Television channel Mzansi Magic has refuted claims that “Gqeberha: The Empire” will not be renewed for another season.
Produced by the multi-award-winning Tshedza Pictures (“The River”, “The Republic”, “Legacy”), this is notably the first Mzansi Magic telenovela filmed entirely in the Eastern Cape.
The show made its debut on Mzansi screens in January filled with a star-studded cast, featuring top names such as Zikhona Sodlaka.
While the show had a slow start with viewers noting that there was room for improvement, over time they started warming up to the show, resulting in numbers improving.
According to a report by ZiMoja, not all is rosy on the production set of “Gqeberha: The Empire” and the show’s future is in the balance.
“The show is said to be allegedly coming to an end and will not be continuing with more seasons,” they reported.
Entertainment commentator Phil Mphela also reported that the show will not be renewed for another season when the current one ends.
In response to media queries, Mzansi Magic maintained that the show is “scheduled to remain on-air for the foreseeable future”.
“Plans are in progress for the next season, further detail will be communicated in due course,” they said.
The channel also responded to the claim that there has been mistreatment of cast members, which were detailed in ZiMoja’s report.
“Mzansi Magic has just been made aware of the allegations of mistreatment of cast, we take such allegations seriously and we will be reaching out to the production house to verify the same.”
The channel is proud of the success of the show but viewers are still weary, especially with all the cancellations in the TV world.