season of The Wife

• The Wife is up for 10 SAFTAs this weekend, including Best Telenovela
• Season 3 centres on the love between Tswana doctor Naledi and Zulu taxi driver Qhawe
• Returning cast includes Mbalenhle Mavimbela, Zikhona Sodlaka, Khanyi Mbau and Mondli Makhoba
• This season expands beyond Johannesburg taxi ranks to Royal Thabeng in the North West

Filming has started on the third and final season of Showmax Original The Wife, launching on the African streaming service in November 2022.

Season 3 centres on two star-crossed lovers: Tswana doctor Naledi Montsho and Zulu taxi driver Qhawe. Gaisang K Noge (House of Zwide) stars as Naledi opposite Kwenzo Ngcobo, dubbed “the Woolworths of amadoda” by Twitter, as Qhawe.

“With Naledi missing and the Zulu brothers’ crimes now front page news, the third and final season of The Wife is going to be explosive,” says head writer Busisiwe Ntintili, who won a SAFTA for 4Play: Sex Tips For Girls, wrote the hit romcom Happiness Is A Four-Letter Word, and was the creator and showrunner on Jiva!. “The Zulu brothers may have finally met their match in Naledi’s family.”

The most viewed series on Showmax ever, The Wife won 2022 DStv Mzansi Magic Viewers’ Choice awards for Kwenzo (Rising Star) and Abdul Khoza (Best Actor). The telenovela, which topped Twitter’s trends charts every Thursday for two seasons, is up for 10 SAFTAs this weekend, including Best Telenovela, Directing, Cinematography, and Editing.

Contrary to Twitter rumours, Zikhona Sodlaka is back in her SAFTA-nominated role as Mandisa, as are Khanyi Mbau and Mondli Makhoba as Zandile and Nkosana – the lead couple in Season 2. Mbalenhle Mavimbela is also back as Hlomu, the Season 1 lead, with Linda Majola returning as her brother Langa.

SAFTA winner Wiseman Mncube (Jama in eHostela) replaces Bonko Khoza as Mqhele this season in the only confirmed change. Bonko is up for Best Actor at the SAFTAs this weekend, where Abdul Khoza is also up for Best Supporting Actor.

Watch the highlights of The Wife: Behind the Veil

Season 3 of The Wife expands beyond the Johannesburg taxi industry to Royal Thabeng and the North West, introducing new cast like Sello Motloung (Blood Psalms) as Naledi’s father, Kgosi; Bongo Maffin’s Stoan Seate as Sefako, Qhawe’s rival for Naledi; Ncebakazi Pilingane (Eva on DiepCity) as Xoli, Sambulo’s love interest; Mo Setumo (The Queen) as Tshidi, Naledi’s elder sister; Terrence Ngwila (Lioness) as Detective Baloyi; and 2022 SAFTA nominee Mathews Rantsoma (Nhlamulo on Scandal!) as Tsietsi.

There’ll also be bigger roles this season for Sipho Ndlovu, SAFTA nominee Thulane Shange and Swelihle Luthuli as Zulu brothers Sambulo, Mqoqi and Ntsika.

In the SAFTAs Best Telenovela category, The Wife is up against The River, which airs on Showmax daily, express from 1Magic, and Mzansi Magic’s DiepCity.

The third and final season of The Wife launches on Showmax in November 2022.

Season 1 of The Wife premieres on Mzansi Magic on 12 September. The hit Showmax Original will air three nights a week, from Monday to Wednesday at 21h30, with an omnibus on Saturdays from 21h30-23h00. Seasons 1 and 2 are also available to binge on Showmax. Season 3 landing on Showmax on 10 November 2022.