Date of Birth: 3 March 1983
Age: 38
Place Of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Since then, he has appeared in many productions, took several awards, and registered his name as one of the most talented actors in the business. Amidst all these, the award-winning actor still maintains a very humble demeanor, which is why many things are not known about him by fans. However, we are here to fill the gaps.
Few Interesting Detail To Know About The Celebrated Actor
1. He Was Born And Raised In South Africa
S’dumo Mtshali was born on the 3rd of March 1983 in Durban, South Africa. His father was a school principle and his mother was a nurse. The handsome actor grew up with his twin sister Thoko and brother Lelo. While both of his parents are now retired, his sister has since followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a school teacher, and his brother is an entrepreneur.
2. S’dumo Was Named After His Grandfather
Interestingly, S’dumo is his real name, even though it means something unexpected. He didn’t like the name when he was a child because other kids teased him for it, as some thought he was named because of the hit sitcom Sgudi Snaysi. But he was actually named after his grandfather so when he discovered that he shared the same name with his granddad, he ended up falling inlove with his name.
3. His Family Has Always Been Very Supportive
Looking at his kind of family, one might expect that the actor would be pressured by his father to become a straight-A student, but that was not the case. Seeing that his passion was somewhere else, his family gave him all the support he needed, even though his father still made sure he completed his education and he had to pass since he would also have to read scripts; ‘kumel uphase ngoba uzodinga ufunda iscript’ as his father always said.
He revealed that one of the best things about his family is that they have constantly supported the other.
4. S’dumo Mtshali Is Educated To University Level
The Durban-born star studied acting at the Durban University of Technology. After this, his career got off to a good start after winning the aforementioned competition in 2010. Before going to the university, the actor attended and matriculated from Forest High School in Durban, and before that, he attended Glenmore Primary School, where he started acting. One of his teachers, Mrs. Byrd, saw that he was talented and encouraged him to continue working towards becoming an actor. He also includes her as one of his earliest influences.
His love for performing arts is something he has nurtured since he was a child. Hence, it was not surprising that by the age of 11, he had already started appearing on stage. However, he started acting on screen professionally at the age of 27.
6. His Father Was The First Person To Inspire His Love For Acting
The actor believes that his love for acting was instilled in him by his father, who was always collecting films on VHS cassettes. He would watch together with his father and other kids in the community, and gradually,he started falling in love with acting.
One day, while watching Denzel Washington in an African role, his father asked why Americans always told our stories. This registered in the mind of the young Mtshali, driving him more to become an actor and tell our stories.
7. S’dumo Mtshali Started His Acting Career On Stage
Before he decided to act on the screen, S’dumo was initially theatre-trained and had always been on stage. However, since 2010, he has continued to handle both screen and stage productions. When he was still very young, the first play he took part in was Robin Hood Men In Tights. To date, he is still in love with the theatre and believes that one day he will settle there.
8. He Has Appeared In Many High Profile Productions
Mtshali is not one of the actors in the country who have appeared in hundreds of productions, but among the not too many he took part in are some that can be termed as high profile productions. He has registered his name on stage, as well as on TV and in films. Among some of his most recognized works include Is’Thunzi, which earned him a SAFTA Award, Isibaya, and even more importantly, iNumber Number, which registered many successes across various film festivals worldwide. He played the role of everyone’s favorite gangster on the show, Chili Ngcobo.
Here are some of the productions he appeared in as an actor:
Class Act (2010 TV Series)
Intersexions (2010 TV Series)
Ghetto Dangerous (2010)
Inside Story (2011)
Wild at Heart (2012 TV Series)
Tempy Pushas (2013 TV Series)
Rhythm City (2013 TV Series)
Avenged (2013)
Isibaya (2016 to 2018 TV Series)
iNumber Number (2017 TV Series)
iDrive (2018 TV Series)
Shadow (2019)
Back of the Moon (2019)
Dead Places (2021 TV Series)
The Estate (2021)
While he has established himself as an actor, he revealed that finding gigs is extremely hard.
9. S’dumo Mtshali Has Won Several Awards
If nominations and awards were the basis for determining a great actor, S’dumo Mtshali would have his name on the list. He has been nominated for numerous awards in the past for various works he has done, and in the process, he took home some prizes. At the top of his shelf is a SAFTA Golden Horn for Best Supporting Actor award, which he won in 2019 for his role in Is’Thunzi.
2014 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Soap Isibaya (2014)
2015 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – Feature Film iNumber Number (2013)
2016 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Drama Saints & Sinners (2016)
2018 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Drama Is’Thunzi (2016)
2019 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Soap Isibaya (2014)
2018 Winner Simon Sabela Film and Television Awards- Best Actor TV Isibaya (2014- )
2019 Winner Winner SAFTA Golden Horn Best Supporting Actor – TV Drama Is’Thunzi (2016)
10. He Has A Secretive Love Side