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MTV Base’s “Shuga Down South”, an on-going multi-media campaign and series that aims to inform and educate students, was screened recently at two universities in the country.

The first six screenings were conducted at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and Ster Kinekor in Bulawayo, while the last was held at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).

Apart from students, the campaign targets civilians on issues of women empowerment, gender-based violence, healthy and toxic relationships.

It also tackles all things pertaining and surrounding sex, including condoms and contraceptives, pregnancy, family planning and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Screenings of the TV episodes were accompanied by appearances from some of the cast, while episodes were streamed from online radio platforms.

Students attending were given an opportunity to meet members of the cast and interact with them as well as share, and take part in Q and A sessions, both in the City that never sleeps, Harare, and the City of Kings and Queens, Bulawayo.

The final screening took place at the University of Zimbabwe on March 20 and saw award-winning rapper and artist TiGonz gracing the occasion and treating fans to a free show.

Season 7 saw the series coming to Southern Africa with episodes being shot in South Africa, which is where and how the latest offering earned its title, “Down South”.

The series has featured international actor Lupita Nyong’o and international singer song writer, Tiwa Savage in earlier seasons. It is now giving way to more stars to show their talent and share stories within an African context.

Zimbabwean Forbes under 30 creative consultant, PR specialist and founder of PaperBag Africa, Gilmore Tee, brought this series to Zimbabwe.

The MTV “Shuga” is a television drama series that first aired in November 2009 on MTV Base. Its first two seasons were commissioned by MTV Networks Africa.

Season One comprised three episodes that followed the lives and love of a group of young students whose bright lives and fabulous future was balanced on knife edge due to their love of risk and danger.

It became a hit and was aired in 40 different countries in Africa before it was aired internationally on more than 70 television stations.

In 2013, production of the series moved to Nigeria, where the third and subsequent seasons are dubbed “Shuga Naija”.

Season three of the series was broadcast via 88 television stations across the world, with household viewers estimated at more than 550 million.

The fifth season was called “Shuga Down South” and was based in South Africa. .

The seventh series was again based in South Africa and called “MTV Shuga Down South”.