Skeem saam has always been the new voice echoing societal issues. It is a well thought series that never fails to not only imagine but also be real.
The story from its first season has been realistic and not farfetched like most drama series. We have seen the protagonists Kwaito and Tbos as teenagers and fighting their way to adulthood. The characters are not rushed they grow in you and with you.
The story makes it easy to emphasize with Kwaito because you understand the burden that comes with being the first child to go to university. The burden of black tax and expectations that come with success.
And with each new character being introduced you get to see someone you know or yourself in them. And someway you are enlighten or delighted that someone finally said it, sees it.
Like the storyline of sexual harassment when Nimrod did not realise his actions were harrassment and thought of them as innocent. It was a reflection of everyday life in the Townships or anywhere else really. Those subtle remarks or touches that are easily avoided even by the victim.
Or when Clement came out to his family as gay. And was kicked out of home by his grandmother who thought he was demonic and out of his mind.
Mantuli kay1 reflecting many black mothers; a woman who cannot bring herself to apologize to her children even if she tried.
Another one of many great storylines was the one where Koloi got shortlisted for jewellery design competition. And everyone else was white. Again ,the writers successfully portrayed what it’s like to be in white spaces, especially when you are from a poor background with no holiday stories or connects in that world and all you have is your talent and dreams.
Skeem saam is the new voice we need on our screens. A show that not only reflects our flaws as society but also offers solutions to them. Winnie Serite ,the producer of Skeem Saam and founder of Peu Communications, a company that produces skeem saam, has successfully given a voice to our realities.
