Pearl Thusi is a jewel in Netflix’s local Originals crown

Due to launch in 2019, Queen Sono is about a secret agent who fights crime while dealing with personal crises. Erik Barmack, Netflix’s VP of International Originals, told SA’s International Online that the show will put the character right up there with other laudable female leads in TV series, such as Claire Underwood in House of Cards and Jessica Jones.

Created by Kagiso Lediga, Queen Sono is the second collaboration between the South African comedian and Thusi, who also teamed up for Catching Feelings, a South African romantic comedy streaming on Netflix.

The streaming giant is increasingly investing in African storytelling and African voices, having acquired the rights to Lionheart by Nigeria’s Genevieve Nnaji and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, shot in Malawi, which will premiere at Sundance.

And this is just the beginning, as Netflix’s Director of International Original Films, Funa Maduka, told Variety earlier in December. “Africa is birthplace to one of the oldest storytelling traditions in the world. It also has a rich cinematic history,” she said. “We want to present ourselves as an option as they choose the best path to connect their stories with their audiences.”

While waiting for Queen Sono to launch, stream Catching Feelings on Netflix.