Scandal actress Nomvelo Makhanya is leaving her on-screen character Lindiwe Ngema. She has been with Scandal for years and her role has grown over the years. Playing Lindiwe, her journey began as a high school student in the Ngema household in Soweto. She made her way through life filled with trials and tribulations where she became owner of a club and married Nhlamulo.
Lindiwe fell pregnant, a dream come true for the beautiful couple. But Lindiwe started feeling ill and found she had a chronic Illness. As her condition worsened, she was forced to choose between the baby or an abortion to ensure her own survival. Lindiwe decided that after all she had gone through she would risk keeping her baby and fight to the end.
But who is Lindiwe in real life?
Nomvelo Makhanya (born April 24, 1996; age: 26 years old) is a South African actress, singer, and mental health activist. She rose to prominence through her role as Lindiwe Ngema on Scandal, the e.tv soap opera.
Of all her works in the entertainment industry, Scandal remains Makhanya’s most prominent project, as she has been on the show for over a decade.
The actress was briefly raised in Nkandla and later Johannesburg, where she has been residing. Her family left Nkandla for the “City of Gold” a couple of years after she was born. She had her primary and high school education in Johannesburg.
Nomvelo studied at the National School of Arts (NSA) in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. She credited her mother as the person who helped her gain admission into the institution and ensured that she maximized her time at NSA. The actress comes from a supportive family who believes in her and her talent.
Makhanya has been active since 2013. Some of her earliest works include the musical ‘Sarafina,’ The Bald Prima Donn, African Reflections, and Maybe This Time. Her big break as an actress eventually came in 2016 when she auditioned and successfully won the role of Lindiwe Ngema on the e.tv soap opera, Scandal.
Her character was supposed to appear for three months, but now Nomvelo has been on the show for over a decade. In all fairness, Makhanya is the perfect actor for her role in the TV show. This is because she shares some things in common with her character, and on several occasions, viewers saw her successfully take up opposite traits and conduct while on set.
Nomvelo is blessed with so many talents. She is a top-notch MC, presenter, and mental health activist. She shared in April 2022 that she had the honor and privilege to MC Black Coffee’s Grammy Dinner and thanked everyone who believed in her.
The actress was diagnosed with bipolar, depression, and anxiety in 2016. She spent about three weeks in a psychiatric hospital, after which she was discharged after she won the battle against depression.
The actress has had her fair share of life’s ups and downs. In January 2019, an alleged drunk driver crashed into her parked car. The following month, she became a butt of jokes on social media after a troll body-shamed her.
The troll posted a picture of the actress, pointing out that she has a “big head.” This made the actress cry out against the cyberbully and pleaded with internet trolls to stop chasing “likes and retweets” without considering the impact of their actions on victims.