Zola Nombona (pictured) is one of those rising talents that people don’t usually talk about, yet she is constantly working. We have seen her as a presenter, as well as an actress in sitcoms and dramas like Single Guys and Intersexions. She even played the lead in the local movie Ingoma, which released a few weeks ago. Now putting her talents to the fore in the comedy series Ithuba Lokugcina, Nombona explains why she is in a good space.
“I am happy that people are loving what I do so much that I am literally stepping off one set onto another. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunities that came to me. I think people who saw me on Single Guys thought that I was funny and could only do that, but with starring in productions like Ingoma I also showed a serious side. In fact, as we speak I am in the process of shooting an action-packed series which I think will further show the diversity of my talents,” she added.
Nombona discovered that once you are successful in a particular genre, it is easy to be typecast. With her many talents, however, it is pointless to pigeonhole this actress.
“It is beautiful for people to see me as an onion, with a lot of layers. In South Africa, we tend to be typecast and it is something I feared, but fortunately I have been placed in shows that show my diverse talents.
“I can sing, I can dance and I can also do comedy so all that is really shown in all the productions I have done, so I am blessed to be allowed to show these things,” explained Nombona.
When our paths first crossed, four years ago, Nombona was still a TV presenter and in three very short years she has managed to star in several key productions, a thing few people are able to achieve in what is a small, but cut-throat industry.
“I was presenting for Zalebs so I was in that presenting box then. When you get into our industry, as much as you would like to do everything, you have to master something in order progress to the next level. My first screen acting debut was on Intersexions and that was about two years ago. For what I have in the bag in only three years, I just feel God’s grace,” said the bubbly actress.
Ithuba Lokugcina is about a group of college underachievers who have to enter the same class to better their marks. They have a heroic professor who thinks he has the formula to solve their problems, but as it turns out he signed on for a whole lot more than he initially thought.
“It was my playground because I love comedy. I have a healthy sense of comic timing so when I am in comedy I am happy.
“We shot on a tight schedule in December and I worked with the most amazing cast and directors. Our young director allowed us to play around with the script and bring out the best of us.
“The one thing I appreciate in acting is when a director directs you and then tells you that you should feel free to take it away and do with the role what you want,” she said.
“This comedy is different because it is not about the usual family format that we have become used to, it is about ’varsity youngsters who have failed school and have to converge in a social skills class. Because they are misfits their interactions are always comedic,” explained Nombona.
Talking about her character, the actress revealed that she shares no similarities whatsoever with the character that she is portraying.
“I play Zodwa, the drama student who wants to be a celebrity, which is so removed from me. She is fun and bubbly, she loves fashion and loves to party. When she is in the room everyone knows has arrived as she she loud. She is the queen of Ithuba,” concluded Nombona.
• Ithuba Lokugcina airs every Wednesday at 7.30pm on SABC1.