Former child star Siphiwe Mtshali, 44, believes it’s third time lucky as he stages another triumphant TV return.
He experienced some setbacks over the last three decades, and his comeback is a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft.
Mtshali tells Sowetan how he’s getting his mojo back.
How are you staging your comeback?
The break I took wasn’t by choice. After Covid-19, shows were canned left, right and centre. After Rhythm City, things got quiet. There was no work, and then my wife and I started working on our production company, Izigi Media and Entertainment. I also focused on raising my kids while promoting our shows.
After five years of no work, Showmax came through. While all that was happening, I had to bury my mother in 2023 and my father in 2024; earlier this year, I lost my brother.
How has the industry evolved?
There are no more stars. If you have a phone, you’re a star. Somehow, for me, there’s that jealousy that I have because these phones have taken away our spotlight.
You have to be talented to be followed by people, but now, anyone can do it. So, it’s either you adapt or fall behind.
How are you working now?
A lot has had to change. I still have an agent, but most of what I do is still in-house. My wife and I work together, which helps us control the narrative. On the acting front, I have a supporting role that will be revealed soon. In terms of production houses, I’m here.
I’m also available for roles. I always say, “Success does not lie in never falling but in getting up each time you fall.”
How do you remember your big break?
The first decade was life-changing, coming from the background I came from. When I started TV, I had this talent and was staying in a shack but knew that I was celebrated at community halls. I then had to learn about the television agency and try my luck on a screen test. I was just a normal pastor’s kid who became a star on the screen.
The bizarre part was not being able to watch myself on TV. I had to go next door. People usually assume that if you’re on television, you’re rich. I experienced the opposite.
Success does not lie in never falling but in getting up each time you fall.
— Siphiwe Mtshali – TV star
What was it like being a child star?
My dad wasn’t sure of the TV life that I was pursuing, but when he started to see the money coming in, his mindset changed. My first pay was R5,000, and I only asked that he buy me a TV from that money.
The great thing that happened from that money was that my father was able to put it together with what he was earning to buy the house that we were renting.
He even thanked me for helping him buy our home but made clear not to forget whose house it is.
What was the peak of your career?
Having been on Generations and acting alongside the likes of Menzi Ngubane, who often gave me pointers on how to play Zamani, life got exciting. It got even more exciting when I landed the role of Bash on Rhythm City.
I was young and in my second decade of fame. I went on to play Bash for a decade.
