‘I was born for this’

“I was born for this” were sentiments echoed by South Africa-based actress Gugulethu Siziba as she narrated her acting career.

The 26-year-old who has featured on soapies that include Diep City, Skeem Saam, Nikiwe, Redemption and Smoke and Mirrors as a background actress, believes she is destined for dizzy heights.

Hailing from Filabusi koGodlwayo, she spent most of her years at her mother’s village in Nkayi where she furthered her studies. She started acting in school dramas when she was 14 years old.

Siziba’s biggest breakthrough came in 2014 when she starred on a local drama, Tsotsi the Untold Love Story, a product of Visual Concept.

However, gigs were not easy to come by locally, forcing the actress to relocate to neighbouring South Africa in search for opportunities in 2020.

At that point, she had lost interest in acting and had hopes to get alternative jobs.

To her pleasant surprise, the first job that she got there was an acting one.

“The first job that I got when I was in South Africa was that of acting. That’s when I realised that I was born for this as it wasn’t hard to get connections and gigs in the film industry,” said Siziba.

She said she started acting in the neighbouring country in 2021 and was cast on soapies, Diep City, Skeem Saam, Nikiwe, Redemption and Smoke and Mirrors.

“While I was working as a background actress, I got lucky and got a featuring role on Redemption, a soapie which airs on DStv channel 129. From there, more gigs have been coming my way,” she said.

Nothing keeps a person going than having a supportive family which stands by you and motivates you in all that you do. Siziba said when the chips were down, her family kept her going as they motivated her to keep trying her luck in order to put her hometown — Filabusi — on the map.

“Hearing my family saying such encouraging words pushed me to realise my dreams and I’m still fighting,” she said.
Siziba said she feels blessed and favoured by God as there are a lot of people who wish to appear on television but never get the chance.

Not only is she good at acting, but she is also talented at playing around with makeup as she “creates” scars for actors using makeup.

Siziba’s acting career is on the right path as she is set to appear on Skeem Saam, a South African soapie which airs on SABC 1.