Nambitha can see the future

LOCAL actress Nambitha Mpumlwana has taken a different approach to acting in Sanlam’s latest four-part podcast, The 200 Year Old.

Mpumlwana plays the voice of Lesedi, a healthy and wise 200-yearold woman. She co-stars with Thapelo Mokoena, who plays her great-greatgreat-great-great grandson, Sam.

The podcast catapults listeners into the year 2218 to explore the world of the future and tackles some of the biggest questions about what it means to plan a future for that long, based on current science and future forecasts.

Popular for her roles on soapies like Generations, Ashes To Ashes and national and international film roles in Tsotsi, Beyond Borders and

Invictus, Mpumlwana is comfortable in front of the camera, so it’s no wonder she first laughed at the idea of being involved in a podcast.

She said she had always been under the impression that a podcast was something that allowed you to listen to a radio broadcast you had missed.

“I was slow on the uptake and didn’t have a clear understanding of what a podcast was. When I was asked to read through the script, I thought it was a joke, but after I read it, I thought the concept was really good.”

Mpumlwana said the experience took her back to her childhood days.

“It reminded me of when I was a kid and we listened to dramas on the radio. There was no picture and we had to let our mind create the scenes for us. Those stories were really interesting.”

Preparing for her role as Lesedi, Mpumlwana had to tap deep within herself.

“It’s the first time I’ve played such an old character. I needed to tap into her wisdom rather than her character. I also related to the messages in the story.

“It’s been an interesting exercise transforming into a person with two centuries worth of emotional intelligence, and to imagine what the world will look like when staying young forever becomes a possibility,” she said. “The podcast focuses on planning for your future, it answers a lot of ‘what if ’ questions. Saving is hard to do these days, especially in the black community where black tax is a real thing,” Mpumlwana said.

She said that, as parents, you are supposed to pass the baton on to your children. “But nowadays parents are dying much younger and their children are being left behind with nothing. The podcast deals with these issues and more, and these messages need to be passed on. People need to know that we don’t have to just live in survivor mode – it is possible to have a good future,” she said.

The cast is completed by Stephen Jennings, Robyn Scott, Zola Nombona, Tanaka Gava and voice artist Shiba Melissa.