A thing of the past
Running into Tau causes a stir of emotions for his ex-lover Ayanda when she lands in Joburg to launch her business.
Entrepreneur Ayanda (Samela Tyelbooi) has a lump in her throat after running into her ex-boyfriend Tau (Rapulana Seiphemo) on Monday 14 January. Never in a million years did she think that she would see him again after he dumped her years ago [offscreen] to marry his nowex-wife Karabo (Connie Ferguson). “Ayanda tries to keep a straight face but she’s in a muddle,” explains Samela. “Here is the man she thought was the one but left her for another woman! She didn’t have closure after the breakup. He just left and pretended like she didn’t exist, so it’s difficult for her to be in the same space as him,” explains the actress. But ego- centric businessman Tau is in for a surprise – just because he is single and ready to mingle doesn’t mean that they can just pick up where he left off with Ayanda.
BEATING AROUND THE BUSH
Ayanda doesn’t have time to reflect on her break-up at the moment. She’s in town to handle business and leave straight afterwards. “She is the type of woman who knows what she wants. She rarely mixes business with pleasure, but this is Tau we are talking about,” adds Samela. “Ayanda tries to convince herself [on Friday 18 January] that the past is just that: the past. She tries to tell herself that she is over Tau, but trying to run from her feelings only leads Ayanda to reflect on what they had,” explains the actress. They had planned on marrying and starting a family together. It breaks Ayanda’s heart that Tau has a son with Karabo who moved to England with her when she won sole custody of the baby in 2017 after their divorce. “Ayanda still has feelings for Tau, but she’d rather not go down that road with him. She doesn’t want to get hurt again.”
CUTTING CORNERS
Ayanda sends a message to Tau during their meeting on Thursday 24 January that they are colleagues and nothing more when he tries to bring up their past. “She cuts him short. She makes it clear that she’s over him,” says Samela. Tau doesn’t want to let her slip through his fingers again though and despite the continued cold shoulders, he tries to sweet-talk Ayanda on Monday 28 January. “She questions his every move because she doesn’t want to be blindsided and hurt again,” adds the actress. If there’s one thing we know about Tau, it’s that once he has his sights set, nothing will get in his way, regardless of what he has to say or do to get it.
BACK TO BASICS
Samela has had a couple of fumblefinger characters in the past who weren’t fans of computers, like popstar Shado on soapie Rhythm City (2007- current). But tech-savvy businesswoman Ayanda is a role that she’s relishing because it’s not entirely foreign to her. “I studied IT in varsity,” explains Samela, “and it is exciting to incorporate that into my character. She adds that her character is involved in data mining, which has risen to prominence in the last few years. “Ayanda is big on research and digging into information. I enjoy playing a tech geek, it’s exciting!”