Though Tsolo-born Nondumiso Zweni boasts a career spanning nearly 30 years as an actor, playwright and director in theatre productions, she had managed to resist the temptation to switch to television for many years.
In fact, performing in front of the camera had been the furthest thing on her mind for many years.
That was until she saw some of her fellow performers in theatre switching to television in recent years.
And now the 51-year-old theatre veteran and mother of two has become one of the new faces on popular television soapie Scandal where she plays the character of Patricia.
“I was inspired by Gqeberha: The Empire. When I saw many familiar faces that I had worked with in the theatre space, I knew the time had come for me to try my hand on television productions,” she said.
“But it was not an easy journey. I got my big break on television at the age of 50.”
She mentioned fellow Scandal actor Bongile Mantsai and Anele Matoti as some of the actors on Gqeberha: The Empire that she knew in theatre.
“In fact, I knew and worked with Mantsai way before the television fame,” she said.
Her big television break came when she was cast in two television productions in 2024 which have yet to air. One of them, in which she plays a lead character, will air on Showmax.
On her joining Scandal, she said her agent had informed her earlier in 2025 that the show was looking to add another character and asked her if she would be interested in auditioning for the part.
She agreed and in May went for auditions, and the rest is history.
She described her character as a greedy and opportunistic person who is driven by money.
“Honestly though, my first time on television is when I was involved in some production for Mpuma Kapa TV some years back.
“Despite working in theatre for such a long time, there’s not much difference between it and television.
“The only thing that I have found challenging so far when shooting is when your character has to express an emotion like maybe crying.
“The director will say cut after shooting the scene and you have to do several takes of the same scene which means you have to dig deep inside so that your character will still be able to cry regardless of how many takes are being shot,” she said.
Despite being a newbie on Scandal, she has found her time on the show exciting so far.
The entire cast was welcoming including some of the legendary names and fellow actors such as Owen Sejake who plays the character of Sammyday More and Seputla Sebogodi who plays Kgopolo More.
Even the director had helped her relax on the first day of shooting.
The show’s executive producer, Sanele Zulu, also shook her hand on her first day.
Zweni said she was grateful for everyone’s support as “they allow you to be yourself”.
Born in Gungululu village, a young Zweni was renowned for her amazing singing voice while growing up.
One of the rooms at her home was full of her drama books, thanks to one of her uncles who was an avid collector.
He would also gather young people at their home to re-enact some of the dramas, giving a young Zweni her first glimpse into the world of acting.
She also later joined a dancing school.
In 1995, she joined the Mthatha Arts Centre which was looking for new young talent.
Two years later, she met theatre legend Billy Dakada and they have worked together on several theatre productions, including the famed Rivonia Trial.
“My advice to anyone hoping to crack it on television is to make sure they master their craft because the competition is fierce out there,” Zweni said.
However, she bemoaned that Eastern Cape acting talent still had to leave the province to make it big due to a lack of investment in the industry by the government.
Dakada, meanwhile, described Zweni as one of the rare gems, saying her big break on television was long overdue.
But he lamented that she had to leave the province to make a mark while blaming the provincial arts and culture department for failing to offer support to Eastern Cape acting talent.
“Our province is rich with stories that can be told but instead the government would rather invest in companies outside the Eastern Cape who come here to make movies and take the cake while leaving us with crumbs.
“Why should our actors be exposed in other provinces? My biggest wish is to see the Eastern Cape tell its own stories made by local production companies and portrayed by our very own actors as we have too much talent as a province,” he said.
Dakada said the Mthatha Art Centre had produced a lot of talented actors including the likes of legends like Jet Novuka who “cut their teeth” at the facility back in the day.
He praised Zweni for her passion for acting and her overall energy on stage.
They had toured many countries together including Sweden, Switzerland and China.
Daily Dispatch
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