As a cleaning lady for a rich Cape Town family, Zenzi is used to blending into the background. But in Unseen, the newest crime thriller from South Africa, she’ll have to step out of the shadows in order to track down her missing husband. 

Inspired by the Turkish thriller Fatma, Unseen transports the story to a new continent courtesy of the creative team behind South African teen drama Blood & Water. Curious to know more about Unseen? Read on to learn everything you need to know about the new series.

What happens in Unseen? 

At first glance, Unseen heroine Zenzile Mwale (Blood & Water’s Gail Mabalane) is an unassuming house cleaner. But in the opening moments of the series we learn that Zenzi, timid as she may seem, is a murderer. Desperate to find her husband, who was just released from prison, she unexpectedly kills a local crime boss, setting gangsters on her trail. To stay alive and out of prison, Zenzi is forced to kill again as she continues to search for her missing husband, uncovering a massive conspiracy involving a corrupt bank and some very powerful people in the process.

How many episodes of Unseen are there? 

There are six episodes of Unseen, all running between 41 and 53 minutes.

When does Unseen come out?

You can stream Unseen on Netflix now.

Who stars in Unseen?

• Gail Mabalane as cleaning lady-turned-killer Zenzi 
• Brendon Daniels as local gangster Raymond
• Hein De Vries as Raymond’s No. 1 henchman, Joseph
• Waldemar Schultz as the policeman on Zenzi’s trail, Detective Morkel
• Vuyo Dabula as Zenzi’s missing husband, Max
• Ilse Klink as Detective Lyners 
• Dineo Langa as Zenzi’s estranged younger sister, Naledi
• Colin Moss as Reuben Theron
• Mothusi Magano as The Author

Where does Unseen take place?

Unseen is set in present-day Cape Town, South Africa.

Is Unseen based on a true story?

No, Unseen is not based on a true story — it’s actually based on the Turkish Netflix series Fatma, which follows a nondescript house cleaner reeling from tragedy whose search for her missing husband racks up a considerable body count. Sound familiar? Burcu Biricik, Uğur Yücel, Mehmet Yılmaz Ak, Hazal Türesan and Olgun Toker star in the 2021 limited series.

Will there be an Unseen Season 2?

While there’s no news on a potential second season right now, check back here for any updates.

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