Khanyisani Kheswa is an award-winning actor for his role as Mzikayise Msomi in the drama series, “Vula Vala”.
Kheswa won Best Newcomer in Television in 2022 at the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards.
“Vula Vala” which changed his life. It tells the story of a young man in his 20s, who is an aspiring football player. He leaves Ladysmith to go work for his uncle and to find a better life in Johannesburg.
Kheswa said his character in the drama series related to him in a way because there was a time when he stayed at home trying to find a job just like how Mzikayise was at home trying with football.
“In 2016, I decided to go to Johannesburg to find greener pastures just like how Mzi also went to Joburg with his uncle to try to find a career in football. We related like that; coming from that background and trying to make it in life in another province,” he said.
Kheswa said the Best Newcomer in Television award meant a lot to him.
“I was so happy for the recognition. The nomination itself came as a surprise. There’s a friend of mine who always told me that I should always do my best because ‘you will never know who is watching’ and this award was evidence”, he said.
Today, Kheswa has been featured in other top Mzansi shows like “Umkhokha: The Curse”, “Isitha: The Enemy” and “Shaka iLembe” and is giving it his all when it comes to performance.
In “Isitha: The Enemy”, Kheswa plays Mbuso Ngwenya, the only son from the royal family who has it all. In this new telenovela, Kheswa said he felt challenged by his character as it was something new to him.
“I felt challenged playing a person that I’ve never been. Growing up I was never spoiled as Mbuso is. I’ve never been part of a royal family and so because of all that I had to ask that I play the character in my own way and the way I think I would behave if I were born into royalty”, he said.
The 31-year-old from KwaMashu, north of Durban, started realising that he loves acting when he was in matric.
“I started watching a lot of movies and I would mimic the actors. I also started doing monologues and watching live theatre shows and that is when I got more interested in acting.
“That’s when I saw that this is what I love and wanted to do. When my dad asked what I want to do after matric, I told him that I want to be an actor and he supported my decision,” he said.
“After matric, I went to study performing arts at Creative Arts College. Being taken through the whole process of being an actor, I realised that it’s really happening.
“After tertiary, I started doing theatre and student films and I was fortunate that in most plays that I did, I was playing as a lead actor. Then my career started in 2020 when I started with ‘Vula Vala’ and that's when everything started falling into place and me being shaped into the right direction,” added Kheswa.
Asked about what he loves about his job, he said: “Acting doesn’t feel like a job if you love it.”
“I am always looking forward to work because I don’t feel like I’m going to work but to go play and get paid for it”, said Kheswa.