Duma Ndlovu | |
|---|---|
| Born | Duma Reggie Ndlovu 12 October 1954 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Education | Sekano Ntoane High School |
| Alma mater | Hunter College |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Notable work | |
Duma Ndlovu (born 12 October 1954) is a South African poet, filmmaker, producer, journalist and playwright. [1] He is well known in the South African television industry, [2] having created award-winning shows such as Muvhango , Imbewu: The Seed and Uzalo . [3] Between 1996 and 2004 he was the chairman of the South African Music Awards. [4]
Duma Ndlovu is of Zulu ancestry, and he was born in Taung, North West; his ancestral home, however, is in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal. [5] [6] He went to Sekano Ntoane High School in Senaoane. [7]
After finishing high school he started writing for The World newspaper. [8] He then founded the Medupe Writers Association, a group that encouraged young black people to take interest in being writers. He served as the organization's president until 1977 when the apartheid government banned the group due to its participation in black consciousness and anti-apartheid movements. [9] [10]
After Ndlovu and many members of the Medupe Writers Association were banned by the apartheid government, he left South Africa for the United States to avoid being persecuted by the apartheid government. [11] In the United States he was able to study and complete his master's degree at Hunter College in New York. [12]
In 1985, Ndlovu founded the Woza Afrika Foundation in order to give young black aspiring actors and actresses the opportunity to pursue their dreams and also raise funds to support the overall Arts in South Africa. [13] He also taught African-American literature and music at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. [14]
In May 2022, University of Zululand awarded him with PhD by the faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. [15]
In 1992 Duma Ndlovu returned to South Africa, and he founded the Word Of Mouth Productions to mount music, theatre and television productions. [16] The company was successful and a few years later it was chosen as the official casting company in South Africa for the Broadway musical Disney's The Lion King . [17] [18]
In 1994, he wrote Bergville Stories, which was positively received and had successful runs in Durban at the Playhouse, the Market Theatre and the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]
His other theatrical writing and directing credits include:
Ndlovu created Murendeni, the first Tshivenda TV drama based in Thathe, Limpopo. [27] At first the show was primarily in TshiVenda but later on other languages were incorporated into the show in order to bridge the cultural divide between the various tribes in South Africa. [28] The show's premiere episode aired on 7 April 1997 on Sabc 2 and it was well received by the viewers. [29] The show was a success and it won multiple awards. [30] Ndlovu was awarded an honorary PhD from the University of Venda for his work in Muvhango. [31] Muvhango is the most watched show on Sabc 2, [32] and on 16 May 2019 it was reported that the show had reached 6 million viewers. [33]
When Duma Ndlovu was asked, "With your first language being Zulu - why isn't it a Zulu drama?" he replied:
The organisation that is today known as ICASA, it was called IBA then; they called on the SABC to start featuring marginalised languages. I saw a gap, Zulu is not a marginalised language; in fact, Zulu is the majority language in South Africa so I then decided to write in the smallest South African language, Tshivenda, because I was familiar with it. I'd learnt it as a child and I was familiar with the cultures. I thought it would make an impact, and it did so the reading of the situation was quite correct.
— Duma Ndlovu [34]
Duma Ndlovu created Imbewu: The Seed with Leleti Khumalo and Anant Singh as executive producers. [35] The show was broadcast on etv and garnered positive reviews from the viewers. [36] It attracted 2.7 million viewers on its premier and as of December 2018 it had over 4 million viewers. [37] [38]
Duma Ndlovu created the show Uzalo, a telenovela shot and based in KwaMashu's F section in KwaZulu-Natal. [39] On 9 February 2015 the show's premiere episode aired on Sabc 1 and was an instant hit with the viewers, gaining 5.5 million viewers in less than a month despite only broadcasting three nights a week. [40] Uzalo temporarily switched to SABC 2 due to schedule changes on SABC 1; it surpassed Muvhango as the most watched show on the channel, but the latter regained its top spot after Uzalo was moved back to Sabc 1. [41]
The show's popularity continued to grow immensely as it was extended from three nights a week to five nights a week and was now competing with Generations: The Legacy for the most watched TV show in South Africa. [42] [43] In June 2015 Uzalo officially dethroned Generations: The Legacy as the most watched television show in South Africa. [44] [45]
At the end of September 2018, Uzalo had broken all records in the history of television viewing in South Africa. [46] On the first of October 2018 the show had reached 10.2 million viewers, cementing its top spot as the most watched television programme by far. [47] [48]
In 2024, Ndlovu was arrested after being accused of defrauding the South African Revenue Service of R25-million. He was released on bail of R100 000 and instructed not to communicate with any witnesses. [53]
Leleti Khumalo is a South African actress known for her leading role in the movie and stage play Sarafina! and for her roles in other films such as Hotel Rwanda, Yesterday and Invictus, as well as the soap opera Imbewu: The Seed where she plays Nokubonga "MaZulu" Bhengu and on Uzalo as MaNzuza. And currently on Muvhango as Dr Ximba
Mbongeni Ngema was a South African playwright, lyricist, composer, director, choreographer, and theatre producer, best known for co-writing the 1981 play Woza Albert! and co-writing the 1988 musical Sarafina!. He was known for plays that reflected the spirit of black South Africans under apartheid, and won much praise for his work, but was also the subject of several controversies. He died in a car accident on 27 December 2023.
7de Laan was a South African Afrikaans soap opera created by Danie Odendaal and produced by Danie Odendaal Productions. The series focuses on the lives of residents in and around the community of 7de Laan, in the suburb of Hillside. The programme's dialogue is primarily in Afrikaans and was subtitled in English with some English and Zulu dialogue in between. The show was cancelled in July 2023 and its final episode aired on 26 December 2023.
Sarafina! is a South African musical by Mbongeni Ngema and Hugh Masekela depicting students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to apartheid. It was also adapted into a 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Leleti Khumalo. Sarafina! premiered on Broadway on 28 January 1988, at the Cort Theatre, and closed on 2 July 1989, after 597 performances and 11 previews. The musical was conceived and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, who also wrote the book. He wrote the music and lyrics alongside Hugh Masekela. The play was first presented at The Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa, in June 1987. The cast included Leleti Khumalo as Sarafina.
Sindiswa Dlathu is a South African actress and musician. She is well known for portraying Thandaza Mokoena on Muvhango, a role she played from the show's inception in 1997 until her departure in 2017.
Sarafina! is a 1992 musical drama film based on Mbongeni Ngema's 1987 musical of the same name. The film was directed by Darrell Roodt and written by Ngema Mbongeni and William Nicholson, and stars Leleti Khumalo, Miriam Makeba, John Kani, Ngema, and Whoopi Goldberg; Khumalo reprises her role from the stage performance.
Gugulethu Zuma-Ncube is a South African producer, actress and daughter of former President Jacob Zuma and African National Congress (ANC) politician Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and daughter-in-law to Zimbabwean Movement for Democratic Change Alliance politician Professor Welshman Ncube.
Imbewu: The Seed is a South African television drama series created by Duma Ndlovu, who also served as executive producer alongside Anant Singh and Leleti Khumalo. It is an e.tv original series produced by Grapevine Productions, a co-production between Word of Mouth Productions, Videovision Entertainment and Luyks Productions, commissioned and distributed by e.tv. Leleti Khumalo also starred in the series, alongside Tony Kgoroge, Thembi Mtshali-Jones, Raphael Griffiths, Jailoshini Naidoo and Koobeshen Naidoo, amongst others.
Dawn Thandeka King is a multi-award-winning South African actress, musician, motivational speaker and social media influencer from Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal. Dawn Thandeka King is best known for her former role as MaNgcobo on the South African soap opera Uzalo. King portrayed the role of MaNgcobo for almost 7 years.
Baby Cele - Maloka is a South African actress born in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal.
Jo-Anne Reyneke is a South African actress and voice-over artist best known for her television soap opera roles as Pearl on SABC 2's Muvhango and as Prudence Oliphant, an office manager for Redemption Records, on e.tv's Rhythm City.
Events in the year 2021 in South Africa.
Shauwn Mkhize, also known as Mam'Mkhize, is a South African socialite, businesswoman, philanthropist and television personality. She is known from her Mzansi Magic reality television series, Kwa Mam'Mkhize.
Nelisa Mchunu, is a South African actress, model, MC, motivational speaker and writer. She is best known for the roles in the television soap operas such as, Isithembiso, Isibaya and Uzalo as fikile.
Wiseman Mncube, is a South African actor, playwright, singer and director. He is best known for the roles in television serials, such as Gold Diggers, EHostela, Uzalo and Shaka Ilembe. In June 2024 he was nominated twice for Best Actor for his roles in Uzalo and Shaka llembe by the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and Television Awards.
Bheki Sibiya, is a South African actor, producer, director, and cinematographer. He is best known for the roles in the television serials such as Muvhango, eHostela and Durban Gen.
Sipho Ngema, was a South African actor. He is best known for the roles in the television serials such as; Rhythm City and Uzalo.
Events in the year 2023 in South Africa.
Mlungisi Khuzani Ndlovu, professionally known as uGatsheni is a South African singer. Born and raised in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal. His musical career began in 2012 at the age of 22.
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