Thoko Ntshinga (born 1953), is a South African actress, director, translator, community theatre facilitator and arts activist.[1] She is best known for the roles in the television serials such as; Egoli: Place of Gold, Interrogation Room and The River.[2][3]

Thoko Ntshinga
Born
Thoko Ntshinga

1953
Cape Town, South Africa
NationalitySouth African
Occupation(s)Actress, Director, Translator, Community theatre facilitator, Arts activist
Years active1970–present
Children2
AwardsFleur du Cap Theatre Award

Personal life

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Ntshinga was born in 1953 in Langa, Cape Town, South Africa to a musical family.[1][4]

Career

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Her acting career started in 1970s with theatre plays.[5] When she was a single parent with a two year-old daughter, she made into an audition notice for the Space Theatre. In the stage, she performed in the critics acclaim play Fröken Julie where she won the a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award. At the Space Theatre, she performed in the plays such as; A Flea in her Ear, Four Twins, The Incredible Vanishing, Lysistrata S.A., Nongogo, Patty Hearst, Rape – A Revue and The Sacrifice of Kreli. Then she joined with Barney Simon at the Market Theatre and performed in the plays Cincinnati, Born in the RSA (1985), Panorama (1987/88) and Auditioning Angels.[1][6]

In 1981, she made television debut with the series Westgate. Then in 1982, she reprised the role "Westgate receptionist" in Westgate II. In 1983, she made film debut with the direct-to-video film Farce About Uys. Since then, she appeared in many films such as; Skating on Thin Uys (as "Sophie"), A Place for Weeping (as "Joseph's Widow"), Born in the RSA, Act of Piracy (as "Cynthia") and in A Dry White Season (as "Emily").[6] In 1991, she joined with the original regular cast of the M-Net soap opera Egoli: Place of Gold where she played the role "Donna Makaula".[5] Her role became highly popular, where she continued to play the role for thirteen consecutive seasons of the show until 2010.[7]

In the meantime in 2005, she played the role of "Senior Superintendent Nomsa Dlamba" on the SABC1 drama series Interrogation Room. She reprised the role for the first four seasons of the show until 2008.[5] In 2016, she made a minor role as "Female Driver" in the Universal TV miniseries Cape Town.[6] Then in 2018, she appeared in two serials: as "Ma Mabatha" in the Mzansi Magic drama Nkululeko and then as "Nomhle" in the first two seasons of 1Magic telenovela The River. In latter, she reprised her role in the fourth season. In 2019, she joined with the kykNET supernatural police procedural series Die Spreeus to play the role "Thulani". In 2021, she played the role "Funeka Mdwaba" in the SABC2 telenovela Die Sentrum.[7]

At the 2018 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), she was honored with The Golden Horn Award for Lifetime Achievement for her contribution to the South African drama.[8] Apart from acting, she involved in the Inclusive Arts Programme at Artscape in Cape Town.[9] Meanwhile, she founded the skills development project called Our organization, the Thoko Ntshinga Foundation, which has partnered with youth empowerment organizations such as "Africa Jam" and "Bavuse Balele" to uplift the young artists in rural Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape.[10]

As a stage director, she directed the 2015 play revival Born in the RSA. Then in 2017, she produced the play Buzani Ku Bawo for Artscape. In the meantime, she served as the Director of Artscape’s Inclusive Arts Unit.[1]

Filmography

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Year Film Role Genre Ref.
1981 Westgate Westgate receptionist TV series
1982 Westgate II Westgate receptionist TV series
1983 Farce About Uys Sophie the Maid Video
1985 Skating on Thin Uys Sophie Film
1986 Place of Weeping Joseph's Widow Film
1986 Born in the RSA Film
1988 Act of Piracy Cynthia Film
1989 A Dry White Season Emily Film

1990 || ’’Velaphi’’ || Joyce||Siticom||

1991 Egoli: Place of Gold Donna Makaula TV series
1994 Ipi Tombi dialogue coach Film
1999 A Reasonable Man Attorney Nicci Ngwenya Film
2005 Interrogation Room Senior Superintendent Nomsa Dlamba TV series
2006 Surviving Katrina Grandma TV movie documentary
2007 Mein Traum von Afrika Abeba TV movie
2007 Anner House Suo. Langa TV movie
2007 Goodbye Bafana dialogue coach Film
2007 The Bird Can't Fly Fair TV series
2009 Firstborn Alina Short film
2012 Dark Tide Zukie TV series
2015 Wallander Miranda Khulu TV series
2016 Cape Town Female Driver TV series
2018 Nkululeko Ma Mabatha TV series
2018 The River Nomhle TV series
2019 Die Spreeus Thulani TV series
2019 Sizohlala Mam Confidence Short film
2020 7de Laan Nothemba TV series
2021 Die Sentrum Funeka Mdwaba TV series
2021 Blood & Water Gogo Bhele TV series

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Thokozile Ntshinga - ESAT". esat.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Thoko Ntshinga". afternoonexpress.co.za. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  3. ^ Digital, Drum. "Q&A with veteran actress Thoko Ntshinga". Drum. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  4. ^ styleyou (20 February 2021). "Congratulations To Chumani Pan And Thoko Ntshinga". style you 7. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Play a poignant reminder of our history". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Art Talk with Thoko Ntshinga". www.arts.gov. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Thoko Ntshinga: TVSA". www.tvsa.co.za. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Ntshinga's lifetime on stage and screen honoured". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  9. ^ "THOKO NTSHINGA: A LIFE OF GIVING". Jet Club. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Actress Thoko Ntshinga turns Kirkwood family home into youth centre". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
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