M-Net's Legacy was one of the shows viewers were sad to see come to an end, but the production and cast have loads to celebrate after bagging a nod from the South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas). 

The telenovela, which last aired in September 2022, is among the nominated telenovelas for the 17th annual Saftas.

Kgomotso Christopher, who scored a nomination in the Best Actress in a Telenovela category, told Sowetan's sister publication TshisaLIVE her nomination for the Saftas came as a sweet surprise.

“It's a huge honour to be nominated for Legacy season 2. We are a show that had two seasons and, perhaps the viewers will remember, it's a show that is not coming back on M-Net. I was nominated last year in the same category for season 1.

"I am very grateful the work is acknowledged... We are happy that whatever work was done in the two seasons has been acknowledged in the Saftas nomination for this year.”

Legacy and The River, from Tshedza Pictures, have each been nominated in 11 categories.

“Playing Dineo was the first time I've worked with Tshedza Pictures and M-Net. It's a company I've always admired and always wished I could work with them and with Phathu Makwerela, which we pretty much know is the god of producing in the country right now. For me it was God-sent, it was something  I always wanted to do.”

Kgomotso is nominated with House of Zwide's Matshepo Maleme, Jo-Anne Reyneke for The Estate and Tsholofelo Matshaba and Sindi Dlathu for The River

“We wanted to bring a story that is multidimensional, multicultural and multiracial. A lot of people would've watched Legacy and thought, 'This is like Isidingo' and so conceptually it was a show that was for everyone and it captured different walks of life, LSMs, different races and in doing so I got to be reunited with my old family from Isidingo, Michelle [Botes]. It was a beautiful, full-circle moment to work with people I worked with at the beginning of my career.”

Kgomotso starred as Dineo Price on Legacy.

She told TshisaLIVE she always goes for things that challenge her.

“I've never been challenged to play a role of a mother who is in a multiracial family, which a lot of South Africans can resonate with. It was lovely to reach into this rich woman who had this fantastic life.”

Kgomotso lives by a mantra that says “as long as her work narrates conversations and experiences of other people across the world and makes them ask uncomfortable questions she has done her job”.

“The storylines didn't shy away from asking those questions from the micro aggression that we feel in society as women who are in these multicultural families. In the shoes of Dineo, what I can say is I got to feel and understand the discomfort of a post-democratic, multiracial South Africa. For me it was beautiful to portray it in a way that is not judgmental.”