Actress Pamela Nomvete, known to millions of South Africans for her unforgettable role as the scheming Ntsiki Lukhele on the classic soapie Generations, has opened up about a painful and deeply personal battle, one that has left her questioning her place in the country she once came home to help rebuild.
In a heartfelt social media post, Nomvete revealed that she is currently unable to travel to South Africa due to passport issues, despite being a dual citizen.
Her South African passport expired this year, and efforts to renew it have led her down a bureaucratic rabbit hole.
“I am literally being told all over again to prove my South African citizenship,” she wrote.
Widespread recognition
Authorities are demanding documents from her late parents, including birth certificates and ID papers, to confirm what she already fought to prove back in 1994, when she returned to South Africa from exile to participate in the country’s first democratic elections.
“I went to my ancestral land, South Africa, so I could vote for a black majority government,” Nomvete recalled.
“The South African government welcomed us exiles, happy for us to hold dual citizenship!”
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Nomvete gained widespread recognition for her powerful performances on South African television, where she portrayed one of the most iconic villains in soap opera history.
Her work in shows like Isidingo and later roles in British dramas also earned her international acclaim. Now, she finds herself in limbo.
Both passports needed
Because she holds both British and South African passports, she cannot travel on just one; both need to be valid, and the South African Department of Home Affairs is insisting she provide documentation that, she argues, should already be on record.
“My parents are now on the ancestral plain, so I am unable to get these papers from them,” she said, pointing out the emotional absurdity of the request.
In a striking moment of reflection, Nomvete questioned whether international celebrities would face the same barriers.
“If Spike Lee, who has no immediate links to South Africa, applied for a passport, would they give him this runaround? I doubt it.
“He would most likely be met by [President] Cyril Ramaphosa on a red carpet,” she added.
Despite her heartbreak, Nomvete remains defiant.
“I shall still fight to get my passport and be recognised as a dual citizen, a South African-British born in Ethiopia. Surely the world should be our playground.”
