Siyabonga thwala as Mpiyakhe Zungu
Here are 10 things you do not know about Siabonga Thwala popularly known as Mpiyakhe Zungu on Isibaya
- Siyabonga is 45 years old, born March 17, 1969
- He was born and raised in the Umlazi Township in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
- He began acting in 1989
- He made his screen acting debut in the 1996 made-for-TV movie Born Free: A New Adventure. In the same year he played a cameo in an episode of the television series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures entitled “Tarzan and the Scarlet Diamond” (Season 1, Episode 5).
- In 1998 he was offered the role of Godlieb Mofokeng in the new SABC3 soapie Isidingo, but turned it down as he felt he was not ready for a longterm commitment to television. The role went to Rapulana Seiphemo instead.
- In theatre he has appeared in the shows Burning Blue, Janice Honeyman’s Turkish Delight, Aladdin and Blues Brothers, for which he won a Vita award
- He was best known for his role as the ruthless publisher Vusi Zwane in the e.tv soapie Scandal!, from 10 January 2005 to 21 May 2007
- In October 2007 he won the Golden Horn for Best Actor in a TV Soap at the second annual South African Film and Television Academy awards (SAFTAs), for his role in Scandal!.
- He starred as Paul Mashaba, Kenneth’s (Seputla Sebogodi) brother, on the SABC1 soapie Generations, from 2007-2010.
- He won the inaugural Outstanding Lead Actor award at the Royalty Soapie Awards in March 2014 for this role.
