Grassroots is a South African teen drama series created and produced by Clive Morris Productions. It is an M-Net original production for Multichoice and DStv's One Magic and is a co-production with Naspers subscription video-on-demand service Showmax. The drama tells a coming-of-age story of two boys from the rural Eastern Cape who relocate to a boarding school in Johannesburg to follow their dreams of being rugby stars.[1]
| Grassroots | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Teen drama |
| Created by | Khayelihle Dom Gumede Tony Miyambo Brian van Niekerk Asher Sholtz |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Original languages | |
| Production | |
| Producers | CMP Helen Smit |
| Running time | 22-24 minutes |
| Distributor | Naspers Multichoice |
| Release | |
| Original network | One Magic Showmax |
| Original release | 19 July (2019-07-19) – 11 October 2019 (2019-10-11) |
The drama tells the story of Monwabisi and Asanda, two boys from Butterworth whose families had a close business relationship and friendship. The tragic death of Monwabisi's father in the presence of Asanda's father on a construction site tears the families apart as suspicions of foul play come to surface.
In their late teens, Asanda is a rugby obsessed boy who has disappointed the traditionalist and community leader by turning his back on the initiation ceremony to play a match for his school team. In contrast, Monwabisi has completed the initiation ceremony, however he feels conflicted without his father by his side to guide him and as a result he struggles to become the man he must be. The two boys must put their differences aside to face their common foes.[2]
According to the writers, the story is richly woven with the Xhosa traditions and explores the ageless themes of manhood. The story takes a modern-day approach on traditional customs and expectations.[3]