Khabonina has her hands full
# $% & '
ACTRESS extra-ordinaire Khabonina Qubeka is a jet-setter of note lately.
The celebrated Thespian has been air-shuttling between Uzalo shoots, that are in the township of KwaMashu in Durban, and the Isidingo set in Joburg.
Her work schedule involves being on the sets of SABC1 and SABC3’s two most popular shows, besides doing her cooking show on SABC2 and her women and children “Love Yourself” projects entailing workshops.
Qubeka, 35, has certainly had her hands full working on SABC1 telenovela Uzalo, on which she stars as a cougar named Nokuthula, and SABC3’s Isidingo, where she plays Nina, a tough cookie vixen, drug dealer, shebeen owner and daughter of feared gangster Georgie Zamdela.
“I’ve had to do a lot of air travelling of late but I’m not complaining because it comes with the territory,” she says.
The multi-talented entertainer, whose love for her craft resonates passion whenever she speaks about what she does, describes Isidingo as her “main chick” and Uzalo as a “side chick”.
“We had to come to an understanding with the Uzalo directors on how I would be on both shows without compromising or disrupting the shooting schedules,” says Qubeka, who has not stopped amassing more feathers in her well-decorated cap.
“I rest a bit, sleep, then I have to read the whole script, sometimes on the plane because I’m that kind of an actor who believes in reading my fellow actors’ stories and lines to get the full content of the show.”
Speaking a week after making her Uzalo debut last Monday, Qubeka said the fans of the telenovela should “not take Nokuthula as just another cougar because she is bound to shake” the rich and famous Xulu family, whose young son Mxolisi, portrayed by Naymaps Maphalala, has fallen head over heels in love with her.
“She’s going to turn Mxolisi, her mother and sister’s lives around forever,” that is all she is willing to give away.
But she says when she first read the script, she found Nokuthula to be a woman with different layers. “She’s nitty, real and does what women want to do but are scared of.
“I’m not surprised that Nokuthula has been trending on Twitter, with both guys and girls talking about the up or down sides of dating an older partner.
“It’s what is happening in our lives but people are scared to talk about it. It’s a story-line that’s on point, it hits the nerve.
“It’s been great working with Naymaps because he sees himself as an artist who is out to entertain, not a celebrity. We both give it our all when playing our characters.”
Qubeka gushes about her next big project, a stage musical movie titled She is King, scheduled for release next year.
The all-round entertainer, fitness expert, choreographer, singer-dancer and businesswoman also stars in the critically acclaimed movie Dora’s Peace, that won the Best South African Feature award at the Jozi Film Festival a month ago and is set to open the screenings at the KwaZulu-Natal Film Festival on December 2.
ITWO years ago nobody knew who Khaya Dladla was. But after charming small-screen viewers with his acting skills, he is now one of the most adored actors on prime TV.
Popular for his character GC on SABC1 telenovela Uzalo, Dladla mesmerises with his acting skills as a hyperactive and talkative gay man on the drama. “GC has no chill, no filter and speaks weird English. He has so much shade and gossip of the township,” he says.
Dladla, 26, said the reaction of the viewers of the show had been “amazing”.
“I enjoy their love and support, they must continue to show the love and I will continue to push harder each time I take on the show.”
Before his rise to fame, Dladla was a backing vocalist, a manager at a PR and events agency and also worked with playwright Mbongeni Ngema.
The flamboyant actor, who also owns an entertainment company, is a member of a band called Salt & Light and says they are working on their debut single.
Born into a religious family in Umlazi, Durban, with five siblings, his character on the telly is the opposite of his upbringing.
“We prayed everyday at 6pm, so everyone had to be in the house at that time,” he said.
Although the family was religious, Dladla said the children were allowed to participate in extramural activities of their choice.
“My extramural activities were in entertainment as a dancer, singer and actor. That’s where it all began.”
Due to his heavily religious upbringing, he says he still prays for everything, be it gigs or work.
Among his siblings, he was the overly energetic one, so his parents sent him to acting and ballet classes from as early as he was six. Two years later, he landed his first gig in a theatre show.
“From then it never stopped. I would be away from school for three months doing gigs and I didn’t even know I was getting paid, I just loved what I was doing.”
Dladla’s future plans include venturing into property and performing internationally.
khalianyanel@sundayworld.co.za
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