Upcoming drama explores lives of influencers, models, vixens

A captivating new series, set to premiere next month, is set to spotlight the survival challenges faced by female creatives in Bulawayo.

Titled “City of Queens,” the series chronicles the lives of three young women striving to make it in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city. These women, working as social media influencer, pageant model and music video vixen, navigate the competitive entertainment industry.

The series boasts a star-studded cast, featuring musician Ronald Stone from A Band of Misfits, National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) award-winning actor Kumbilani Ncube, Lee McHoney from “Wadiwa Wepamoyo,” and Tutsirayi Sawana who featured on Mnet studios’ movie “Liabilities of Love”.

Filmed in Bulawayo’s Tshabalala, Nkulumane and Pumula suburbs, as well as Garnet’s Place BnB, the series is rooted in local culture and settings.

The storyline centres on Selina, a social media influencer engaged in a secret affair with a wealthy businessman, Solomon Sibanda. Selina uses Solomon’s money to fund her wedding to Junior, the man she truly loves.

The affair triggers dramatic incidents that threaten to ruin Selina’s reputation as Bulawayo’s Instagram “good girl” and leads to a violent confrontation with Solomon’s wife, Khanyisile, played by Lee McHoney. The other main characters, Lufuno and Brucella, face their own battles with blackmail, extortion and heartbreak.

Produced by Evelyn T Sibanda who has experience with productions screened in over six countries and directed by Nama award-winning writer/director Lenni “Mdawini” Sibanda, “City of Queens” promises high-quality storytelling. The cinematography was handled by Sandiso Ndlovu, director of photography at Ya-sibo? Media.

Sibanda announced that the series will be released next month online on Junza TV, with additional platforms to be revealed soon.

“We’ll be releasing the series on Junza TV for our loyal local and international fans. This aligns with our tradition at Junza TV of showcasing local Bulawayo talent, as evidenced by our previous web series “Chillas” and “Gijima” that are available on our YouTube channel.”

The producer went on to emphasise the series’ goal of portraying bold and resilient women.”The series aims to highlight the stories of strong women fighting to succeed in a patriarchal society. We hope to inspire young women to overcome challenges and achieve better versions of themselves. We are grateful for the support from the Bulawayo community in making this series,” said Sibanda. —@mthabisi_mthire