Sarafina! (1992): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1992, Sarafina! is a drama, family and music film directed by Darrell James Roodt, running about 117 minutes. “She was their teacher. They were her hope.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. The plot centers on students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to the implementation of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools. The stage version presents a school uprising similar to the Soweto uprising on June 16, 1976. A narrator introduces several characters among them the school girl activist Sarafina. Things get out of control when a policeman shoots several pupils in a classroom. Nevertheless, the musical ends with a cheerful farewell show of pupils leaving school, which takes most of act two. In the movie version Sarafina feels shame at her mother's (played by Miriam Makeba in the film) acceptance of her role as domestic servant in a white household in apartheid South Africa, and inspires her peers to rise up in protest, especially after her inspirational teacher, Mary Masombuka (played by Whoopi Goldberg in the film version) is imprisoned.

Who’s in it. Sarafina! stars Leleti Khumalo as Sarafina, Whoopi Goldberg as Mary Masembuko, John Kani as School Principal and Miriam Makeba as Angelina, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Sarafina! has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Paramount Plus Essential and YouTube TV and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Sarafina! page.

If you liked it. Fans of Sarafina! tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.