MTV Shuga S1-7

The HIV/Aids pandemic in Africa is no joke. It needs to be spoken about by regular people rather than something discussed only in the hallways of hospitals or quietly in dark corners. And that’s exactly why MTV Shuga was created in 2009 – to get people talking frankly about sex and sexual health.

Each season zooms in on a different aspect of sexual health, with seasons 6 and 7 focusing on how rape destroys lives – definitely an important issue in South Africa right now.

“My character Khensani is in desperate need of her former friend to ’fess up. He has to say ‘I’m an abuser’. He got six months in prison for rape and murder,” says actress Samkelisiwe Makhoba.

Shuga doesn’t sugarcoat its stories. That’s why it’s not for young children – but it should be watched by teenagers who are at the age where sex is something they’re talking about and engaging in.

“I encourage the youth to do research on these different issues. There is a lot of information online on credible platforms, as well as programmes such as MTV Shuga that can assist them,” says Whitney Chinogwenya, communications lead at international non-governmental sexual health organisation Marie Stopes International.

Shuga is edutainment, getting viewers talking while also imparting knowledge in the 22-minute episodes. If you’ve missed out on the drama series, there is good news: Shuga can be streamed from Season 1 through to Season 7 on Showmax here.