Thoko Ntshinga


Thoko Ntshinga is a South African actress, director, translator, community theatre facilitator and arts activist. She is best known for the roles in the television series such as; Egoli: Place of Gold, Interrogation Room and The River.

Personal life

Ntshinga was born in 1953 in Langa, Cape Town, South Africa to a musical family.

Career

Her acting career started in the 1970s with theatre plays. When she was a single parent with a two-year-old daughter, she made into an audition notice for the Space Theatre. On stage, she performed in the critically acclaimed play Fröken Julie, for which she won a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award. At the Space Theatre, she performed in the plays such as; A Flea in her Ear, Four Twins, The Incredible Vanishing, Lysistrata S.A., Nongogo, Patty Hearst, Rape – A Revue and The Sacrifice of Kreli. Then she joined Barney Simon at the Market Theatre and performed in the plays Cincinnati, Born in the RSA, Panorama and Auditioning Angels.
In 1981, she made her television debut with the series Westgate. Then in 1982, she reprised the role "Westgate receptionist" in Westgate II. In 1983, she made her film debut with the direct-to-video film Farce About Uys. Since then, she appeared in many films such as; Skating on Thin Uys, A Place for Weeping, Born in the RSA, Act of Piracy and in A Dry White Season. In 1991, she joined with the original regular cast of the M-Net soap opera Egoli: Place of Gold where she played the role "Donna Makaula". Her role became highly popular, and she continued to play the role for thirteen consecutive seasons of the show until 2010.
In the meantime in 2005, she played the role of "Senior Superintendent Nomsa Dlamba" on the SABC1 drama series Interrogation Room. She reprised the role for the first four seasons of the show until 2008. In 2016, she made a minor role as "Female Driver" in the Universal TV miniseries Cape Town. Then in 2018, she appeared in two serials: as "Ma Mabatha" in the Mzansi Magic drama Nkululeko and then as "Nomhle" in the first two seasons of 1Magic telenovela The River. In the latter, she reprised her role in the fourth season. In 2019, she joined with the kykNET supernatural police procedural series Die Spreeus to play the role "Thulani". In 2021, she played the role "Funeka Mdwaba" in the SABC2 telenovela Die Sentrum.
At the 2018 South African Film and Television Awards, she was honored with The Golden Horn Award for Lifetime Achievement for her contribution to the South African drama. Apart from acting, she involved in the Inclusive Arts Programme at Artscape in Cape Town. Meanwhile, she founded the skills development project called Our organization, the Thoko Ntshinga Foundation, which has partnered with youth empowerment organizations such as "Africa Jam" and "Bavuse Balele" to uplift the young artists in rural Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape.
As a stage director, she directed the 2015 play revival Born in the RSA. Then in 2017, she produced the play Buzani Ku Bawo for Artscape. In the meantime, she served as the Director of Artscape’s Inclusive Arts Unit.

Filmography

YearFilmRoleGenreRef.----
1981WestgateWestgate receptionistTV series----
1982Westgate IIWestgate receptionistTV series----
1983Farce About UysSophie the MaidVideo----
1985Skating on Thin UysSophieFilm----
1986Place of WeepingJoseph's WidowFilm----
1986Born in the RSAFilm----
1988Act of PiracyCynthiaFilm----
1989A Dry White SeasonEmilyFilm
1990		’’Velaphi’’JoyceSiticom
1991Egoli: Place of GoldDonna MakaulaTV series----
1994Ipi Tombidialogue coachFilm----
1999A Reasonable ManAttorney Nicci NgwenyaFilm----
2005Interrogation RoomSenior Superintendent Nomsa DlambaTV series----
2006Surviving KatrinaGrandmaTV movie documentary----
2007Mein Traum von AfrikaAbebaTV movie----
2007Anner HouseSuo. LangaTV movie----
2007Goodbye Bafanadialogue coachFilm----
2007The Bird Can't FlyFairTV series----
2009FirstbornAlinaShort film----
2012Dark TideZukieTV series----
2015WallanderMiranda KhuluTV series----
2016Cape TownFemale DriverTV series----
2018NkululekoMa MabathaTV series----
2018The RiverNomhleTV series----
2019Die SpreeusThulaniTV series----
2019SizohlalaMam ConfidenceShort film----
20207de LaanNothembaTV series----
2021Die SentrumFuneka MdwabaTV series----
2021Blood & WaterGogo BheleTV series----