South African movie scene has witnessed many new actors come blazing into the industry. Among this fresh brood of actors is the Cape Town-born young actor, Oros Mampofu of the ‘Skeem Saam’ fame. The 31-year-old has since moved on to feature in countless other movie productions, and there seems to be no end to his ambitions.
Having begun his career in 2014, Oros has appeared in top South African soaps like ‘Igazi,’ ‘Ingoma,’ ‘Gauteng Maboneng,’ and ‘Rhythm City.’ His acting has gotten countless positive reviews from movie critics nationwide; this has spurred him to do impossibly better and has further pushed him into the limelight. Nearly seven years after his debut, Oros Mampofu is now one of Mzansi’s favorites, and as a result, there has been a lot of interest in the actor’s private life.
Oros attended and graduated from Tableview High School in Cape Town. As a young man, he had a very specific interest in African history, which led him to study African Literature at the Johannesburg Metropolitan University on a scholarship. He also went to AFDA and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Motion Pictures.
Oros Mampofu first appeared on TV television in 2014 when he featured in the SABC1 soap drama ‘Kowethu.’ He didn’t become the talk of the whole town until the following year after his breakout role as Andile in the movie ‘Rise,’ which was a Mzansi’s Magic original movie. The movie hit the silver screen on January 11, the second Sunday in 2015. The movie, which was highly anticipated, was directed by Rea Rangaka and featured actors Xolile Tshabalala and Mutodi Neshehe.
Soon after his big win on television, Oros decided to compete in the BET reality series, ‘Top Actor SA’ and emerged as one of the 12 finalists of the show’s first season. He eventually made it to 6th place. Before the year 2015 ran out, Mampofu was playing the role of Jama on ‘Skeem Saam,’ rated as the third most-watched South African show of that year.
The following year, in 2016, Oros Mampofu got his very first television starring role in the Mzansi Magic drama series ‘Igazi.’ The show was created and executively produced by the late Shona Ferguson. In this series, he played the role of a certain Prince Phila Mbangatha, the heir apparent to the royal throne whose outlook on life was at odds with his expected cultural duties.
Still, in 2016, Oros appeared in the feature-length film ‘The Lucky Specials,’ produced by Discovery Learning Alliance and Quizzical Pictures. The film was meant to demystify the tuberculosis disease and educate viewers on its transmission, spread, and treatment. Oros Mampofu was cast as Mandla, an overly eager young African musician in the film. Other cast members include Richard Lukunku, Fulu Mugovhani, Thomas Gumede, Blondie Makhene, and Sive Mabuya.
2016 was not done with Oros Mampofu yet, as he landed yet another television role, this time as Mo, in the SABC1 sitcom ‘Gauteng Maboneng.’ In November 2016, Oros was brought in to replace Mpho Sibeko, who had played the role in the show’s second season.
Despite all his numerous appearances so far, Oros Mampofu’s signature character happens to be Jama, the young adult character he played on the SABC1 soap opera Skeem Saam. He was Thabo Maputla’s university roommate and made his first appearance in the show’s third season. However, his well-loved character was killed off in the Season 4 finale, which aired on Friday, July 8, 2016.
The following year, he landed a major recurring role as Shona in e.tv’s drama series, Harvest. The storyline followed three naive women who were forced to take over an illegal business empire after their husbands’ deaths. Other series featuring Oros Mampofu include Ingoma (2018), Celeb Feasts with Zola (2019), and Rhythm City.
If there is an aspect of Oros Mampofu that fans are particularly interested in, it would be his love life. Being extremely handsome has rewarded Oros Mampofu in his acting career but has it favored the actor in matters of the heart? The answer is yes. The actor has been in a beautiful relationship with baby mama and girlfriend, Bianca Carmichael.
The two had met at a party in 2018, but it was enough to convince Oros that Bianca was special. Although she is reportedly three years older, the couple hasn’t slowed down for anything or anyone, and they moved in together just before the national lockdown in 2020. They also have a child together.
Oros was previously engaged to South African media personality Hlatsi Molokomme in 2017. However, the couple split up without so much as a hint as to why they broke up. Hlatsi moved on with famous South African doctor and television presenter Dr. Musa. However, it seems the pair dated only briefly as they are no longer together.
Since he got with Bianca, Oros has become every inch the perfect family man. In 2019, he and his girlfriend welcomed their first child and daughter, Aarya Mampofu.
The proud father has admitted that he didn’t know how deeply he could love until he met his newborn daughter, admitting she had made him a much better partner and all-around human.
Oros Mampofu has an identical twin brother named Prince Mampofu. While the one twin entertains us on the television, the other prefers to keep out of the spotlight and works as a technical analyst – still in the movie industry. He also has a younger sister named Lunathi Mampofu.
Like Oros and Prince, Lunathi Mampofu is also in the entertainment industry. Known for her dazzling performances in soaps like ‘Inqona’ and ‘The Queen, The River’ Lunathi is every bit as talented as her older brother, Oros. The famous actor seems to value family time and appreciates the people that make his life special.