Durban-born muso Masandi is proving to be no one-trick pony and was announced this week among the many others joining SABC1’s popular soapie Uzalo.
No stranger to the small screen, as he previously featured on productions such as The Queen and Isibaya among others, Mfusi will be making his debut appearance in April and believes that this big break will finally cement him as an actor in the eyes of his fans.
The actor, real name Sandile Mfusi, joins other new faces on the show such as Thembi Nyandeni, Omuhle Gela and Siyabonga Radebe.
“Landing this gig is actually a big deal, especially since I tried auditioning for the show twice already. So, making the cut now feels surreal,” said Masandi.
“Deep down, for the longest of time, I always wanted to work for Uzalo and that is why I kept trying and trying. I think the last audition I did was for a sangoma role,” he said laughing. “That is how much I wanted to join this team and being here now makes sense.”
Masandi will be portraying the character of Kwanda Buthelezi, who enters KwaMashu as a driven and charming drug lord that woos Nonka into his attractive web, concealing his ulterior motives.
“Kwanda is a very strong character, who can blend in different spaces, but he also has a twisted side to him and I believe that will add excitement and chaos to the show,” he said.
Masandi’s star rose within the entertainment industry via music as an Afro-pop soul singer, which led him to sign an international recording deal with Warner Music Records. He has released two songs under the stable.
Speaking to him in between shooting, he told Sowetan that his debut EP is 95% complete and will be released before the end of the year. “Music is my first love and that goes without saying. I fell in love with acting along the way and I have grown to a place where I am better at it. But music will always take priority for me,” he said.
“I was exposed to music from an early age. I began singing at church at the age of seven and from then I realised that I have the knack for it and really invested in it. I jumped into music professionally in 2009 and I think I worked really hard and that is how I was able to bag the big international deal,” he said.
The first single from that EP, dubbed Noma Kunzima, will be released towards the end of this month.
“Doing these two art forms, I think, expose people to two of my personalities... Sandile the actor and Masandi the musician. I don’t believe in limiting myself because I believe that we should all be able to express ourselves, however we are gifted,” he said.
Masandi was born and raised in Durban’s popular Umlazi township and continues to reside around Durban.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.