by Thinus Ferreira
There's absolutely no explanation from Zimbabwe's ZBC, that made a historical drama series that looks like a knock-off of South Africa's Shaka iLembe, and which ZBC then suddenly failed to start the broadcast of as it promised on 4 October with no explanation for its abrupt no-show.
Following two seasons of The Bomb Shelter Film Company's high-quality Shaka iLembe historical drama series on M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) in South Africa, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) surprised by announcing Nyami Nyami, produced by the Savanna Trust.
When the first trailer was released in April, jaws dropped: Not just because it immediately drew comparisons as a historical fantasy Zimbabwean drama series that seems to emulate Shaka iLembe, but for what instantly looked like high production values.
Nyami Nyami's cinematic looks more akin to premium television and far removed from the third-rate programming that the ZBC is known for.
Nyami Nyami, directed by Joe Njagu, Charles Munganasa and Daniel Maposa, is described as a "mythological fantasy drama" rather than a strict historical drama, which Shaka iLembe is.
While it is set in a tribal, traditional environment that gives it a historical aesthetic, its core premise is built entirely around BaTonga folklore and mythology.
The plot revolves around Nyami Nyami, the legendary, serpent-like Zambezi River God.
The series brings to life the spiritual beliefs of the Tonga people, exploring themes of community, conflict, and the powerful river deity, and was filmed in Binga and at the Victoria Falls.
The story and screenplay were developed by the acclaimed Zimbabwean playwright and author Raisedon Baya, with the cast including Eddie Sandifolo, David Mungombe, Brenda Muleya and Lawrence Munkuli.
Scripting and concept development took place in early 2025, with principal photography and active on-location filming beginning in mid to late 2025.
Like with Shaka iLembe, the filmmakers worked closely with BaTonga elders to ensure that the preservation of oral histories, traditional garb, and language accents remained as authentic as possible.
Filming on Nyami Nyami wrapped in early 2026, followed by post-production.
While the exact budget for Nyami Nyami is not known, it is definitely one of the most financially ambitious projects in modern Zimbabwean television history.
The drama series is a primary beneficiary of the Zimbabwean government's newly initiated $10 million local content production fund, which was started by the country's ministry of information to try and improve the ZBC's drama slate.
Nyami Nyami was supposed to start on Sunday 4 October on ZBC - in a TV timeslot that screams "prestige television". Only, it didn't.
On the morning of 4 October - the exact same day Nyami Nyami was scheduled to premiere at 21:00, ZBC suddenly announced that the show wouldn't start without giving any explanation - and nothing since.
"ZBC TV wishes to advise its valued viewers and stakeholders that the premiere of the much-anticipated new drama series Nyami Nyami on ZBC TV, which was scheduled for this Sunday, 4 October at 21:00, has been rescheduled to a later date to be advised. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused," the broadcaster said.
After the production team had spent months building massive hype, cancelling the broadcast literally hours before the premiere didn't just leave viewers frustrated and deflated - it damaged ZBC's reputation and whatever trust remained, further.
With nothing said since, the amateurish management within the broadcaster around the show's planned broadcast continues to grow.
Announcing a delay on the exact day of release usually implies that something went wrong very late in the process, rather than a planned strategic shift.
For Zimbabwe's state broadcaster, which is trying to prove that it can compete with higher regional broadcasters like South Africa's SABC and M-Net, the last-minute pull of Nyami Nyami raises fresh doubts about ZBC's operational reliability.
