Nompilo Maphumulo is one of those actors who brighten people’s moods each time they appear on the TV screen. This beautiful screen diva is an industry darling for a reason – she is talented, charming, and also has an impressive number of devoted fans on her side. Her unique acting skill is one thing that makes her outstanding among her contemporaries and it keeps improving from time to time.
Maphumulo broke through to the mainstream through her character ‘Nosipho Xulu’ on the South African popular soap opera, Uzalo. She is one of the most likable actors in the television show, and it’s all because of her brilliant performance and ability to flow with other actors. In addition to acting, she is also a dancer, voice-over artist, and singer.
The actress was born on May 3, 1982 in KwaMashu. Though popularly known as Nosipho Xulu, the actress’s real name is Nomphilo Maphumulo. She is a high school graduate, but she didn’t go to college due to her parents’ financial condition. Just like the average South African, little Nompilo experienced a difficult childhood growing up with her low-income earning parents.
It wasn’t easy for the young girl with a billion dreams, especially each time she mentioned what she intended to be in the future. Like most traditional African parents, Maphumulo’s parents only saw education as the only key to success and were not supportive of her venturing into acting at that time.
Maphumulo left her hometown to source for jobs in the city at a very young age. Her main aim of relocating to the city was to relieve her financially-struggling parents off their parental duties and also lighten their burdens. The actress was hired by several establishments after she finally got to the city, but the jobs were not as satisfying as her dream career – acting.
Nompilo first worked as a waitress and later as a telesales agent in a call center, but her passion kept calling her until she finally enrolled at the KwaMashu Community Advancement Projects (KCAP) to have sound knowledge in the act of performing arts, acting and how to use her natural talent to create opportunities for herself.
Fortunately for the actress, her goals at KCAP turned out successful as she was among the diverse talents that made it to the South African movie industry.
The outspoken actress once disclosed that she developed a keen interest in stage performance during her days in her hometown. Then, she used to sneak out to watch her peers’ performances, and how they
entertained the audience with their talent. So, for the actress, the art of acting was more of a passion at first than acting for money.
It is something she has always wanted to do. Today, Nompilo is not only a fast-rising actress, but she has also delved into music, voice-over art, MCing, and public speaking.
The KwaMashu native was thrust into the spotlight in the year 2015 when she began starring in the soap opera, Uzalo.
Asides Uzalo, she has made appearances in notable projects such as The Serpent’s (Woman), The Weeping Candle (as Macebi), Madame, Sugar Daddies (as Thandeka), The Legend Will Never Die (as Commander), as well as President Musical (Ensamble).
Nompilo is not only blessed with acting talent, but she has an amazing voice that will soon take her places if she devotes more time and energy to making music.