South African actress Kim Engelbrecht’s hair-raising role as Reyka in the drama of the same name has earned her a well-deserved Emmy nomination.
She received the nomination for best actress shortly after bagging a SAFTA (South African Film and Television Awards) this year.
The M-Net crime series is the first African drama series to be nominated in more than a decade. Home Affairs was nominated in 2007 and 2008 followed by Sokhulu and Partners in 2009.
Reyka follows criminal profiler Reyka Gama, who investigates a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar-cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal.
She is the fifth African actress to be nominated for an Emmy after Egyptian Menna Shalabi in 2021, Thuso Mbedu in 2017 and 2018, Lerato Mvelase in 2010, and Brenda Ngxoli in 2007.
Englebrecht said the nomination is a tremendous honour for her.
She started acting early in the 2000s when she landed a small role, Lolly, which eventually saw her becoming a stage regular on Isidingo. She also won a SAFTA for the role. The 42-year-old was also cast in the American superhero series, The Flash, as the mechanic.
About the nomination, she said: “This serves as validation to our entire Reyka team that hard work and commitment does not go unnoticed. Congratulations Team Reyka.
“Thank you to the International Emmys for the incredible nomination. Thank you for the opportunity to share our show with the world. South Africa has so many stories to tell.”
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