One of the first “soaps” to be produced when South Africans were allowed television in the 1970s was a drama series telling the story of King Shaka, the illegitimate son of King Senzagakona.

Shaka almost single-handedly built the Zulus from a comparatively insignificant tribe into a warrior nation justly feared by all the other Black nations with whom they came into contact.

The part of Shaka was played by Henry Cele, a giant of a man who entered wholeheartedly into the role.  In his younger days he had played professional soccer as a goalkeeper, and he always wore a black outfit, thereby acquiring the nickname “Black Cat” Cele.

The television company built a permanent set for the filming, and once filming was complete, the entire site – a few kilometers from Eshowe in the Nkwaleni Valley – was turned into a tourist hotel designed to provide overseas tourists with an African experience.

Shows are held daily, with staff performing dances and singing.  Accommodation is available on site.

Sadly it has now closed.