Durban Gen is a South African medical drama telenovela. It is an e.tv original production produced by Stained Glass TV Production, commissioned and distributed by e.tv. The medical drama is based in Durban and reflects on the struggles of the doctors and nurses in their daily lives at Durban General Hospital.
As of August 5, 2021 the show moved to eVOD with repeats being broadcast on the channel.
Actors | Characters | Seasons | |
1 | 2 | ||
Nelisiwe Sibiya | Dr Mbali Mthethwa | Main | |
Mike Ndlangamandla | Dr Lindelani Zulu | Main | |
Mavuso Magabane | Dr Thabo Dlamini | Main | |
Duduzile Ngcobo | Dr Nomalanga Qwabe | Main | |
Sthandwa Nzuza | Dr Zandile Mkhize | Main | |
Fanele Ntuli | Dr Thandekile Zondo | Main | |
Zimphi Biyela | Matron Nobuhle Nkabinde | Main | |
Bheki Mahlawe | Nurse Calvin Gumede | Main | |
Mxolisi”Zuluboy” Majozi | MacGyver | Main | |
Nombulelo Mhlongo | Nurse Sne Mtshali | Main | |
Tshidi Makitle | Nurse Phumeza Sibiya | Main | |
Sifiso Sibiya | Bab’ Milton Gumede | Main | |
Yola Plaatjie | Dr Nangamso Jack | Main | |
Thokozisa Ziqubu | Dr Lethuxolo Bhengu | Main | |
Mpume Mthombeni | Agatha Dlamini | Recurring | Main |
Lizwi Ndumo | Lwandle Zulu | Main | Recurring |
Mthandeni Mbambo | Dectective Sibiya | Recurring | |
Sibongokuhle Nkosi | Thembinator | Recurring | |
Nhlakanipho Mhlongo | Msizi | Recurring | |
Zanele Zulu | Sylvia Shange | Recurring | |
Busani Mbili | Dr Nzimande | Recurring |
Production
On 21 August 2020, e.tv announced that the new local drama series would premiere on 5 October.
According to e.tv head of local productions Helga Palmar, the series comes at a time where there is sharp attention on frontline workers.
Main Cast
- Nelisiwe Sibiya– Dr Mbali Mthethwa, a surgical intern. Mbali was engaged to Sibusiso Dlamini who is Dr. Thabo Dlamini’s brother. Mbali finds herself in a continuous love triangle between Sibusiso and Dr. Lindelani, but is finally married with Sibusiso and is hiding that when they married she was no longer a virgin. She lost her virginity to Lindelani. Her husband Sibusiso was shot dead by a drunk Thabo he killed him by a mistake.
- Mavuso Magabane– Dr Thabo Dlamini, Chief of Surgery. He is married to Dr Precious Dlamini, but is a womanizer and has had illicit sexual relations with a few of the nurses of the hospital. Thabo is a recovered alcoholic. He had a brief affair with Precious’ friend, Zandile. He killed his brother.
- Duduzile Ngcobo– Dr Nomalanga Qwabe, Superintendent. Superintendent Qwabe is the boss of Durban General Hospital. She is feared but respected. She went to Cuba with her boyfriend Dr Ndlovu to possibly get a cure for her cancer. She appointed Dr Zulu as acting Superintendent in her absence.
- Mike Ndlangamandla– Dr. Lindelani Zulu, acting Superintendent and surgeon. Dr. Zulu is Mbali’s love interest. After dating for some time, Lindelani deflowered Mbali and proposed marriage to her. He is a father to his daughter, Lwandle. Lindelani’s wife passed on in a surgery, to which he blames Thabo as he was the doctor operating. Lindelani was in charge of the interns but when he became Superintendent, he handed over the intern duties to Dr. Zandile Mkhize.
- Lihle Dhlomo– Dr. Precious Dlamini, Head of OB/Ggynaecology. Precious is Thabo’s wife and is struggling to fall pregnant by her husband. Precious seems to not be happy with the state of her marriage, but stays anyway. She falls pregnant after sleeping with Calvin, but aborts the baby. She later continuously slept with Sibusiso so she could get a ‘Dlamini’ baby. She gave birth to Mvelo Dlamini.
- Zimiphi Biyela– Matron Nobuhle Nkabinde, head nurse. The matron takes no nonsense from both staff and patients. She constantly checks the nurses’ uniforms, at which she always disciplines Sne because her skirt is always too short. Some of the employees avoid her at times, especially when she wants to give out her baked treats, or wants to sell a product. She finds herself crushing on Dr. Ndlovu, who does not share the same feelings for her. She later had a brief relationship with MacGyver.
- Nombulelo Mhlongo– Nurse Sne Mtshali. Sne is the ‘slay queen’ of the hospital, she is always on top of what is trending on social media, and always knows what is happening in everyone’s lives. She is a very bubbly character. One of the running gags of the show is that Sne is always at odds with the matron because of her short skirts. She and Calvin have a close friendship. Sne is the love interest of MacGyver, with whom she has had a one night stand with.
- Bheki Mahlawe- Nurse Calvin Gumede. Calvin is the son of MaCele and Baba Gumede. Calvin is friends with Sne, MacGyver, and Phumeza. He had a one night stand with Precious which resulted in her falling pregnant. He was shot by Thabo when Zandile told Thabo that he slept with Precious but he remained alive.
- Fanele Ntuli– Dr. Thandekile Zondo, surgical intern. Thandekile is an intern who is friends with Mbali and Ndabezinhle. She usually acts as the voice of reason among her friends and aims to be a surgeon after her internship. She was in a brief relationship with Dr Ngcobo.
- Zuluboy– MacGyver, paramedic. MacGyver is a good-natured person who sometimes can be foolish. He works closely with Baba Gumede as a paramedic. His love interest is Sne, who constantly rejects him. He is usually caught on the wrong side of his get-rich-quick ideas.
- Tsidi Makitle– Nurse Phumeza Sibiya. Phumeza is a caring, soft-spoken, and well-mannered character. Her ability to incline to patients, as well as her overall industry makes her the matron’s favorite nurse. She does tend to lack social skills as well as street smarts. She is married to Detective Sibiya.
- Sifiso Sibiya– Bab’ Milton Gumede. Baba Gumede is MaCele’s husband and Calvin’s father. He is young at heart. He usually is involved in MacGyver’s tricks. Gumede tends to also lend an ear to anyone, especially the male staff members, who is going through something personal and is willing to offer them advice. He is revealed to be Msizi’s father. When his wife MaCele found out that he used their savings to pay his former mistress, she had a heart attack and died.
- Sthandwa Nzuza- Dr Zandile Mkhize. She is Precious’s friend and she was married to Dr Siyabonga Mkhize but they got divorced because Zandile did illegal abortions and she aborted their child. Precious told her all her secrets and she was blackmailing Sibusiso because she wanted money and Precious kidnapped her and drugged her because she did not want her to tell thabo the truth about Mvelo but she escaped and told Thabo the truth about Mvelo and Precious and Calvin’s affair and a heartbroken Thabo shoots Calvin and is now plotting for revenge to all those people who made a fool of him.