JIVA! will be a local African production, from script to screen, and will showcase an all-African cast and crew, with filming and production in South Africa.
“2020 truly is the year for the African entertainment industry,” Netflix said in a statement revealing the new production. It also provided the following information:
- JIVA! is a fun and energy-packed drama series that follows the life of the talented street dancer Ntombi, who while juggling the demands of a dead end job, family responsibility and a rocky love life realises that her dance moves could be her ticket out of her working class neighbourhood in Durban. But first, she must overcome her fears, beat her rivals and sort out the chaos that is her family.
- Busisiwe Ntintili, of The Ntintili Factory, is the creator and showrunner of JIVA! She is an award winning writer, director and producer with 20 years of television and film under her belt, including South Africa’s highest rated television shows, the Peabody Award Winning drama series “Intersexions” and the box office hit movie “Happiness is a Four Letter Word”.
- Scottnes L. Smith (Hear Me Move, There’s A Bluebird In My Heart, Long Street), award winning director Mandla Dube (Kalushi) and award winning director Mmambatho Montsho (Emoyeni, Lockdown) will join the directing team of the series.
- The series stars a dynamic all-local cast, including break out star, Noxolo Dlamini (Sarafina Stage Production, Isibaya) playing the lead, Candice Modiselle (Generations; The Legacy), Sne Mbatha (So You Think You Can Dance), Stella Dlangalala (Funny People Africa), Zazi Kunene (Pinky Pinky), Anga Makubalo (Generations), Given Stuurman (Shuga), Ntuthuzelo Grootboom (PE’s Finest Dance Crew), Zamani Mbatha (Isithembiso) and veteran actor Tony Kgoroge (Invictus, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), who will be joined by other well-known local talent.
- Bontle Modiselle, dancer, actor and radio personality and Tom London, founder of South Africa’s top dance crew Soweto’s Finest, join the creative team as choreographers for the series.
- JIVA! will be produced by Cape Town based production team Blue Ice Africa with Busisiwe Ntintili, Adam Friedlander and Tebogo Maila as executive producers.
* For more information, visit
www.netflix.com/jiva!