Keke Mputhi (27) left home and everything she knew to pursue acting. She shares her journey with us. By Kwanele Mathebula
I moved to Johannesburg to pursue a career in entertainment. This is after studying business management at the London School of Business Management in Bloemfontein. I graduated in 2013, and got a job at an events company. A few weeks into my job, I realised that it wasn’t what I wanted for myself. I wanted to be on stage performing instead of organising events for other people to do what I longed to do. In 2014, I resigned with only R300 in my pocket. I then moved to Johannesburg to pursue my dream of being an entertainer.
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Cameo roles in popular TV shows helped me gain exposure. When I arrived in Johannesburg, I started working as a choreographer and dancer in music videos for artists such as Black Coffee and Zulu Boy. I also worked as a presenter on SABC 1 music show, Fan Base. In 2017, I made appearances on TV shows such as Skeem Saam, iNumber Number and The Queen. In September of the same year, Connie and Shona Ferguson who I had met when I appeared on The Queen called me to audition for a lead role on their new show, Unmarried. I went to the audition and was told a few days later that I got the role. The show thrust me into the spotlight.
In the midst of it all, I lost myself. While working towards building my career, I ignored my spirituality which has always been a large part of my upbringing and life. My career started to suffer; I would get jobs and they would not last long. I questioned what it was that I was doing wrong. I eventually realised that I had neglected my relationship with God. I started rebuilding that connection, and during that time, I lost jobs, friends and relationships that were not good for me. After this, I received a call that changed my life.
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I landed the role on The Throne in 2018. In June, while getting my nails done, I received a call from my agent. She told me that the Fergusons had requested me for a lead role on their new show, The Throne. I did not believe it at first until I received the character bio, and I was excited for the opportunity. The character, Dipuo, is completely different from any role I’ve done. She is a village girl who doesn’t wear wigs or make-up. She always has something up her sleeve. Playing her has been interesting. I can’t wait for the viewers to get to know her better.
