PASSING ON THE BATON

Child actor-turnedacting coach and SAFTA-winning founder of Actor Spaces Ayanda Sithebe, 32, on how his industry journey is only beginning now!

I’ve been in the entertainment industry for 15 years. It’s still surreal because after some time, I stopped counting and focused on the work. My position in the industry is somewhat odd because I’m not in the limelight. From day one, my calling has always been in development. Actor Spaces was born as a result of me noticing the fundamental gaps in the industry. It grew into what it is today because there was no community for actors. There was also a glaring gap between those who didn’t study acting and those who did — and we wanted to create a continuous learning space for everyone. We also wanted to honour the actors who have been overlooked and celebrate overall excellence. It was also about creating a digital footprint for our talent and not just assist with knowledge and workshops.

Winning the Ster-Kinekor Youth Achiever Award at the 2018 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) was exactly the thumbs up I needed.

I think that’s when many started asking who I was.

The SAFTA win helped me craft a clearer vision. I had been ignorantly running my business but neglecting the corporate side, yet that’s where sponsorship is. The award opened doors for me – from sitting with SterKinekor in boardrooms and outlining my vision, to them stepping in to assist. The birth of the Africa Rising International Film Festival, which I direct, was through the connections I made following the win. I met Kweku Mandela, a producer, and he wanted to work with me in leaving a legacy after the Global Citizen Mandela Festival: 100. He and Ndaba

Mandela have an organisation called Africa Rising, and the film festival emerged from that.

I started acting on Soul Buddyz at 17 and have since directed a lot of theatre productions like My Richest Yard and Expelled from Life. Mandla N gave me my first shot at TV directing with Abo Mzala, and I don’t see myself ever stepping back in front of the camera. I believe in surrounding myself with people who share my vision. This has made my partnerships genuine. I met Pallance Dladla at age 11 while coaching at Youth In Trust. We kept in touch as he grew in the industry. He and S’dumo Mtshali own a production company and when they heard about Actor Spaces, they invested and joined as executives. Seeing the young actors I have groomed thrive has been my biggest reward. Getting phone calls from the actors I’ve coached telling me they’ve bagged their first role, or those who decided against going into the industry but say the one workshop they attended helped their confidence makes me very happy. Those little moments mean so much to me. My biggest challenge has been shifting from being passionate about Actor Spaces to running it as a sustainable business. The creative side of things is great, but running a business without losing your morals can be hard. I’m still trying to find the balance and it’s only now that we’re breaking even — three years into the journey. I’ve had many wins and our reach is now international. Tasha Smith and her sister, Sidra, asked us to facilitate a masterclass for them when they were in the country in December 2019. I’m hoping to partner with more people like them and grow our presence internationally. It takes a lot for creatives to support each other. As black creatives, we have a lot of segregation instead of being unified. There’s so much impact we can make if we stick together.

I’m passionate about opening up the industry.

But, the foundation of our industry is all wrong. Actors’ rights aren’t respected. Artists are at the bottom of the food chain, yet it’s their images that carry brands and productions. More conversations need to happen, and the Amendment Bill is only the beginning. Attaining work-life balance has been a great challenge. My wife also works in the same industry, so our conversations are always centred around work. Our two kids, whom I consider my biggest light, give us a break from it all. I haven’t been living much in the past three years because I’ve been working on getting my dream off the ground.

This is why my wife and I have started to create moments together. Last year, we tried the 52 Date Challenge. Such things give us time to reconnect. My wife is the best remedy

in stressful situations. I tend to stress a lot and take things personally, but it helps that my wife always knows how to calm me down. For instance, we held an amazing honorary dinner for Mam’ Mary Twala. The following day, I woke up to a fake Sunday newspaper article that said I owed money on my bond. After such a remarkable night, that killed my joy. I’d tell my younger self — the little boy who grew up in Ladysmith, KZN — that his dreams are valid. I think the biggest delay in reaching my goals was caused by me feeling like I didn’t belong in the spaces I found myself in. Imposter syndrome can be crippling. My late dad, who was my biggest cheerleader and motivator, must be proud of the man I’ve become. He died when I was starting high school and it got lonely after he was gone. But my mom and gran are great fans of my work. My mom attends practically everything I’m part of and I don’t take that lightly. Passion makes the load lighter. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt on my journey. ■