STUDIOCANAL has announced that the third season of the historical drama 'Shaka Ilembe: Zulu King' will be available to buyers outside of Africa for the first time before the MIPCOM 2026 event.
More than a year has passed since the conclusion of the second season of 'Shaka iLembe,' but viewers continue to await an announcement regarding the release date of the third season. The second season of this popular historical series ended on August 31, 2025, leaving fans eager to know the further fate of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona.
It seems viewers will have to wait a little longer. STUDIOCANAL reported that at MIPCOM 2026, the company will begin international sales of 'Shaka Ilembe: Zulu King,' where international buyers can preview the long-awaited third season.
Nevertheless, a confirmed premiere date has not yet been set for local viewers.
The local audience has not been ignored. While viewers await official approval for the local broadcast of the historical series, STUDIOCANAL has released new images from the third season, allowing fans to glimpse upcoming events.
Judging by the new plot, viewers have much interesting ahead. According to the official synopsis, the third season takes place four years after the events of the second season, when Shaka's kingdom began to dominate all of South Africa. However, with increased power come new threats, including British expansion and growing European influence.
The new season will also expand the narrative beyond the Zulu kingdom, introducing the nascent Lesotho Kingdom of Moshoeshoe, the Mpondo Kingdom of King Phaku, and the settlement of Port Natal.
At the center of the story are Queen Nandi, played by Nomzamo Mbatha, and Shaka's politically influential aunt, Mkabayi.
Season 3 will also introduce a number of new characters. SAFTA award winner Lerato Mvelase joins the cast as Queen Mpikase, and Aiden Scott, known from 'One Piece,' will play the British trader Henry Francis Finn. Conrad Kemp will play Lieutenant Francis Farrell, and Wonder Ndlovu, who participated in 'The Polygamist,' will play Prince Mpande.
Mbatha, who is also an executive producer, called the role of Queen Nandi the pinnacle of her career. She stated: 'Portraying Queen Nandi, a woman whose courage helped build a kingdom and whose values still shape our understanding of the modern Zulu woman, was an honor and the peak of my career.'
STUDIOCANAL unveiled a first look at the third season of 'SHAKA ILEMBE: ZULU KING,' the most acclaimed and most watched dramatic series in South Africa.
While local viewers await news about the premiere date, 'Shaka iLembe' enters a new international chapter. STUDIOCANAL will present the series to international TV buyers at MIPCOM 2026, marking the first time this record-breaking isiZulu dramatic series will be offered to buyers outside of Africa.
This move follows the show's huge success locally. Over its first two seasons, 'Shaka iLembe' became the highest-rated drama series in DStv history and the most sought-after television series in South Africa in 2023. The series also holds a record for the number of awards received by a drama series in one year at the SAFTAs ceremony, collecting 12 awards, including Best Drama Series. Furthermore, the series has already reached Francophone Africa through CANAL+ Afrique/MAGIC, where 24 episodes from the first two seasons are available to viewers.