South African television series Shaka Ilembe – which enthralled audiences in 2023 and attracted millions of viewers – this week earned a number of awards and nominations at an international awards ceremony, amongst them an award for its historically accurate and authentic costumes.
And there to accept Amsterdam’s Septimius Award for Best Costume Design was Sheli Masondo, costume designer on the series.
She said: “It was an amazing feeling to be recognised on an international stage and to be in a category where other costume designers did magnificent work. I didn’t expect to win. I’m very grateful that we can tell our stories in our language with our authentic traditional outfits.”
The Septimius Awards showcase films and projects from around the world and is a strong supporter of new talent and visionary ideas. It separates categories by continent, with the intention of creating a greater global representation of talent.
The dedication and painstaking attention to detail that went into the making of Bomb Production’s Shaka Ilembe (for M-Net’s channel Mzansi Magic) was applauded and Masondo’s contribution recognised by the Septimius judges.
Series 1 has, to date, been the best-ever performance for a MultiChoice drama series in its history with over 3.6-million viewers across DStv in South Africa, proving to be a ratings mega-success. The show also reached number one on the DStv App across Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and other African countries. In addition, Shaka Ilembe had the unique honour of being South Africa’s most Googled TV show in 2023.
Masondo explained that she spent over a year researching the period (1700s/1800s) to ensure historical accuracy.
“I visited KwaZulu Natal museums, went through the archives, met with historians, searched across the continent for inspiration, to make sure that I got the look of the period right.”
In addition, she found old men and women who still craft the original traditional pieces of costume: “For example, a Mbata is a Zulu traditional chest guard handmade from animal skin, exclusively worn by the Royal family. Only the king or his wife can wear a leopard skin.”
She said that finding the old people who still make the costumes was instructive in that apart from a few modern techniques, Zulu costume has not evolved much through the centuries.
“I found a man who still makes the king’s costume – who takes up to three months to make a headdress. He shaves the feathers he uses, shaping them so they flow differently from when a bird is flying. I transferred that knowledge to the show’s crafters.”
As a designer who studied fashion at design school, she said she was blown away by the technique involved in the ancient way of pleating goat hide leather to make the skirts that married women wore at the time.
“I know what it takes to create a pattern and cut fabric. When I saw how precise and intricate the pleating was done on these skirts I was impressed. They have up to 500 pieces that make up one skirt.”
From the history books she learnt that animal fibre was the stitching thread used, a sharpened bone with a drilled hole the needle.
“When I created the costumes for the show, to derive inspiration, I walked empty fields – looking at the birds, the trees, their bark, the fine textures, the veins on the leaves. It was very emotional for me. It was more than design. It was like stepping into my ancestor’s shoes and I was blown away by how creative they were – using whatever surrounded them. There were no lace ribbons, fabric, sequins and beads… they used the natural things around them.
“It was a spiritual moment for me. I was blessed that I had support. People from Kwa Ndebele, from KZN, and from Johannesburg… they could translate everything that I envisioned, that I had brought back from my research into Shaka Ilembe costumes.
Bomb Productions executive producer Desiree Markgraaff said they were thrilled with Sheli’s win in the best costume design category at the Septimius Awards in Amsterdam: “Sheli and her incredible team are the epitome of excellence, passion and professionalism. They produced hundreds of magnificent pieces of wardrobe on Season 1, every visit to the wardrobe department had the directors and cast filled with excitement. Sheli’s excellence is not only reflected in the garments, but also the energy she exudes on set. She really is a South African treasure and we are thrilled to be working together again on Season 2.”
- Renowned actress Nomzamo Mbatha received the Best African Actress award in the Septimius Awards held in Amsterdam for her role as the esteemed mother of Shaka.
- Nominated in the Best African Actor category – for his outstanding performance as Shaka as a young man, before he became the iconic king who founded the Zulu nation – was Lemogang Tsipa. His portrayal of a nuanced and troubled young man striving to reach his potential has received high praise in the entertainment world of film and television.
- Queen Motlatle, Hair and Make-up designer on Season 1, was also nominated for her intricate and beautiful work on Shaka Ilembe Season 1.
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