Hungani Ndlovu

Wow, can you believe it’s been a whole year since Hungani Ndlovu stepped into the role of Thabo “Tbose” Maputla on Skeem Saam? Time flies when you’re having fun, right? The talented actor took over the beloved character after the original actor, Cornet Mamabolo, bid farewell to the show in 2021. Since then, Ndlovu has been making waves, and he took a moment recently to express his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who’s been part of this incredible journey.

In a lovely post on Instagram, Ndlovu shared some memorable scenes from the show, along with a message of appreciation for the cast, crew, and the audience. He wrote, “A heartfelt and massive thank you to the incredible Skeem Saam cast, crew, production team, audience, and every single person who made this journey so seamless.” It’s so cool to see how much respect he has for everyone involved in making the show a hit!

Stepping into the shoes of a character that had already been loved by fans for over a decade is no small feat. Ndlovu reflected on the mixed feelings he had when he first joined the show. “Stepping into a recast type of role is tremendous – the amount of pressure is just like beyond,” he shared in an interview. It’s totally understandable; Cornet did such an amazing job with Tbose, that it must have felt like a mountain to climb for Ndlovu. But he faced the challenge head-on and has grown immensely since then.

 

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During his first year, not everyone was on board with the new Tbose, which is completely normal in the world of recasts. However, Ndlovu took it all in stride. He acknowledged the importance of feeling confident in his work, saying, “Do I feel like I’ve done my best? Yes.” He’s right—he can only focus on what he can control, so there’s no point in stressing over opinions that can’t be changed.

One of the coolest things about Hungani is that he didn’t want to just mimic the previous portrayal of Tbose. He aimed to create a distinct character while still honoring the legacy Cornet left behind. “I wanted to create a memorable performance while avoiding conformity to pre-existing expectations about Tbose,” he stated. That’s such a refreshing approach!

Looking ahead, Ndlovu remains positive about what’s to come. “Things will only get better,” he said, and honestly, we believe him! With that attitude and the support of the dedicated Skeem Saam family, there’s no limit to how far he can go.

So here’s to Hungani Ndlovu and his impressive first year as Tbose! We can’t wait to see what he brings to the table next. Cheers to many more memorable moments in the world of Skeem Saam!