They say hard work pays, and it surely does. However, it’s also true that you can lose everything you have, especially when a tax man or a bank comes knocking on your door. In this article, we focus on ten actors who became homeless after losing everything.

Number 1: Malon Raves

Malon Raves, an actor who used to blossom in the acting industry, has seen his fortunes dwindle over the past few years. Work became scarce, and Malon lost everything: his house, his car, his dignity, and even his will to live.

At one point, his financial situation was so dire that he had to resort to sleeping on the floor of his relatives’ house. During this time, he turned from one friend to another for a bed, a plate of food, and even a bowl of soap.

All this began in 2016 when he couldn’t easily get an acting job. He then got a job in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic made things worse for him as cameras stopped rolling. Now, Malon is employed as a salesman at a car dealership in Pretoria, and there’s hope again in his life. He can now provide for his daughter and family.

Number 2: Carlo

Carlo, known for playing Duke on e.tv’s former soap “Backstage,” has lost everything since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the acting industry. After being evicted from his rented residence in Johannesburg, Carlo has been on the streets.

In April 2024, news about his ongoing struggle went viral, and fans donated some money for him. Some employers in the acting industry started promising him jobs. According to Carlo, he blames no one but himself. He believes his lack of networking led to his ongoing suffering. Ever since he was retrenched from the e.tv drama “Backstage,” he has struggled to make ends meet.

Number 3: Rodrie Jafta

In 2017, “Generations” actor Rodrie Jafta responded to fans who accused him of using drugs because he had lost weight. According to him, it wasn’t drugs but poverty. In his own words, he said it was stress, sadness, and despair, as well as unemployment for over three years. He said this after losing a job on “Rhythm City.” In September 2024, Rodrie Jafta was reported to have been unemployed and struggling with poverty.

He mentioned that it was difficult for him to get jobs because most dramas are now done in local vernacular languages, and he can only speak English and Afrikaans. He has asked for donations from Sports Minister Gomolemo “Thoko” Mchunu, but there was no response. If Rodrie does not get a job on time, he will be evicted from his rented apartment, together with his wife and children.

Number 4: Sophie Chaba

Actress Sophie Chaba, also known as Sopa, together with her company Sopi Trading, once obtained a 2.2 million Rand home loan to buy a house. She was going to pay back the money in 22,000 Rand monthly installments for 20 years. Unfortunately, Sophie couldn’t keep up with the installments as per the agreement with the bank.

In 2019, it was reported that the bank had applied for a court judgment to take the house and sell it to someone else. According to reports by Bon magazine and the Sunday World publication, Melbank got permission to sell the house. However, Sophie claims that she sold the house herself through an agent, but it’s clear that she lost the house.

Number 5: M

Another actor whose house was seized by the bank is M, the former “Rhythm City” actor. M failed to pay his monthly installments on his house in Roodepoort when FNB decided to take matters to court. M became famous for playing DJ on e.tv’s “Rhythm City” and was expected to pay just over 9,500 Rand per month over a period of 240 months from the first of January 2017.

However, the former “Soul City” and “Des” actor allegedly defaulted on his payments for over three months and was just under 40,000 Rand in arrears as of the 22nd of May 2019. It’s not clear if the bank eventually got the right to take M’s property, but by the look of things, M lost his property in 2019.

Number 6: Katlego Kgopa

Another actor who probably lost their house in 2019 is actress Katlego Kgopa. According to Sowetan publication, Katlego was about to be kicked out of her house by FNB after she allegedly failed to keep up with monthly bond installments.

She took the house loan of about 400,000 Rand in 2005 and was to pay the mortgage in 240 months, paying 4,000 Rand per month. Katlego allegedly defaulted on bond repayments for more than ten years and was now over 21,000 Rand in arrears.

So the bank pleaded with the court to give it the right of execution to attach the house and auction it off to recoup its money. By the look of things, Katlego lost the house to the bank, and it was later resold.

Number 7: Mike Isaacs

Mike Isaacs and his family were left without a home back in 2019 after failing to pay a bank home loan. This was after Absa obtained an execution order from the Johannesburg High Court to auction off his house in Collet Gardens, Johannesburg.

After the popular actor allegedly failed to keep up with these monthly installments, his monthly installments were supposed to be 14,000 Rand per month, which Mike couldn’t pay due to unemployment. After obtaining permission from the court to list the house for auction, the bank listed it for a price of 94,000 Rand. The actor was left homeless together with his family.

Number 8: Tinam Nana

In 2003, actress Tinam Nana bought a house using a bank loan. In 2005, the house was repossessed by the bank after failing to pay the bond. According to the actress, losing the house was a sign of a spiritual calling to become a pastor. She didn’t just lose her house, but acting contracts started to dry up. So, after accepting a pastoral calling, she became financially stable.

Number 9: Pamela Nett

Pamela Nett, an Ethiopian-born actress who grew up in South Africa, became homeless after trying life with an abusive husband, Collins Mar. He was a scared child and also lived a lavish lifestyle, which made their life as husband and wife tough. Things became worse when she lost a job at “Generations,” where she acted. After this, her abusive husband married another woman because he was a polygamist.

So, when the mistreatment from her husband got worse, she filed for a divorce. Since they were no longer together, the husband chased her out, and she became homeless. She slept in a car until she sold it and got a plane ticket to return home to her parents in the UK to rebuild her life.

Number 10: Innocent Masuku

Actor Innocent Masuku became homeless after losing his house and other valuable assets because of drug abuse. In the drama “Yoo and Chisa,” Innocent played the role of a drug addict, but people didn’t know that he lived that kind of life in reality.

His real-life addiction to drugs cost him his 2 million Rand home, his cars, and his good friends. He also separated from his fiancée. In his own words, he said he never thought drugs would destroy his life. So, after going to rehab, Innocent was hopeful that he was going to rebuild his life. He wanted to reconnect with his friends and start working again.

These stories highlight the challenges that actors face, even after achieving success in their careers. Hard work does pay, but it can also be taken away in an instant due to various circumstances.

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