Dutywa actress joins ‘Isidingo’
DUTYWA-BORN Nasiphi Ntabeni, who won an acting competition called The Final Cut, has made her debut on SABC3’s popular soap opera, Isidingo.
She stars as Cebisa, who is on the dark side of Nina, played by Khabonina Qhubeka.
Ntabeni, 26, won the competition after defeating 13 other hopefuls last year.
Ntabeni said she was happy that her childhood dream was coming true.
“I always wanted to be an actress. It is something I always wanted to do.
“When the opportunity came my way I grabbed it with both hands,” she said.
She was introduced to acting by her high school teacher Sindiswa Binase.
After matriculating at Nomaka Mbeki High School in Ngcungwana village in 2010, Ntabeni enrolled for performing arts at Lovedale College in Alice.
Ntabeni said it was her instructor Marlene Pieterse at Stage World Theatre School who approved of her career ambitions.
Ntabeni did her first auditions for The Final Cut in East London.
She said before the auditions she prepared herself mentally so that she could deal with the disappointment of being rejected.
“I auditioned and the judges liked me, and I was part of the top four they selected,” she recalled.
Ntabeni said it was during the second phase of the competition that things became tougher.
“Some of the contestants were graduates from universities and there was me coming from an Eastern Capebased college. That alone made me nervous.
“It was a challenge for me. I began feeling insecure and doubted my capabilities and that I was not good enough,” she said.
But she said it was her passion for acting that kept her going and gave her motivation.
She said it was only when she watched it on TV that she really believed that she had won.
Ntabeni said she was happy to be part of the cast of
Isidingo and people should expect the best of her.
“Whenever I do something, I give it my all.
“I will do my part and I believe I will bring something exciting and different to Isidingo,” she said. —