In the upcoming SABC 2 Pimville telenovela, Gail Mabalane plays Detective Phello Mohapi.
In April 1997, South Africa was introduced to the world of Muvhango.
Nearly 30 years later, in February 2026, South African viewers will be brought into another world, this time, Pimville.
“It’s big shoes to fill, but it’s certainly a great opportunity to follow on the footsteps of a great giant that paved the way for us,” actress Gail Mabalane told The Citizen.
She spoke to The Citizen in Pimville, Soweto, where the cast of SABC 2’s new telenovela was introduced.
Mabalane is one of the leading cast members introduced to the media and guests at Piano Hub.
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Mabalane on Pimville
“We can run today because Muvhango walked, and we are grateful, obviously, to build on that legacy,” Mabalane said.
She described the 9pm time slot as difficult because of the number of shows that air at that time.
“When I first read the story and I found out about this character I’m gonna play, two things, first of all, long form, which I haven’t done for many, many years,” said.
Pimville is shot in Soweto, which Mabalane is grateful for.
“The last couple of years, a lot of the shows I’ve shot have been out of Joburg. Away from my family,” said the mother of two, who is married to Kwaito star and preacher, Kabelo ‘Bouga Luv’ Mabalane.
“So I’d spend four, five months away shooting. So this was a great opportunity for me to be mom.”
“Also, the story is very compelling; it’s a proudly South African story. It’s a proudly out-of-Kasi story that I really felt I wanted to be a part of. So it was an easy choice to make,” shared Mabalane.
Mabalane’s character is a policewoman at the Pimville police station, Phello Mohapi.
“She’s a detective… What I enjoy about playing her is, she’s this hard cop who gets the job done, or tries to get it done. But she’s human. So, you see her flaws, you see the challenges that cops are met with in trying to catch certain people, the decisions that you have to make on a daily basis,” she said.
Some of Mabalane’s recent work includes her portrayal of Zenzi Mwale in the Netflix series Unseen.
In the thriller, Mabalane is a domestic worker who becomes embroiled in a criminal underworld while searching for her missing husband.
“This time around, I’m on the other side of the gun, this time I’m on the other side of the law,” she says.
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Changes in the TV landscape
There is a shift in the television landscape, where channels are canning long-form TV shows such as Muvhango, 7de Laan and Scandal for shorter formats like those popularised by Mzansi Magic.
Telenovelas have a defined ending with a complete story arc, while soap operas are continuous with no set end date and are structured around multiple, often intersecting storylines.
“Look, I think we must always be pliable, you know. You can’t be stuck in your ways, and I think as a creative, you’ve gotta have the ability to adapt and to move with the times,” shared the actress.
“I mean, I’m not necessarily excited about AI [Artificial Intelligence]… I’m excited about maybe certain elements where it can bring from a visual perspective. But we have to adapt.”
Pimville is expected to make its debut in early February 2026 on SABC 2.
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