‘Imbewu’ drama big break for shy twin

FROM accompanying her sister to audition for shows to finally landing her big break, Vuyokazi Tshona has come a long way and is ready to show South Africa what she’s got.

Tshona plays the role of Buhle on e.tv’s new daily drama, Imbewu: The Seed.

Imbewu is set in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, with a storyline that spans the most-affluent parts of Umlazi to the humblest streets in eNquthu and Chatsworth.

A deep and unspoken truth, representing the cultural legacy between two brothers, is at the centre of the series’ captivating plot.

Speaking with the Daily Dispatch this week, Tshona said she never thought she would be an actress on a big television production.

“I came to Durban to study agriculture and my twin sister was doing drama at the time. She would go to auditions and would sometimes say I should try it out too,” she said.

Her sister, Vuyelwa, is currently in Asia with the Lion King Production.

The first role she got was on SABC1’s Uzalo as a member of the church choir.

“At the time I knew that I could sing because I grew up singing in the church and that’s why I auditioned for the choir member role.

“I was not sure about being an actor,” she said.

It was during her time at the Tshwane University of Technology while studying that she fell in love with acting.

“I did a lot of theatre plays while I was in Johannesburg and that’s where I realised that I could act,” she said.

While improving her acting skills through various workshops and theatre productions, Tshona said her mother would ask why she was not using her agriculture qualification instead.

“My mother wasn’t for the idea of me acting, she was more focused on me using my qualification. However, that has since changed now.

“My family is pleased with my progress in acting, my dad is proud and my mother cannot believe it,” she said.

On acting with the likes of Thembi Mtshali, Leleti Khumalo and Mpumelelo Bhulose, Tshona said it has been an amazing journey for her.

“I was nervous at first but we did workshops before we started shooting and that helped in getting us used to acting with such big names.

“People like Mam’ Thembi and Leleti are like our mothers now,” she said, adding that she still could not believe that she got to work with such legendary actors.

Catch Imbewu: The Seed every weekday on e.tv at 9:30pm. —