Fana Mokoena on playing a sangoma in Masinga

Masinga premieres on Showmax this Friday, 5 December 2025. An exiled detective returns to his homeland to confront the ghosts of his past, including the ritual murder of his younger brother, who had albinism. Now he must fight to save an Asian girl from a similar fate.

Masinga has already won five awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay for filmmaker Mark Engels at both the 2025 Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela Awards in Durban and the Palermo Independent International Film Festival in Italy.

Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Masinga

Starring SAFTA winners Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Abdul Khoza, Warren Masemola and Brandon Auret, Masinga also marks the powerful return to screen of Fana Mokoena (World War Z, The Lab), who resigned as an EFF MP in October 2024.

We sat down with the SAFTA and Africa Movie Academy Awards winner to find out more about the gripping crime thriller.

Tell us more about your character.

I play Molombo, who is a sanusi, essentially an isangoma. But with Molombo, something has gone wrong. Something in his nature has shifted. He’s a sangoma who has taken a dark turn, becoming one of the antagonists in the story, which made him fun but also challenging to play.

What drew me to the character is when Mark Engels (director) told me that beyond the many themes in the film, Masinga also confronts issues such as muthi killings and the targeted killing of people with albinism. That’s something I’ve been deeply concerned about for a very long time. We can’t tackle every societal issue at once, so having the opportunity to be part of a project that directly addresses these themes was something I couldn’t pass up.

What aspects of this character challenged you most, especially considering how Molombo engages in dark magic?

I spoke to a cousin of mine who is a sangoma, and what struck me was the spiritual side of this world.

A sangoma is essentially a doctor in isintu. We call them an inyanga – someone who heals and supports our wellbeing. But when a practitioner strays and begins to engage in dark magic, they stop assisting your health and instead begin invading it. They may order killings, send harmful spirits, and do things that are the complete opposite of healing.

As actors, we’re always looking for challenges, and the challenge here was to find the spiritual essence of Molombo. This is a character rooted in darkness, and spiritually, he was exhausting. Physically, we can push through almost anything, but spiritually? This role drained me. I found myself irritable by the end of each day, and after filming, I would just want to go home, eat, sleep, and debrief.

However, even though the character exhausted me, one of the two roles I’ve always wanted to play is a sangoma; the other being King Moshoeshoe. 

So this was a dream, but a difficult one.

Do you feel that you’ve successfully shed the remnants of the Molombo character?

I don’t think we can ever fully shed the work we do, because we learn and consume so much through each character. Every role becomes a kind of education. You absorb the spirit, the environment, the psychology of the character, and those things don’t just disappear.

We debrief the character, so to speak, to move on; otherwise, you would go mad. I’ve done enough to continue with my life, but I believe every intense role leaves either a scar or a lesson. Something remains with you, and Molombo certainly has.

What do you hope society takes away from watching Masinga?

I hope audiences learn about the tragedy of albino killings, the kidnapping of children for dark rituals, and even broader international issues, things we see on the news daily, like global conflicts. All of these themes are present in the film.

But my biggest concern today is developing a more sophisticated audience. We’re in a strange time where a lot of content is bubblegum. And that’s a huge problem. 

We need more films like Masinga that educate, challenge, and inform viewers.

South African audiences, in particular, will tell you when they feel undermined. They know when they’re not being given quality. Masinga brings knowledge, relevance, and depth, and I believe society will appreciate that. We need audiences who not only watch but also question and understand the world around them.

A film like Masinga also takes South African and African experiences beyond our borders, allowing others to see themselves in our stories. It’s extremely important to tell African stories within a global context, and Masinga does that beautifully.

Watch the trailer for Masinga