BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE: Local actor Luyanda Malie has bagged a cameo role in an upcoming South African telenovela.
Malie has bagged a cameo role in an upcoming telenovela titled Champion, produced by Tshedza Pictures. It will air on 1Magic, replacing The River, at 20:00, starting February 5.
On the upcoming telenovela, he worked with seasoned South African actors like Thembinkosi Mthembu, Kwenzo Ngcobo, Jo Ann Reynek, Tumisho Masha, Jose Domingos, Sello Maake Ka Ncube, KB Motsulunyane, and others. The actor shared with this publication that this has been his biggest breakthrough as an upcoming actor.
He was born 20 years ago in Eswatini, Mpaka. He studied at Evelyn High School. The actor has been nominated for two awards, one from the Sekhukhune Recognition Awards in Limpopo under the category of Best Leader Empowerment. He was also nominated for the American Award for Best Inspiration and Best Rural Leader.
When reached for comment, he said, “On October 28 last year, I got an invite to attend my first ever international auditions called the Los Angeles IPOP auditions held at the Sandton Hilton Hotel. I was invited by a well-known international agency in South Africa called DMH Agency. After a few weeks of waiting for feedback, I got an email from them telling me that they wanted me to sign under their agency. I was given a contract to sign.”
According to Maile in August, he also got a chance to partake in a Gauteng Film Commission talent search, where he was discovered by Skeem Saam actors, who were the judges, namely, Matthew Manamela, who plays the role of Detective Babaile, and his colleague, Ricardo, who portrays the role of Detective Tsheola on the SA soapy.
“Currently, I am working with one of the biggest South African film productions known as Tshedza Pictures, which created the Emmy Award-nominated telenovela, The River which airs on 1Magic. It’s more like an exciting Showmax project, but for now, I have collaborated with the best in the entertainment industry of South Africa, like actors such as Loyiso McDonald, known as Kagiso on The Queen.”
He added, “I am not only an actor, but I also run a foundation back at home in Eswatini where I nurture young talent to showcase their talents and skills. What I want to do is make a difference to young African children, especially those in my country, by not taking their talents for granted and instead utilising them for better use.”
Maile shared with this publication that he has been in the industry for almost four years now. “I discovered when I was 10 years old that I was destined to be a storyteller, and I never gave up on my dreams. I was introduced to the acting industry by Eswatini, a well-known film producer and author, and Nerville Johnson, who discovered that I was indeed talented and gave me my first acting experience back in 2020 in one of his local movies.”
He concluded by saying that he aims to take Eswatini to its rightful place, especially when it comes to the arts.
