While nothing like her spoilt rotten, diva of note character, Maduna Kapumba is having fun channelling her alter ego in Muvhango, writes Debashine Thangevelo
IT’S funny how life works out sometimes. Maduna Kapumba was exposed to the world of TV – albeit in a commercial – at age 5.
But, as the Lusaka-born actress grew older, she didn’t actively pursue acting as a career. In fact, she gravitated towards a profession that was far less erratic – she worked in short-term insurance. Having studied business management at college, it certainly served her well in her career choice.
Interestingly, it was Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o and her Oscar win for 12 Years A Slave that awakened the dormant actress in Kapumba.
She shares: “I never pursued acting as a profession. I knew I loved it. But it wasn’t until I saw the success of Lupita Nyong’o and thought, ‘she’s from Africa and she has gone big – let me try and give it a shot, too’.”
Kapumba didn’t have to go the traditional route to bag the role of Shola Babalola in SABC2’s Muvhango.
“I got to the point where it was now or never in my life. Luckily for me, my job allowed me to work from home. I’m still juggling both things right now. I’m one of the few blessed ones. I’m still in Duma Ndlovu’s acting workshops every Thursday. It was through that that I got wind of the role and was encouraged to audition. I guess, when it’s time, it’s time,” she laughs.
Kapumba’s character is a Nigerian businesswoman who doesn’t take “No!” for an answer.
The actress shares: “She comes from a very, very wealthy family. Her father is a billionaire. She has grown up with money and is simply following in the family footsteps. She knows who she is and what she wants. She’s very bossy, sassy and a diva of note. She knows she has money and people have to be nice to her. She really is a spoilt rich kid.”
While Shola usually gets her way – it isn’t without a fair amount of manipulation on her part.
She laughs: “I was playing mind games with people. It’s been fun living vicariously through this character.”
It doesn’t hurt to have a fab wardrobe, too.
Kapumba reveals: “The wardrobe depart-ment is on another level. All I have to do is just show up. Before you get to set, you go to your room, where you wardrobe for the day is. And you have someone helping you dress up.”
As history has proved à la Cherel de Villiers-Haines (Isidingo) and Ntsiki Lukhele (Generations), viewers can’t resist the magnetism of an über villainess. The Shola character has all the right ingredients to follow in those salacious footsteps.
She says: “It’s been overwhelming. People love the character. I think it is also the element of this foreign lady from Nigeria bringing some spice to the show. I’m flooded with Facebook requests. Even on the streets, I get recognised very easily.”
The 33-year-old actress tells me it has also been a wonderful learning curve for her, having forged a few friendships among the cast as well as having the most patient directors.
She adds: “It’s like a family – from wardrobe to make-up to the runner on set.”
While viewers will just have to wait and see what the writers have in store for Shola and her future, the actress has designs on doing movies at some point. But she is being very calculated about every decision she makes.
With Muvhango under her belt, it looks like she is definitely making the right choices.
After all, it’s proved be the perfect vehicle to launch her career.
• Muvhango airs on SABC2 at 9pm on weekdays.