Poging GOUD - Vrij
From prayers to pistols
Mail & Guardian
|M&G 08 August 2025
The stakes in the new series Marked aren't just cash — they're survival, motherhood and faith in a society where even salvation has a waiting list

n about 2006, SABC 1's A Place Called Home was my introduction to Akin Omotoso’s sensitive eye for creating drama on screen.
At that time, a few other emerging African filmmakers were also exploring cinematic creativity in shows like Gazlam, Tsha Tsha, Intersexions and Yizo Yizo.
Drawing on his illustrious career, Omotoso returns to the Netflix sphere with the gripping six-part heist series Marked, which is layered with themes of moral dilemma, motherhood and corruption.
The series follows cash-in-transit security guard Babalwa, played by Lerato Mvelase, a woman cornered by circumstances who is fighting to protect what matters most — her daughter's life.
Living with a life-threatening condition, her illness takes a turn for the worse. With no medical aid, no savings and no lifeline in sight, desperation takes hold and what begins with quiet prayers and small loans soon escalates into an uneasy alliance with criminal gangs and desperate church members.
For filmmakers to explore a weighty social topic, the choice of genre is essential. The artistic vehicle to examine such themes could be comedy — or even horror. Omotoso and his team chose the heist genre to explore their misgivings about the South African healthcare system.
“Marked was inspired by a genuine concern. As it stands, there are over 30000 people on waiting lists for lifesaving surgeries. And a lot of them end up passing away without getting any help,” he says.
“The idea of waiting for salvation that never comes is heartbreaking, so we decided to dramatise this and take the audience on a journey.”
Commanding cast and action scenes
Dit verhaal komt uit de M&G 08 August 2025-editie van Mail & Guardian.
Abonneer u op Magzter GOLD voor toegang tot duizenden zorgvuldig samengestelde premiumverhalen en meer dan 9000 tijdschriften en kranten.
Bent u al abonnee? Aanmelden
MEER VERHALEN VAN Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Mpondoland at the precipice
Its plight echoes a global call to remember who we are and what we stand to lose
5 mins
M&G 17 October 2025
Mail & Guardian
Namibia shifts gears in its journey to women in power
That changed with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. When she took the oath of office on 21 March, she did not just become Namibia’s first female president — she recalibrated the country’s idea of who belongs at the top.
3 mins
M&G 17 October 2025
Mail & Guardian
What Multichoice, Canal + deal means
This is the French media company's largest transaction
2 mins
M&G 17 October 2025

Mail & Guardian
Student wins bullying case
Amara Mooloo says the college launched disciplinary proceedings against her instead of addressing the claims
5 mins
M&G 17 October 2025
Mail & Guardian
Côte d'Ivoire vote relevant for region
Côte d'Ivoire's experience in handling electoral disputes through legal channels demonstrates the rule of law in action
4 mins
M&G 17 October 2025

Mail & Guardian
Paris, death destination of ambassadors past and present
Last week, as Spring dawned, the 5am news bulletin stopped me mid-step en route to my first cup of piping hot coffee.
6 mins
M&G 17 October 2025
Mail & Guardian
Sex pest teacher: Mom speaks out
Bereaved mother recalled her son's 2022 suicide as a 52-year-old former teacher at the school appeared in court this week on 25 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault of young boys
5 mins
M&G 17 October 2025
Mail & Guardian
Walk with us, President Ramaphosa
As with Marikana, the CR17 bank statements and Phala Phala — the biggest scandal of his presidency — Cyril Ramaphosa yet again finds himself in a pickle.
2 mins
M&G 17 October 2025

Mail & Guardian
When the lens sings
Vuyo Giba speaks about archiving South Africa's jazz legacy through black-and-white photography and reflects on Feya Faku's death
5 mins
M&G 17 October 2025

Mail & Guardian
Odinga: the relentless Pan-Africanist
Kenya's Raila Odinga, a pan-Africanist who dominated politics for half a century
5 mins
M&G 17 October 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size