New ‘Uzalo’ star has great expectations
HE’S a man of many talents and, so far, acting is the one that is putting him on top.
A fresh face on our TV screens, Nay Maps grew his fan base when he joined the cast of Uzalo, starring in the role of Mxolisi Xulu. A singer, actor and businessman, Maps says it all boils down to passion. “I love what I do and I love capturing the hearts of the viewers through Uzalo, because Mxolisi is a complex character, but he relates to a lot of people.”
So this begs the question, who is Nay Maps? “Nay Maps means overwhelming prosperity and success… it’s a combination of my first name Nkosinathi and my last name Maphalala,” he explained.
“My vision is to be an international movie star. Hollywood, Africa, South Africa… telling truthful stories that will impact lives.”
The Pretoria-born star said he drew inspiration to help upcoming artists from his “close-knit” family on Uzalo.
“It’s actually a dream come true, it’s an honour and it is exciting, but it also brings a lot of pressure and expectation,” he said.
“Here I was as a newcomer on the same set with some of my favourite actors.”
As he spoke about his time on the show, he recalled how he had to wait six months before being told that he got the part, but said he feels fortunate that he didn’t struggle too much to get into the industry.
Before Uzalo, Maps had a cameo role on Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya – a role which, he says, prepared him for his role as Mxolisi.
Maps is not neglecting his other talents, namely music and fashion. He recently launched a clothing label, Nay Maps Clothing, and it’s thriving.
“My clothing line is a holistic brand. I want people to know that they’re loved… even before they read the back of the wash care tag, which reads ‘You are loved and God loves you’.”
When the conversation moved to his music, Maps beamed with excitement as he spoke about his longawaited single, which drops in a few months. Maps – whose passion for music was influenced by his father – says he cannot wait for Mzansi to hear his fresh sound. “I’m still working on the title of the song, but the theme is a feel-good vibe. (The sound) is a combination of trap, hip hop, R&B and soul”. So just how does he juggle acting, music and his businesses? “Honestly I’m taking it one day at a time,” he said. “For instance, I’m on set 12 hours a day, but when I get home, I contact my clothing reps in each city to check how the sales are going and discuss designs. After that I go through my lines and my songwriting as well”.
It’s true what they say: “To whom much is given, much is expected.” Somehow everything is fitting into place for this jack of all trades. Catch Uzalo on SABC 1, weekdays at 8.30pm.