How far does a mother go when the world stops giving her choices? Netflix has just dropped the gripping trailer for Marked, a raw and emotionally-charged six-part crime drama launching on the service on 31 July 2025. Marked follows cash-in-transit security guard, Babalwa (Lerato Mvelase), a woman cornered by circumstance, fighting to protect what matters most. As the pressure mounts, the line between right and necessary begins to blur, leaving one haunting question: What happens when survival leaves no room for mercy?
Lerato Mvelase leads as Babalwa in the thrilling Netflix series, Marked
Caught between haunting prayers and simmering silences, Babalwa and her upstanding husband, Lungile (Bonko Khoza), live a life defined by discipline and duty until their daughter, Palesa (Ama Qamata), living with a life-threatening condition, takes a turn for the worse. With no medical aid, no savings, and no lifeline in sight, desperation takes hold and what begins with quiet prayers and small loans soon escalates into an uneasy alliance with local hustler Zweli (Sphamandla Dhludhu) and dependable colleague, Tebza (S’Dumo Mtshali), pulling Babalwa into a high-stakes scheme that puts everything, and everyone, she loves on the line.
Watch Trailer
The bold plan to fix everything fast begins to unravel when Babalwa is betrayed by the very people she trusted. With loyalty in short supply and danger closing in, she’s forced to shed any remaining illusions of mercy and is dragged deeper into a world of moral grey zones, left to decide how far she is willing to go.
Marked features a commanding South African ensemble, including Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha, Desmond Dube, Natasha Thahane, Gaisang Noge, Linda Sokhulu, and Mduduzi Mabaso. Together, they deliver layered performances that ground the story’s tension and emotional stakes.
Synopsis
After her daughter’s illness worsens, a cash-in-transit security guard makes a series of desperate decisions, but when she’s betrayed, to save her daughter and herself, she’ll become worse than any of her newfound enemies.
Cast & Crew
Production company: Quizzical Pictures
Executive Producer: Harriet Gavshon, Odirile Mekwa, JP Potgieter
Creative Producer: Akin Omotoso
Director: Akin Omotoso, Matshepo Maja and Jono Hall
Writers: Sydney Dire (Head Writer), Wendy Gumede, Charlene Ntsane