In February 2020, a bold, action-packed story made history on streaming screens across the world—Queen Sono, Netflix’s first-ever African original series, arrived with guns blazing and heels clicking.
Created by South African comedian and filmmaker Kagiso Lediga and starring Pearl Thusi in the title role, Queen Sonowasn’t just another addition to the Netflix catalog. It was a turning point. A moment. A statement. For the first time, Africa wasn’t just a backdrop or subplot. It was the center. The hero. The heartbeat.
A Story Rooted in the Continent, but Built for the World
Set across multiple African countries, Queen Sono follows the story of a highly trained South African spy working for a secret government agency. But Queen is more than just an operative. She’s also the daughter of a slain revolutionary leader, grappling with a haunting personal history even as she uncovers international conspiracies.
From Nairobi to Zanzibar, Johannesburg to Lagos, the show takes us on a thrilling ride across the continent, not in postcards, but in gritty, intimate, real-time danger. Languages flow freely: English, Zulu, Swahili, Russian, French. So do cultural references and politics. Queen Sono multiplies African stories.
A Historic First for Netflix and Africa
Before Queen Sono, African creatives were often relegated to local cinemas, small budgets, and international invisibility. Netflix’s decision to greenlight an original African production was a powerful signal: the world was ready for African storytelling, not as charity, but as world-class entertainment.
It was a big deal. For South African cinema. For African writers, actors, and directors. For black girls who finally saw a lead character that looked like them, not in servitude, not in trauma, but in full, confident power.
Pearl Thusi, already a household name in South Africa, carried the show with magnetic grit. Her Queen is sexy but never reduced to it. Smart but not infallible. Strong, yes, but sometimes vulnerable. In short: a complete woman, not a symbol.
More Than a Spy Series
Though Queen Sono fits neatly into the action-espionage genre, its core themes are unmistakably African and deeply personal: post-colonial power struggles, corruption, nationalism, identity, and grief. Her mother’s assassination isn’t just a personal mystery, it’s political. Her job is about stopping the bad guys— and also navigating whose “bad” gets to matter.
The show’s real tension lives in those blurred lines: between loyalty and justice, past and future, nation and family. Between love and loss.
Why It Mattered Then and Still Matters Now
At its debut, Queen Sono opened doors for an entire continent’s creative class. It proved that African content could be sleek, binge-worthy, and globally competitive. It challenged dated Western perceptions of Africa as a monolith. It showed us Nairobi’s neon glow and Joburg’s skyline as action-thriller playgrounds. It reimagined espionage not from CIA war rooms but from African intelligence units with layered, homegrown stakes.
Despite its initial renewal for a second season, production challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic led to its cancellation. Fans were gutted, but the legacy had already been cemented.
Queen Sono walked so others could run.
In the years since, Netflix has expanded its African catalog significantly. From Nigeria’s Blood Sisters to South Africa’s Savage Beauty, and Kenya’s Country Queen. But Queen Sono remains the blueprint. The bold prototype. The high-heeled footprint left on the door Netflix kicked open.
A Series Worth Revisiting
If you haven’t watched Queen Sono, now’s the time to go back. Not just for the fast-paced thrills or the slick visuals but for what it represents. For how it shifts the narrative.
Watch it for the mother-daughter story wrapped in explosions. Watch it for the pan-African pride threaded through every chase and whisper. Watch it because the story of Africa, told by Africans, will always be different.
It’s not just about Queen Sono. It’s about the Queens coming next.
