SA stars who flew the flag high in 2017

Published Dec 18, 2017

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Despite South Africa’s currency rating being downgraded to junk status, we’ve still had lots to cheer about, in entertainment and sport especially. A number of our celebrities have kept the country’s name in lights abroad.

Thando Hopa

Model Thando Hopa is probably the first black woman and certainly the first person living with albinism in the world to make it on to the acclaimed Pirelli Calendar. For the 2018 calendar she features alongside greats such as Hollywood movie star Whoopie Goldberg in an all-black cast recreation of Alice in Wonderland.

Hopa, who is also a lawyer by training, is the Princess of Hearts in the calendar popular for its sensual images of women captured by the best photographers in the world. Hopa made her modelling debut in 2012 with local designer Gert-Johan Coetzee. Since then the 28-year-old has featured in campaigns for the Audi Q2 and Vichy products.

Thando Hopa. Picture: Instagram

Trevor Noah

The Soweto-born comedian was popular locally for his standup comedy taking the mickey out of politicians and racial stereotypes. Trevor’s big break abroad came in 2015 when he took over from American comedian Jon Stewart as The Daily Show host. Initially ratings slumped but they shot up again over a short period by 28% to 1.6 million viewers. Noah’s was the only late-night show to grow in 2016. 

In August, he bagged Best Short Form Variety Series for his YouTube special, The Daily Show: Between the Scenes, at the award’s Creative Arts ceremony in Los Angeles. 

He won this year’s Nielsens Booksellers’ Choice Award for his autobiography, Born a Crime and Other Stories, and the 2017 Thurber Prize for American Humour for his memoirs.

Trevor Noah. Picture: Danny Moloshok

Thuso Mbedu

The 24-year-old actress who stars in the Mzansi Magic drama series Is’thunzi - Damaged but not Broken became the only African nominee at the International Emmy Awards in the US in November in the best actress category.

Mbedu was nominated for her role depicting a young heroine - Struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in Is’thunzi.

On the evening of the Emmy Awards, she wore a beautiful blue gown and really looked the part. However, she lost the title to English actress Anna Friel.

But she remains a shining star in the hearts and minds of Mzansi people.

Thuso Mbedu. Nokuthula Mbatha

Atandwa Kani

Atandwa Kani, the son of legendary director, actor and playwright John Kani, stars as the male lead in Love by Chance.

The actor joined the cast of Marvel’s Black Panther early this year. He will star alongside Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Forest Whita- ker.

His father is also included in the production. The groundbreaking film is the first Marvel movie with an all-black cast. It’s also the first time that a Marvel film will feature a black superhero as its lead.

The film will be released in 2018. It is being shot in Atlanta, Georgia.

Atandwa Kani. Picture: Itumeleng English

Caster Semenya

Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya had a good run this year.

She bagged the 800-metre gold medal at the IAAF World Championships in London in August in a world record time of 1 minute 55.16 seconds.

Semenya, who hails from Limpopo, earlier raked in a bronze in the 1 500m, her first triumph in the longer event.

Caster Semenya. Picture: Instagram

The 26-year-old now has three world championship golds to go with the two Olympic winner’s medals she already has. This means Semenya has now equalled Mozambican Maria Mutola’s world championship record of three 800m gold medals.

LesegoMakgatho

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