Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
THE 23rd edition of the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama), held in Harare last month, will be remembered as a night where the youth took centre stage. From the captivating rendition of the national anthem by the Choice Children’s Choir to the triumph of preteen actor Sikhanyiso “S’kha” Ngwenya, the event showcased the incredible talent of Zimbabwe’s younger generation.
Hailing from Victoria Falls, S’kha made history by becoming arguably the youngest recipient of the “Outstanding Actor” award, thanks to his stellar performance in Rise, a film directed by Jessica “Jessie” Rowlands.
Zimpapers arts tracked down the youngster, a Grade Five pupil at Chinotimba Primary School, nestled in Chinotimba suburb in the resort city.
In an interview, under the guidance of his mother, Rumbidzai Chikamhi, S’kha said his acting career is motivated by his love for comedy, particularly Leon Schuster’s Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past, which features Zimbabwe’s film royalty, Tongayi Chirisa.
“I started acting in 2023, and I was inspired by Tongayi Chirisa’s role as ‘Hekule’ the king of Kuvukiland in Leon Schuster’s movie, Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past.’ Rise was my first significant role and I was trained by Jessie who I learnt a lot from,” he said.
S’kha’s mother said his favourite subject at school is Mathematics because “he likes numbers”.
“As his parents, we’re very impressed and excited. We’ll give him all the support he needs to benefit from opportunities presented to him,” she said.
On his Nama win, the youngster said: “I’m very happy to have won this accolade.”
Rise director Jessie praised S’kha for his Nama win, saying he was a joy to work with when they were shooting the film despite having no prior acting experience.
“When I met him at Chinotimba Primary School during our first day of auditions in Victoria Falls, he had never acted before,” Jessie said.
“But the moment I saw him, I knew he was Rise, even before he auditioned. His demeanour, size and look were exactly how I had envisioned the character.”
She said S’kha proved to be a fast learner who took direction exceptionally well.
“Most importantly, he was truly acting. After one scene, when I said ‘cut’, I noticed his expression drop and his body language shift to relief. That told me he understood he was stepping in and out of a character — that he knew he was pretending to be someone else.”
Jessie added that during conversations, S’kha showed a deep understanding of the role.
“We spoke about character development, and he was able to express who Rise was and how he might be feeling in different scenes. That level of awareness in someone so young was truly special.”
S’kha’s achievement at the Namas marked a significant milestone not only for his budding career but also for youth representation in Zimbabwean film.
Recently, Victoria Falls has been the gift that keeps on giving, churning out young talent to the world. This comes after Mkhosana-based teenage singer, Andrea the Vocalist, captured the hearts of many, eventually landing collaborations with Aubrey Qwana and Dorcas Moyo from having his video going viral on social media singing at church. – Follow on X @MbuleloMpofu
