Netflix’s much-awaited South African street dance series Jiva premiered yesterday, consolidating on the slew of South African content on the streamer. Starring Noxolo Dlamini in a lead role, the series follows her character Ntombi navigating economic anxieties due to her low-middle income background in Durban and works in an aquatic theme park to make ends meet for her family. When she decides to enter a dance competition called Jiva Loxion which dangles a winning prize of 1million rand, she sees it as an opportunity to change her circumstances.

Movies based on dance competitions have been with us for a long time, but what Jiva particularly does well is to explore the dance culture in South Africa intersecting with the huge wave of house music (gqom, amapiano etc) as a cultural export. Showrunner Busisiwe Ntintili has made a show that not only showwcases South Africa to the world, but also evangelizes a pan-African unity through dance.

YNaija’s Bernard Dayo interviewed some key members of the series – Candice Modiselle, Stella Dlangalala, Sne Mbatha, and of course, Noxolo Dlamini – wherein they shared insight into playing their characters and what fans should expect.

Interview with Stella Dlangalala and Sne Mbatha here.

Interview with Noxolo Dlamini and Candice Modiselle here.