At just 23 years old, Manqoba Thobile Khumalo is rapidly becoming a household name across Southern Africa.
Born and bred in the heart of Eswatini, specifically eMbelebeleni at Luve, Khumalo is a man of many hats, actor, voice-over artist, podcast host, writer and commercial model. Recently, he added aspiring radio host to his impressive repertoire as he seeks to expand his reach within the competitive media industry.
His journey began at Usutu Forest Primary School and Khanyisile Primary School before completing his matriculation at Ka-Zakhali Private School. Recognising his passion for performance, he moved to South Africa to sharpen his skills, completing a year-long course in Screen Acting for TV at the African Academy of Cinematic Arts in Randburg in 2024.
The investment in his craft paid off quickly. In 2025, Khumalo starred as the lead in a Spotify Africa: Khuphuka Nathi commercial and followed that success with a campaign for CHARGED energy drink later that year. However, 2026 has proven to be his definitive breakout year.
Khumalo recently landed his most significant role to date: a supporting cast member in the popular e.tv telenovela Emzini: A Family Legacy.
Airing every weekday at 9pm since its debut on April 13, the show features Khumalo as Junior Nkosi. Working alongside industry giants, he has quickly made the role his own. “Please do watch the show and support the work!” Khumalo urges his fellow citizens.
The momentum continues this month with the release of a Mzansi Magic short film titled Masibe Umndeni, scheduled to air on May 29.
“I’m pretty excited to share that with the country as well when it airs,” he says, noting that his primary motivation is to show emaSwati that they are represented on the international stage.
When he is not in front of a film camera, Khumalo is busy producing content for his YouTube podcast, Under the F’ing Sun. The show serves as an informative dialogue where youth-centric topics are discussed from a fresh perspective.
He also maintains an active career in voice-over work and expresses a keen interest in collaborating with Eswatini brands and companies in the near future.
“I want to do work in Eswatini as well, acting, voice-over and media related work with interested companies,” he explains, using the rallying cry, ‘bantfu basekhaya!’ to signal his desire to contribute to his home economy.
Despite his personal success, Khumalo is vocal about the systemic hurdles facing local artists. He believes the Eswatini government must do more to support the arts on a sustainable international level rather than focusing solely on domestic initiatives.
His primary concern is the lack of legislative support for artists working abroad. Khumalo describes the ‘difficult and indifferent legal procedures’ involved in trying to secure work permits and visas in neighbouring countries.
“To put it frankly, it has been made nearly impossible to get fair legal visas with sustainable durations recognised by Southern African governments for artists/actors to work in countries outside their own,” he states.
He notes that he is not alone in this struggle, having met many fellow emaSwati in the South African industry who share similar stories.
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