It’s one of the most popular and longest-running youth drama series in the country and with her 11-year stint on Skeem Saaam, lead actress Elizabeth Serunye was a cakes vendor before becoming a hit on the small screen.
Millions of viewers are currently fascinated with the unravelling storyline involving the tussle between Serunye’s character, Jacobeth Thobakgale, and her longtime nemesis,
Alfred Magongwa, played by Putla Sehlapelo, as they slug it out for power and control of Turf High School.
Sunday World this week sat down with Serunye as she looked back on her journey in the highly competitive industry and her potrayal of the principal of Turf High School.
Serunye, 51, better known as “Batista” to her pupils, says she started acting training in 1986 in her hometown of Alexandra, a township north of Johannesburg. At that time, acting was not motivated as a career in black communities but her passion for the art would not allow her to back down from reaching her dreams.
Then the turbulent period to her career started. She lost some gigs and eventually believed she should find an alternative job to at least put food on the table. Serunye started working in retail. She then started showing face on the screens at age 23 on Dinnete Tsa Bophelo.
In 2001, the same year she got an acting gig on Generations, Serunye started a street vending business at her street corner selling cakes for R5 every morning between 5.30am to 8.30am. She says her target market were people who woke up every morning to go to work, school or just going out to seek jobs.
“I have tried so many things in my life. This goes from selling cakes by the street corner to working in retail,” Serunye says.
She bagged a role on Rhythm City as Rose and joined Skeem Saam in 2011 as the strict and focused principal.
Among others, she also showed face on The Coconuts, Mzee Wa Two Six and Ga Re Dumele. Serunye says she much relates to her current role on Skeem Saam as a strict woman who just aims for the stars. On the show, Magongwa forces her out of her principalship reign, pushing his way to be her replacement.
“Miss Thobakgale just feels the need to go but you know, sometimes you should fight for what you believe in as I did in my life, we’ll see how the storyline develops,” she says.
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