It’s a Privilege to Be the Child of Someone Who Succeeded in Life

It’s a privilege to be the child of someone who succeeded in life, especially in something you yourself love. Some people are blessed to have that. So, in this video, we’ll look at 10 South African actors whose parents are either famous actors or directors.

We don’t know how much of an advantage this has helped them in their acting careers, but it definitely served as an advantage. So, watch till the end, but first, do subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content like this. Thank you for tuning in.

1. Tshepo Sizwe

Unlike some actors who would rather work closely with their parents, Tshepo Sizwe has chosen to work far away from his famous father and has made a name for himself in the acting industry.

He was currently playing Kopan on “House of Zulu” but is most known for his role as Gabzilla in “The River.” So, who is his famous actor/director parent? Well, turns out Tshepo’s father is none other than Shona Ferguson, who is Connie Ferguson’s firstborn son.

Tshepo is taking his journey very seriously to such an extent that his success is hardly attributable to his father also being in the acting industry. However, we all know his dad had a huge role in creating the genius we all see in Tshepo today in some way or another.

2. Shaleen Sutherland

We all know Shaleen for her role as RO on “House of Zulu” as Shi, Go’s wife. But what most of you don’t know is she has an artistic background as well. While her father isn’t an actor per se, he’s a veteran playwright and director in theater.

So, in some degree, we can all say that Shaleen’s love for acting didn’t come from nowhere. Her father is none other than Aubrey Sekhabi, who is a director and playwright for the South African State Theater. Sekhabi wrote his first play at the age of 15, showing how passionate he was about playwriting. He has a lot of experience in theater plays and has been involved in a lot of theatrical plays.

Though his record isn’t entirely clean, as he was once accused of some bad things by his employees like intimidation and unfair dismissals, he dismissed the claims and accusations and said there were smear campaigns against his name.

3. Amina Jack

If you have a TV, you probably know Amina Jack from “Isibaya” as Thandeka Zungu and from “Smoking Mirrors” as Ment. The young actress was born on December 2nd, 2000, meaning as of 2024, she will be turning 24. By how she looks, no one would ever agree she’s 24.

So, who is her famous parent? Well, her biological mother isn’t an actress per se, but her adoptive mother is. According to interviews given by Amina Jack, she was adopted by Linda Bako in 2017 and has been living with her ever since.

However, no one knows why she made the move at the late age of 17. So, that’s why she’s on our list because her adoptive mother is Linda Bako, who was ironically also her on-screen mother on “Isibaya.”

4. Nefisa Mkhabela

In this case, we can’t really say her own parents are the famous ones here, but her aunt, who is as close as her second mother, is an actress. Nefisa is actually in Mmabatho Montsho for those who know Kim Cabe.

You know that she has been featured in famous shows like “Yizo Yizo” and “Mango.” Now, her niece, Nefisa, is now a top actress on one of Mzansi’s biggest shows, “House of Zulu.” It shows that sometimes if one person has done it in the family, it gets easier for others to follow.

5. Lerato Mvelase

While Lerato has only begun to see his shine, those who love his work probably know him from his role as Sizwe on “Generations: The Legacy.” However, not all Lerato has done; he was a former, if not still, a director on “Generations: The Legacy.”

The man is also a father, a husband, and a musician with a skill set in piano. From his name alone, I’m sure you can piece together who his father is. Well, he’s none other than the veteran Jerry Mofokeng himself. The two even worked together on a film called “Is’s Father and Son,” to the much adulation of fans. It shows how close the two are.

According to Lerato, working with his dad was a dream come true as he had tried to impress him all his life. Furthermore, Lerato also said that his father was one of his driving forces in childhood as he always wanted to be an actor from childhood.

6. Atandwa Kani

If you don’t know Atandwa Kani, then you must be living under a rock or something similar because the youngster has been making waves in recent years. He literally played the young King T’Chaka in “Black Panther” for those of you who are Marvel fans.

He also played the young Nelson Mandela in 2013 in the “Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” movie. So now that you have a bit of a glimpse, let’s talk about his lineage.

Well, as you probably guessed, this young spectacle is none other than John Kani’s son, Atandwa. His father worked together on the first “Black Panther” in 2018, where Atandwa played the younger King T’Chaka, of whom the older

was literally played by his father. This shows waves of excitement for South African fans to see the two in the same film playing the same person at different ages. It shows how much his father has been involved in the young Kani’s acting journey and how much wisdom he has poured into him to reach higher heights.

7. Charl Blignaut

If you watch “Generations,” then you know that the creative mind behind “Generations” is none other than Mfundi Vundla. But what most don’t know is that he has a son who has taken filming and acting to a whole new level.

And that son is Charl Vundla. Charl Vundla was born in New York and has had the exposure of international filmography. He has created, acted in, and directed films that have gone on to stream on major platforms like Amazon Prime Video.

Furthermore, Charl made a film in Johannesburg with a few friends like Terry Pto and more during the pandemic, and it too was featured on Amazon Prime. He’s a creative genius, and most can admit he takes it from his father to some degree, who has spent over 40 years behind the camera creating, directing, and filming.

8. Arthur Mofokeng

Okay, now we’re getting to the end of the list, so we’ll probably mention some people you know. We’re sure you probably know Arthur Mofokeng from somewhere, right? Like “Rhythm City,” “Skeem Saam,” “Zone 14,” and “Zero Tolerance.”

Some people confuse him with Joseph Mofokeng. Let’s just put it out there; the two are not related, at least not by blood. However, Arthur is related to one other famous Mofokeng, and that’s his father, Arthur Mofokeng. Arthur is known to be hard to impress since he doesn’t like to associate himself with mediocrity or what some may call just okay work.

He wants perfection. So, you can bet that Arthur Jr. was on his best performance when he acted alongside his father on “Skeem Saam.” Otherwise, the two are very close, and we hope to see what they will do next together.

9. Noni Gasa

It’s not often that your parent is a first in something, but Noni’s mom was one of those people who did some historical things. You may know Noni from “Zabalaza” as Koto, or from “Tina” as a self.

Noni has been involved in some controversies, but we won’t get into that because we just want to focus on her mother, who, as we said earlier, was something of a historical figure. Cynthia Shange, who is Noni’s mother, was the first black woman to represent South Africa in the Miss World beauty contest.

She made history, and no one can take that away from her. Maybe that explains the good genes in Noni. At the age of 40, Cynthia isn’t just a model but an actress as well, having appeared on TV series like “Mango,” where she played.

10. Suso Shange

If the list was going to get to 10, we had to throw in someone, right? Well, that someone turns out to be none other than Suso Shange himself.

And even before I tell the tale, most of you are already watching the next video because who doesn’t know that Suso’s mother was the famous Mary Twala, a giant in the film industry with a career spanning over 50 years or more? She has made a huge impact in the South African film industry but most importantly in Suso’s life.

After her passing, the whole of South Africa showed their gratitude with the film in her honor having even been made. Furthermore, her son, Suso, also showed gratitude for all he had learned from his mother.

Well, that will be all for today, and thank you for watching. Do subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content like this. See you next time.

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