Ranaka Manaka is a renowned South African actress, TV Personality, and a singer. She is famous for her role Lucy Diale in one of South Africa’s top soap opera “Generations”. Having started her career in the year 1999, the actress has been active in the SA entertainment industry for over two decades and counting. She can also be remembered for her roles in other notable movies like Isidingo, Rythym City, and Stokvel, etc
Manaka was born on April 6, 1979. She was raised in Soweto, Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Ranaka graduated from Dinwiddie High School, in Germiston. During her high school days, Ranaka participated in several plays and dramas. She appeared in plays such as Drumstruck, Torong, and On My Birthday.
Soon after she completed her education, Ranaka Manaka kicked off her acting career at the turn of the
millennium. Her first film appearance was in Isidingo, the SABC3 soap opera where she portrayed the role of Nandipha.
However, she left the show when she discovered she was pregnant. In 2002, she was seen in SABC1’s drama, Gaz’lam. There, she played the recurring role of Portia from 2002 to 2005. In 2003, she joined the cast of the SABC2 sitcom, Stokvel, where she played the role of Loreta Khumalo. Ranaka appeared in all eight seasons of the show until it ended in 2012. She also starred as Nozuko in the SABC1 TV drama series Tshisa from 2006 to 2009. In 2007, she was seen in Home Affairs and later in the same year, she starred in Society, playing the role of Ayanda from 2007 to 2010.
Following her exceptional performances, Manaka won the Golden Horn for Best Actress in a TV Comedy at the 2007 SAFTAs. Ranaka Manaka was seen playing the role of Zanele Kgaditse in e.tv’s soap opera Rhythm City in 2012. Thereafter, she featured in Dineo’s Diary: Mogul in the Making (from 2012-2014). In 2013, she played Buhle Cele in the soap opera Zabalaza. The following year, she joined the cast of Generations, where she has been playing the role of Lucy Diale to date.
The outstanding actress has been dating Thabo Monareng for a long time. According to her, Monareng is one guy she doesn’t want to give up on. Although Manaka has not been officially married, she is a mother of one boy born 15 December 2021 and two daughters, Kagiso and Lesedi.
During an interview, the actress said she has no qualms raising her kids as a single mom, thanks to a “wonderful support system”. She also disclosed that her absent baby daddies are never a fussy topic between her and her daughters. It might seem awkward to learn that Manaka is willing to escort her daughters to the club when they become adults, but the cool mom said she wants them to experience it first with her.
The actress got involved in a fatal accident on December 4, 2015. Although she survived the accident, her car knocked down and killed an 18-year-old schoolgirl, Milicent Mbonani. Speaking out for the first time after the accident, the actress said the tragic incident was her most painful experience. According to her, “It was so painful watching another woman crying because her child was lying on the ground dead. I wanted to comfort her, but I knew I couldn’t.”
Manaka said she later learned the girl, Millicent was one of her biggest fans and had pictures of the ‘Generation’ actress on her phone. She said, “I couldn’t help but think that I accidentally killed somebody who loved me.” She added that one day she hoped to be able to comfort the girl’s family like she so wanted to on the night of the accident. In her statement, Manaka said she needed to give the family some space and not be a constant reminder. “I just want to be there for them,” she said.
Other Facts You Didn’t Know About Ranaka Manaka
1. Ranaka Manaka revealed during one of her interviews that she hates wearing underwire bras because
makes her uncomfortable and admitted taking them off in public if they start to irritate her.
2. She received several hate tweets from fans when she took on the role of Lucy in the soapie, ‘Generation.’
3. While people had once questioned her sexuality due to her tomboy nature, Manaka said she is definitely not a lesbian. The actress said she “chilled with guys for such a long time that even when a girl with a nice body walked by, she “would appreciate it.”
4. She revealed that at some point in her life she kissed girls to test her sexuality, but didn’t like the
experience.
5. The actress was also a rebellious teenager who was often involved in fights, but that changed when she entered the entertainment industry.
6. Ranaka is so inspired by her parents who’s been married for forty years and so, even without
marriage experience, she feels completely prepared to find love; someone she can share the rest of her life with.