Vele Manenje believes representation for full-figured women on television goes beyond type-casting and numbers.
The SA Film and Television Award (Safta) winner, 33, makes it clear right off the bat that she doesn’t want to be misquoted and misunderstood in speaking her own truth.
We first break the ice on the phone while she’s on the set of the new Mzansi Magic daily drama DiepCity. Our conversation goes on in a number of phone calls over two days.
For the most part, it’s because I’m competing for her attention while she films scenes from the show. Then the continuous stage 2 loadshedding further disrupts our Tuesday night scheduled chat.
Manenje is chilled and cooperative about everything, sending me texts to update me of almost her every move.
When we finally get some uninterrupted alone time, Manenje admits she has been more than blessed in her 15-year career and has been afforded countless job opportunities.
The weight thing has been a struggle [in] that we don’t get leads. There is also the discrimination that you should always play a funny character because big people are funny
But Manenje cautions that redefining “plus-size” representation should go beyond size.
“The weight thing has been a struggle [in] that we don’t get leads. There is also the discrimination that you should always play a funny character because big people are funny.”
Manenje is closing that under-presentation gap with her role as Aus' Momo in DiepCity.
“I’m hoping by having people like myself onscreen playing lead roles and others like Nomsa Buthelezi [Generations: The Legacy] and Mimi Mahlasela [7de Laan] that it will create an awareness because we are all leads in our shows,” Manenje says.
“Slowly and surely there are more of us plus-size women occupying lead characters and we are killing these lead roles.
“We have people like Mandla N [DiepCity creator] that are adding on their shows more people without solely going by body type and beauty.
“He is looking for raw talent and representation. The fact that I’ve been cast for characters that are being viewed as beautiful, it means it’s changing.”
Manenje has been on a weight loss journey since October, for health reasons, and not to fit into society’s molded stereotype of body image. She has lost 14 kilos so far.
“I’m planning on not losing more than 20 kilos because I still enjoy being a plus-size girl. Once I reach my goal I’m going to stop,” she says.
“This started because there was a day I went up the stairs and my ankle felt the pressure. I also knew that I was going to have multiple roles this year and I wanted to have the kind of energy to carry my body.”
Hailing from Venda, Limpopo, Manenje comes from the Manenzhe royal family. The lastborn of three girls, she was born at Tembisa Hospital, raised in Alexandra in northern Johannesburg, until she was six years old, before relocating to nearby Marlboro.
She has always loved acting and recalls starring in The Jungle Book in primary school. From grade 9, she was a pupil at the National School of the Arts (NSA) in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
“I was raised under a religious ZCC family, but also very traditional family of kingship. My family was very strict,” Manenje says.
“My mom headed Sunday school at church. But as the lastborn, I had more freedom of expression than my sisters.”
Manenje is still a proud member of the ZCC church and confesses her religious values have often had an impact on the role she picks.
“For instance, I avoid characters that go with alcohol because I don’t want to represent myself like that,” she says.
Manenje says her breakthrough in the entertainment scene was when she played a ballerina in a TV commercial about Avril Lavigne performing in SA in 2005. From there she has never looked back. The first six years of her career was in children’s television, starring in shows such as Takalani Sesame, Siyakholwa and Rivoningo.
She then landed a role in comedy series Single Galz. But it’s her character as comic relief Shanduka in telenovela Ring of Lies in 2016 that was game-changing. Manenje played the love interest to Warren Masemola’s character Stukkie. Viewers of the show loved their onscreen chemistry and Manenje scooped a Safta for best supporting actress (telenovela) in 2019.
“I created that character myself. I sat down and knew who I wanted her to be. I knew who I related to,” Manenje says.
Around the same time, the talented actor scored her biggest television gig as host of Our Perfect Wedding (OPW) following in the footsteps of the predecessors Tumi Morake, Thembisa Mdoda, Kayise Ngqula and Nomsa Buthelezi. OPW was her dream job, considering that she auditioned three times – and went on to host three seasons.
Manenje loves learning new languages and playing around with different accents. She can speak fluently eight of the 11 official SA languages, including Sotho, Pedi, Xhosa and Zulu. She has perfected seven accents: Indian, Nigerian, Portuguese, Zimbabwean, English, coloured and American. As a result, she worked as a script translator on Ring of Lies.
“I have realised the power of languages in my craft and that has helped me incorporate different characters,” Manenje says.
Her biggest dream is to lead a local film, told from her perceptive as a fabulous full-figured woman.
Fact file: Vele Manenje
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite movie: Law Abiding Citizen
Favourite actor: Melissa McCarthy
Favourite musician: Brandy
Favourite emoji: Tongue out
Top three songs on my playlist:
Borderline by Brandy
Woza by Mr JazziQ featuring Lady Du, Kabza De Small and Boohle
Indumiso Yami Medley by SbuNoah
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