Actress Gontse Ntshegang is clearly determined to explore the full gamut of characters in the soapie realm. Following roles in Scandal and Rhythm City, she recently joined SABC2’s Muvhango and is also reprising her police detective character in Mzansi Magic’s telenovela, iNkaba. Debashine Thangevelo got the lowdown on her taking over the reins from Matshepo Maleme who, ironically enough, moved across to iNkaba
VIEWERS really took to Gontse Ntshegang as Keketso Khoza, the street-smart manager at RTs, in e.tv’s Scandal. And the actress admits to enjoying the dramatic battles her character was embroiled in.
Then she resurfaced in the channel’s other soap, Rhythm City, this time playing Elizabeth, a rather docile character, who was Naomi’s pawn in her bid to win over Miles.
As a freelance actor, work is work. But Ntshegang has managed to earn her bread and butter while also refraining from getting pigeonholed with her roles.
Interestingly enough, she is currently dividing her time between two productions – Mzansi Magic’s iNkaba and SABC2’s Muvhango, where she replaces Matshepo Maleme as Mapule Modise.
On being in two shows, she chuckles: “I have a funny way of landing in situations like this. As a freelance actor, you gotta hustle and flow. You can’t be looking at just one thing. And you create your own work.”
Ntshegang has been shooting with iNkaba since March. Her character, Detective Hopa, started out as part of a small story arc, but her role has been bolstered and she is meant to be taking down the powerful Mkhuseli Mthetho (John Kani).
“My character is being manipulated and blackmailed… but I have a gun,” she teases. “I have never played a cop. And it is very interesting trying to get into the character – I have been trying to conduct some research to get the nuances right.”
On replacing fellow actress Maleme in Muvhango, Ntshegang explains: “It took a while for them to write the story again. By then, she had signed a contract with iNkaba and they asked me to audition.
Apparently, we kind of look alike. Apart from that, the character left and went overseas to grow. So when she returned, she is more knowledgeable and ambitious.”
As such, the actress doesn’t feel it will be a difficult transition for fans.
Shooting her scenes with the Venda soap since June-July, Ntshegang says she is trying to learn a bit of Venda.
“Attitude-wise, this character needs that. Although she speaks seSotho,” she adds.
The marketing guru at Mukhwevo Holdings, Modise’s ambitions are clear from the outset. But she also has an unsettled matter – James.
“Mapule is in love with James but she is engaged to an African-American. So there is that long-distance relationship. While James wants them to work things out as they had some chemistry before but it wasn’t fully explored, she is worried about what the other women will say about it,” Ntshegang offers.
On playing a power-wielding business woman, the actress admits, “The adjustment has been really nice. It has been a bit of a challenge. I have been talking to Duma (ka Ndluvu, producer-director) and he has been telling me to downgrade certain facial expressions.
In playing a character far removed from what I’ve done to date, I’m growing. And they dress me wonderfully with Country Road and Zara stuff.”
Aside from her hectic acting schedule, Ntshegang is also branching out by working on the launch for her own hat business.
Talk about real life-imitating-art, looks like she won’t just be playing a business woman – she will be one too.
• Muvhango is on SABC2 at 9pm from Monday to Thursday.