Nomzamo Mbatha is a South African actress, TV personality, businesswoman, accountant, and human rights activist. She was born and raised in KwaMashu in the KwaZulu Natal province and has gone on to make a name for herself in Hollywood, starring in films alongside Eddie Murphy (Coming 2 America) and Bruce Willis (Soul Assassin).
Prior to acting, Mbatha was a university student in Cape Town, studying accounting. It was at the university that she got the opportunity to audition for a TV presenting show. Although she didn’t win, she made it into the top three and got scouted by a production company.
“It was never my dream to be famous, but then I got into the top three in the country, and everyone was voting and everyone was really believing in this dream, and I went like, ‘I [have] to win now because so many people have joined the bandwagon,” she told Forbes.
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Despite losing out on the number one spot, the South African said she was not disappointed because she knew God was preparing her for greater things, adding that it was because of the show she got scouted for.
“After not winning, I remember I told myself, in that moment when the winner was announced, that she deserved it. I remember just saying, ‘God thank you for this no, I know you are preparing me for a greater yes,” she said.
Mbatha said transitioning into the entertainment field did not come easy for her as she struggled with self-doubt and lack of confidence. However, she said she overcame them by “faking it until she made it” and learning to believe in herself, eventually becoming a successful TV personality and executive producer.
“Isibaya,” which became her breakthrough in the movie industry, aired on the African continent and came to an end after eight seasons. She has since gone on to make her executive producing debut with “Shaka iLembe”, a 13-episode narrative that started airing last June and tells the story of the great Zulu King. Mbatha did not only serve as the executive producer of the series but also played the role of the king’s mother, Queen Nandi.
The actress and businesswoman said chasing her dream has not always been easy.
“There are always challenges when you want to really pursue something that’s so much greater and it feels like such a huge craft,” she told Mugibson. “For me, it was really just about perfecting my craft, becoming good at what I do, and constantly just learning and becoming better and better and better and using each project as an opportunity as well to just learn and be a good student to life.”
