ACTING LIFE IN SA NOT ALL GLITZY FOR LOCALS

MBABANE – A number of local actors have been getting acting opportunities in South Africa, and most of them do encounter challenges along the way.

The entertainment desk investigated what some local actors had to go through while in South Africa, as a means to empower other acting enthusiasts who might be looking to take up space in the South African acting industry. In our investigation, we discovered that acting in the rainbow nation works well if you get to play a lead role in the cast. We also discovered that the industry is also good for aspiring actors when they have been headhunted instead of applying for an acting role. Worth mentioning, is the fact that the local acting industry is still in its infancy, even though a lot of emaSwati have what it takes to make it on the big screen.

According to the recently-launched Eswatini National Arts and Culture Policy, film and television are powerful media platforms for transmitting culture through generations and to other nations. For this reason, the policy calls for the establishment of a proper production house and support for independent local producers by accepting low-budget films with local content. This is written in chapter seven of the policy under creative cultural industries.

“The acting industry is in its infancy and is dominated by small independent producers. Proper production houses that are professionally run need to be encouraged. Film and television have the potential to take our culture to the rest of the world,” reads part of the policy. Having proper production houses and local soapies or films will help emaSwati discover their talent in the acting industry, and this will save them from the problems that they encounter in South Africa while pursuing their acting careers. For instance, local actors will not have to pay lucrative fees for travelling and searching for acting agencies that end up exploiting them.

We interviewed local comedian and actor Gedlembane, who is one of the few emaSwati who were featured on a South African popular series known as ‘iSitha’. During the interview, he confirmed that acting in the neighbouring rainbow nation has been good for him, as he was well taken care of. “Acting in South Africa works well if you are a main character in the cast. They treat you well and provide you with accommodation and food, and they also give you an extra allowance to use for your daily needs. For example, they can give you E300 for breakfast and also get the same amount for the evening. They really treat you well, especially if you play an important role in the cast. When I was at iSitha, they treated me like a baby and they were always happy to have me around. I can advise emaSwati to pursue their acting dreams in South Africa. However, such a career works well if you are natural at acting. Having natural talent opens a lot of doors for emaSwati in South Africa,” he said.

Soapies

He further advised that the kingdom needs to have more locally produced content so that emaSwati can discover their talent. “The country is rich with talent; a lot of emaSwati are capable of playing important roles in South African soapies. Since there are very few opportunities in South Africa, I would recommend that we start having more locally produced soapies that can air on national television. Having our own soapies will also help in grooming young actors to get ready for the South African industry, which is more professional. While playing roles in local soapies, people will get to realise how important discipline and punctuality are in the South African acting industry. The talent that we have in the country can make it possible for us to have our own iSitha, our own generations and more,” he said.

We further interviewed local actress Hloniphile Sihlongonyane, who has also been featured on iSitha. She shared that acting in South Africa works well if they scout you.
 “Acting South Africa works well if they head-hunt you because they cater for all your needs. When it comes to me, I got the role on iSitha because they were actually looking for a liSwati, and luckily I was staying in South Africa. I knew some of the people in the industry, and they helped me get the role because they knew I could speak siSwati very well. When I arrived at iSitha, they treated me well, and I was happy too,” Sihlongonyane said.

Challenges

When asked about some of the challenges that actors face in South Africa, she cited a recent incident that almost had her replaced during a scene on iSitha. “The main challenge that I would face while filming iSitha was the wardrobe. They would always give us an opportunity to write down the sizes of outfits that we had to wear while on set; however, I would find that the clothes did not fit me. This became a challenge for me because the person I was working with tried to replace me, and he would sometimes not tell me that he did not get the right clothes. Fortunately, I have a good agent who always vouched for me whenever this happened. He would get me the sizes I ordered and make sure that I did not get replaced,” she said. She further shared more challenges and highlighted that punctuality is key when one gets an opportunity. “Recently, I have been featured on the cast for ‘Emawele’, which is another South African series set to be showcased on screens.

The production of the series was being done in Maboneng, and they changed the location at the last minute. When this happens, you have to use your own resources to get to the new location. Sometimes, when they change the location, you will find that you have been replaced, especially if you arrive late at the scene due to transport problems. For example, I recently gave a friend of mine a chance to fill my gap at Shaka iLembe. On the day of production, she was 20 minutes late, and she was replaced without being told prior. It was painful because she missed an opportunity to work. However, it is important to keep track of when you get such opportunities because they are rare. Another popular challenge is that some agencies fail to pay actors. It has not happened to me, but I know that some actors face this challenge, and they have to chase agencies to pay them,” she said.

Sithembiso Kunene, who is another experienced actor, also shared his insights, citing that people need to be educated about the acting industry. “People are not well educated about the acting industry as well as the agencies. They get exploited by some agencies, especially those that require people to pay money for opportunities. It is important for people to do well-informed research about the agencies that come to them promising acting roles. People also have to research their agents because the agent is the one that protects them from such challenges. The agent is also important because they make sure that you are in good form during production and also cater for your well-being. When it comes to travel and payment, people should know that not everyone gets a lucrative reward.

For example, if you are the main character in the cast, they will cater for your transport when production is done. Some will have to use their own resources, especially those that play supporting roles,” Kunene said. He also advised people to discover their acting talent while in the country first before going to South Africa. “People have to pursue acting in the kingdom first before going to South Africa. ‘‘I understand that money can be an issue locally, but we need to have acting classes so that people will get to learn more about the industry,” he said.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: