MTV Shuga (known simply as Shuga for its first three seasons) is a South African/Kenyan/Nigerian television drama series created as part of the MTV Staying Alive Ignite campaign, a multimedia campaign designed to empower and motivate sexually active youth and young adults to modify their sexual behavior, and to embrace positive prevention strategies towards HIV infection.
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The series, which first aired in November 2009 on MTV Base, explores key issues such as HIV testing, condom use, gender inequality and the role of multiple concurrent partnerships play in driving the HIV epidemic.
MTV Shuga is aimed at positively changing the behaviour of young people in order to improve their sexual and reproductive health. The series interweaves the tales of original and newly introduced characters in various episodes.
The first two seasons of this drama are based in Nairobi, Kenya, while the third and fourth seasons were based in Nigeria. It moved to South Africa for Season 5, which was titled MTV Shuga: Down South.
Season 1 is a three-part drama series that follows the lives of a group of cool young students whose bright lives and fabulous futures are balanced on a knife edge due to their love of risk and danger. It is a story of love, sex, Friday nights and the indelible marks we leave on one another.
Season 1 features actress, producer and director Lupita Nyong’o, reality show star and recording artist Valerie Kimani, established actors Anthony Mwangi and Nicolas Mutuma as well as South African actor Tumisho Masha.
Season 2 runs with the tagline “Love, Sex, Money” and explores a raw and uncut view of the lives of sexually active young Kenyans who are forced to face up to the consequences of their party-hard lifestyle.
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Based in Nigeria, Season 3 relates a bittersweet tale of love, betrayal, relationships and heartaches among a small group of friends. Secrets and lies, crossed wires and broken dreams are at the heart of Season 3.
Season 4 picks up the story some months after the end of Season 3, exploring a number of themes and storylines that include first sex, grooming of adolescent girls, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, disclosure of HIV status, sexual assault within a relationship, stigma, mentoring, and the use of helplines.
The fifth season, directed by Mmabatho Montsho, Thabang Moleya and Rea Rangaka and set in South Africa, includes a new focus on issues affecting adolescent girls in South Africa, with a particular emphasis on their vulnerability to unintended pregnancy and HIV infection.
The season interweaves stories of heartbreak, love, betrayal and difficult decisions among contemporary South African youth. Other key plot points include transactional sex, living with HIV, infidelity and issues affecting LGBT teens.
Season 6, now known as MTV Shuga Naija, returns to Nigeria with a mix of familiar and new faces. This year’s storylines range from young mothers who have to make tough decisions to look out for their children, to daring characters who will do anything to see their dreams come true.
But what happens when the choices they make land them up in even more trouble than they could have imagined?
Season 7 is known as MTV Shuga: Down South 2 and is set one year on from the previous season, as old and new faces collide in the buzzing downtown hub of Braamfontein and the fictional vibrant township of Zenzele, where the characters come to terms with young adulthood, their relationships, sexual health, happiness and the challenges of self-acceptance and survival.
Directed by Thishiwe Ziqubu, Vivek Mehta and previous MTV Breaks winner Mlu Godola, the season focuses on topical issues in South Africa including toxic masculinity, the realities of living with HIV as a young person, and the root causes of gender-based violence.
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Other key plot points include domestic violence, transactional sex, knowing your HIV status, antiretroviral treatment adherence and LGBTQ+ relationships.
Season 8 tackles social issues such as HIV prevention, HIV self testing, treatment adherence, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, substance abuse, self-care, mental health, gender-based violence and various issues involving the LGBTQI+ community, amongst others.
Each storyline is laced with an original musical score from Amapiano to Afrobeats and every genre in between.
Amapiano power duo Mellow & Sleazy and Matorokisi singer Makhadzi make guest appearances, and this season unveils a dramatic drum majorette crew, that incorporates traditional and modern dance styles whilst adding a burst of colour to the episodes.
The series was produced by Bomb for the first four seasons. Quizzical Pictures took over as producers from Seasons 5-7; Burnt Onion took over for Season 8.
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