At the forefront of Mzansi Magic’s biggest TV dramas, are some of the top entertainers in South Africa.
Mampho Brescia
ON ISIBAYA
Iris Zungu is as wicked as she is beautiful. As the third wife of Taxi boss Mpiyakhe Zungu, nicknamed ‘umfazi wephepha’, she’s best friends with the good life and will throw anyone under a taxi to get ahead. Used to the finer things in life, Iris stops at nothing – including philandering (cheating), stealing and telling lies – to get ahead.
IN REALITY
Mampho Brescia is an actress, voiceover artist and presenter. She was born in Soweto, Johannesburg and holds an International Relations degree from Wits University. In her 15 years in the industry, she has appeared in movies such as District 9 and in local dramas including Generations and Jacob’s Cross 2. A mother and a wife, Mampho has lived and worked in Los Angeles, USA. Besides speaking four South African languages, she’s also fluent in Japanese.
Thembi Nyandeni
ON ISIBAYA
Mkabayi Zungu is the no-nonsense, tough-talking matriarch (mother) of the Zungu family. She is the sister of taxi boss, Mpiyakhe Zungu, and is now running the family business in the absence of her brother. Never one to mess around, Mkabayi is a leader who commands respect from both men and women.
IN REALITY
Thirty-eight years in and Thembi Nyandeni has worked on almost every side of the industry and is considered Mzansi entertainment royalty. A professional stage and television actress, she’s also worked as a choreographer, singer, scriptwriter and researcher for children’s educational programmes. She has won numerous awards including Best Television Actress Drama award and Best Supporting Actress award for the. In 1992, Thembi created the theatre production, Baobab, which was the forerunner (came before) to Umoja. Thembi received the Best Costume Design award for Umoja. The show also won the prestigious First National Bank VITA AWARD for Best Musical Production and for Best Review in 2001. Thembi is also active in her community where she’s inspired a love of the arts in the youth.
Ayanda Borotho
ON ISIBAYA
Phumele Zungu is taxi boss Mpiyakhe’s second wife who is always respectful and adoring of her husband. She is a loving mother to her 10 children. Warm- hearted and kind, she eventually learns to stand up for herself and be her own person.
IN REALITY
Ayanda is an actress and former model best known for playing the title role in the SABC1 sitcom, Nomzamo. Fourteen years ago, she started out playing the role of babysitting schoolgirl, Thami, in Generations. Ayanda trained in speech and drama at Brettonwood High School in Umbilo, KwaZulu-Natal. She earned an Integrated Marketing Communications diploma at the AAA School of Advertising, specialising in strategic brand management. She also had a minor role in the Leon Schuster film, Mr. Bones, in 2000.
Manaka Ranaka
ON ZABALAZA
Beauty Cele is a tjatjarag gossiper and manipulator who is jealous of her husband’s family. She knows her husband, Mthunzi, married her as his second choice and because of it, she is set on controlling him. She loves talking badly about her in-laws and causes trouble in the family.
IN REALITY
Manaka Ranaka is a multilingual performer who has been entertaining South African audiences for 13 years. She’s been in local dramas such as Isindingo, Gaz’lam, Stokvel and Tshisa. She won the Golden Horn for Best Actress in a TV Comedy two years in a row at the South African Film and Television awards (SAFTAs) for her role in Stokvel. She’s a mother of two and older sister to fellow-entertainer, Dineo Ranaka.
Mbali Ntuli
ON ZABALAZA
Neli Moabi is a beautiful woman working as a paramedic. She is engaged to policeman, David Cele who comes from the well-to-do Cele family. She was once in a relationship with David’s brother, Moss Cele, whom she now enjoys a love-hate relationship with. Although not a villain, she makes some bad choices along the way.
IN REALITY
After seven years as an entertainer, Mbali Ntuli has starred in many television shows including Gaz’lam, Yizo Yizo II, Egoli, Zero Tolerance II and has been a presenter on The Chat Room. She also had a leading role as investigative reporter, Barbara Mthembu, on a show called Access News. She has also appeared in Rhythm City. She starred as Lindi in the drama series, Intersexions in 2010, and as Lindiwe Ntuli in the SABC1 drama series, Fallen. She was also Production Co-Ordinator on the sitcom, Home Sweet Home.
Bonnie Mbuli
ON ROCKVILLE
Dudu Bogatsu grew up poor but managed to catch herself a rich husband and now lives a comfortable life in the suburbs. A dramatic character, she can be silly and mean. She’s a mother to twin daughters and has a challenging, distrustful relationship with one while she spoils the other rotten. Dudu will do anything to keep her shady husband, played by Shona Ferguson, who has come out of jail and now runs a high-class brothel out of trouble, and keep her family living in the lap of luxury.
IN REALITY
Bonnie Henna was born in Soweto and was discovered 21 years ago at a bus stop at the age of 13. She has appeared in international films such as Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning tale, Invictus, as well as Catch a Fire and the highly praised, Drum. She’s also bagged roles in international TV dramas such as Charlie Jade and The Philanthropist. Locally, she’s best known for her role as Ntombi in the drama series, Home Affairs. She was a celebrity contestant on the Mnet reality competition, Survivor South Africa: Maldives in 2011. She also acted in local series such as Hillside, Soul City, Rhythm City and Gaz’lam. Besides being a mother to two boys, Bonnie added author to her CV with the release of her autobiography, Eyebags and Dimples in 2012.
Gail Mabalane
ON ROCKVILLE
Vicky ‘Queen of Bling’ Mofokeng is a high-end escort working in the most expensive brothel in town. Vicky is doubtful about love and refuses to see men as anything but a source of cash. She has closed off any idea of falling in love and has dedicated her life to being a good mother to her son. She has been able to build a solid life for herself with her job. Her life is thrown into crisis when she falls in love with an ordinary, working class man to whom she can’t bring herself to reveal her true profession.
IN REALITY
Even though she has only been acting on our screens for two years, we have come to love and appreciate Gail Mabalane’s many talents. She started her acting career as Lelo Sedibe on the M-Net soapie, The Wild. She’s also the first African face to represent the global beauty brand, Olay. Few know her as a singer, although she was one of the Top 10 finalists on the sixth season of the M-Net reality competition, Idols, in 2010. In 2001, Gail was a Top five Finalist in the Miss South Africa Teen pageant and later, was crowned Miss Kaizer Chiefs Africa. Earlier this year, she said ‘I do’ to kwaito star and TKZ band member, Kabelo Mabalane.
Story by Sbu Mpungose Photographer Shaun Smith Stylist Nondumiso Mazwi Make-up Nomsa Madida
