Nomzamo Mbatha
On natural beauty and taking on Hollywood
the day after Miss South Africa 2020 is crowned, I meet actress, human rights activist and TV personality Nomzamo Mbatha at the luxury Table Bay Hotel. Last night, all eyes were on her as the MC of the pageant. Draped in designer gowns sourced and custom made for her by esteemed local and international fashion designers, she owned the stage, radiating confidence and beauty. When we sit down at the hotel’s empty bar, she’s wearing a flowing summer dress and her face is make-up free. In Beauty Q&A, Nomzamo also appears with no make-up, letting her healthy looking skin take centre stage. Glamour celebrates strong and confident women, who’re comfortable in their skin.
“It was one of the most memorable, nervewracking, exciting, beautiful experiences of my life,” she says of hosting the beauty pageant. “I set out to go on that stage and have a good time. I realised that if I were nervous, then the girls would be too, and I didn’t want that. I grew up watching Miss South Africa. My fondest memory of it was when someone from my neighbourhood, Kwamashu, entered – I remember she made it to the top 20. Everyone was huddled around the TV, watching, and as soon as she stepped onto that stage, I remember taxis hooting and people screaming in the streets. The joy of seeing someone you know experience that kind of spotlight is a big thing. Now I get to host Miss SA. I get to announce the name of the reigning queen, which is beautiful, insane!”
The industry
Having worked on the Veuve Clicquot Polo Series, presented the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, a virtual event in Milan, alongside Zendaya, Cate Blanchett and Lewis Hamilton, we ask Nomzamo what it’s like navigating the two worlds of Mcing and performing.
“Performing is based on your skill, but hosting showcases the essence of who you are.”
Arriving on our TV screens as Thandeka Zungu in Mzansi Magic’s isizulu telenovela isibaya in 2013, a young Nomzamo captured our hearts. Her talent was and still is unmatched. But her career has changed drastically since then; she’s based in LA now, competing on a global stage. Personalitywise, she’s still the warm and engaging Nomzamo I met at industry events over the years., her laugh infectious.
“This industry can really change you. I’ve been through my fair share of thinking I should dim my light because when you do that no one hates on you, you don’t get any trolls. But you obviously can’t fight who you are for too long. You can’t fight the light and your purpose; it’ll permeate even if you try to hold it back. Even during those rare moments of self-discovery, when you’re catching strays, you have to ride the wave. I’m glad I continue to stay on course.”
Growing up
Nomzamo was a studious teen with a big personality that made her lots of friends at school. “My grandmother Mildred wouldn’t allow me to play outside with the other children because she was scared. Young girls living in townships were highly likely to be kidnapped or raped, and so she was overprotective of me. I spent a lot of my time reading books, I was a bookworm, but I also had a big personality at school. I was involved in leadership and used to do a lot of public speaking. Because I was disciplined, smart and involved in school, I wouldn’t say I was a teacher’s pet, but I was one of their favourites.”
Her teachers encouraged her to pursue a career in television as an actress or newsreader. Her peers thought she’d become SA’S first female president.
Giving back
Nomzamo became an ambassador for the skincare brand Neutrogena after only two years in the industry. She also received a nomination for a South African Film and Television Award (SAFTAS), hosted the BET Awards,
addressed at the 75th seating of the United Nations General Assembly and, of course, hosted Miss South Africa. Nomzamo and Neutrogena celebrate their five-year partnership this year, and she joins Neutrogena’s other brand ambassadors, the actors Nicole Kidman and Kerry Washington.
“My partnership with Neutrogena proved I’m a viable public figure and has attracted other brands into this space. My relationship with the brand has been beautiful, ever since the beginning, when we launched the ‘See What’s Possible’ campaign as a global message. Seeing what’s possible has been the theme of my life. The relatability of the tagline’s so much deeper. Look at me: the probability of a girl from Kwamashu getting to where I am now is less than one per cent. That in itself is a promise of a new dawn, of possibility. It’s also an invitation to each other as women or people. I invite you into my story. Besides skincare and technology, I believe in the integrity of Neutrogena products.”
She’s also a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. “I feel most fulfilled when I’m travelling in Africa visiting refugee camps, when I’m in rooms that people don’t even know about, rooms that offer me opportunities. I say, ‘let’s take these opportunities, turn them into money and use it to change the world.’”
Cracking Hollywood
Nomzamo’s move to LA landed her a role in the American comedy film Coming to America 2, starring alongside Eddie Murphy who reprises his role as the crown prince of the fictional African nation Zamunda in the sequel of the popular 1988 film.“when I got the call for the audition, I was in Abu Dhabi shooting a UN humanitarian video. My acting agent said, ‘You can send a tape, but I think you should be in the room.’ I felt demotivated at the time, but the energy in the audition room was so refreshing I wanted to hug the casting director, she was so lovely. I got the call that I got the role on my grandmother’s birthday, which is significant.
Coming to America 2, which will premiere in December, has been sold by distributor Paramount Pictures to Amazon Studios, in a deal worth roughly $125 million. “That means I’m in a billion-rand movie. I don’t know what that means right now, but I will one day.”
How’s life in LA? “It’s different from South Africa, but I love it. It was initially hard because it was a big culture shock – I tried not to get hit by a car while crossing the street! Overall, it’s been such a great experience, and I’ve learnt so much about myself. I’ve learnt that I’m brave. It’s brave to leave your comfort zone to travel to a foreign country on your own without your family. It takes courage, opportunity and lots of hard work. You also need a thick skin – I always say that’s the formula to surviving in LA. In South Africa, you need a thick skin for social media. Elsewhere in the world, you need it for professionals, experts, and the people who sit on the other side of the table, those who can decide your destiny, whether you get to keep the lights on or not.”
“I’m in a billion-rand movie. I don’t know what that means right now, but I will one day”