Mafanato

In Xitsonga, “mafanato” means “dying with something”. It’s also the title of this brand-new drama that’s filled with intrigue, murder, lies, sex, affairs and everything else that’s good about thrilling TV.

It centres around a young woman named Mafanato (Mathabo Bila, best known as Khensani in SA’s first original Xitsonga drama Giyani: Land Of Blood in 2019). She has just got rid of her troublemaker husband but her drama is far from over – all of her dirty secrets are about to come out of the woodwork… unless Mafanato can come up with a plan.

Episodes are between 10 and 12 minutes each, so they’re a really quick watch, like when you’re waiting for the bath to fill. And despite their short runtime, there’s a ton of drama packed into the script.

Mafanato doesn’t have the glitz and glamour feel of a big-budget production, but that enhances the fun. The characters are engaging, and the actors are perfectly cast.