Umkhokha: The Curse actress Deli Malinga said winning a South African Film and Television Award (Safta) is the biggest highlight of her career.
Speaking to Sunday World this week, she said the award is a validation of her love for her work.
“Just being given an opportunity to do something I love and validating what I have always known (is wonderful),” said Malinga.
Malinga has been active in the entertainment industry since 1989, but she is best known for her role as Sarah Ngcobo in Generations.
“My journey started in community theatre. Then I moved to professional stages such as the Playhouse Company. (I have gone through) the hardships of not being cast or being sidelined, but I always believed in the talent God gave me,” she said.Â
The actress added that some of the challenges she faced included working with unprofessional people and actors who were not prepared for the role.
Malinga, who plays the role of Thenjiwe “MaMzobe” Gumede, said she does not believe that her character is a villain.
“From understanding MaMzobe’s truth and not judging her, I don’t see her as a villain because then I’ll be judging her. She’s a woman who makes some distasteful decisions but tries to be seen and heard. She created a family she never had. So she’s a human who has her fun side.”
She says fans of Umkhokha: The Curse can expect more explosive surprises and unexpected twists in her performance.Â
Malinga said there are other roles that are in the pipeline which she cannot talk about yet.
“I am shooting a few scenes in a fun drama, but they are nothing like MaMzobe,” she says.
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