S’dumo Mtshali (born 3 March 1983) is a 41-year-old is a South African actor who rose to fame by winning the first season of the SABC1 reality competition Class Act, in 2010.
S’dumo Mtshali is not the first name many would call for the most famous Mzansi actors. However, the veteran thespian has paid his dues and is well-known in the drama and acting communities in South Africa and beyond. He has been around since 2010 when he won the first season of Class Act.
Since then, he has appeared in many productions, took several awards, and registered his name as one of the most talented actors in the business. Amidst all these, the award-winning actor still maintains a very humble demeanor, which is why many things are not known about him by fans. However, we are here to fill the gaps.
Summary of S’dumo Mtshali’s Biography
- Full name: S’dumo Mtshali
- Nickname: Stage Name: Chili Ngcobo
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 3 March 1983
- Place of Birth: King Edwards Hospital, Durban, South Africa
- S’dumo Mtshali’s Age: 41 Years Old
- Ethnicity: Black
- Nationality: South African
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Marital Status: Unmarried
- Siblings: Thokoh Mtshali (sister) and Lelo Mtshali (brother)
- Occupation: Actor and Producer
- Language: English and Zulu
- Institution Attended: Durban University Of Technology, New York Film Academy
- S’dumo Mtshali’s Height in Metres: 1.78m
- Famous for: Winning the first season of the SABC1 reality competition Class Act, in 2010
- S’dumo Mtshali’s Instagram: sdumo.mtshali
- Twitter: @sdumo123
Every Interesting Detail To Know About The Celebrated Actor
1. He Was Born And Raised In South Africa
It was on March 3, 1983, that S’dumo Mtshali was born in Durban, South Africa. He was birthed into a family with a school principal as their father. His mother, on the other hand, was a nurse. He was raised with a twin sister and a brother. While both of his parents are now retired, his sister has since followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a school teacher, and his brother is an entrepreneur.
Even though he has a wonderful family, he has kept some details about them private, especially their names, except for his sister, Thokoh Mtshali, and his brother, Lelo Mtshali.
2. S’dumo Was Named After His Grandfather
Interestingly, S’dumo is his real name, even though it means something unexpected. He didn’t like the name when he was a child because other kids teased him for it, as some thought he was named because of the hit sitcom Sgudi Snaysi.
As he grew older, he later investigated and realized that even though he surprised his parents with his birth since they didn’t expect him, he was, in fact, named after his grandfather. He has come to accept and like the name.
3. His Family Has Always Been Very Supportive
Looking at his kind of family, one might expect that the actor would be pressured by his father to become a straight-A student, but that was not the case. Seeing that his passion was somewhere else, his family gave him all the support he needed, even though his father still made sure he completed his education and he had to pass since he would also have to read scripts; ‘kumel uphase ngoba uzodinga ufunda iscript’ as his father always said.
He revealed that one of the best things about his family is that they have constantly supported the other.
4. S’dumo Mtshali Is Educated To University Level
Mtshali would not have been the first actor not to be educated to the tertiary level if he had wanted, but thanks to the help of his father, the actor had his education to the last level. The Durban-born star studied acting at the Durban University of Technology. After this, his career got off to a good start after winning the aforementioned competition in 2010.
Before going to the university, the actor attended and matriculated from Forest High School in Durban, and before that, he attended Glenmore Primary School, where he started acting. One of his teachers, Mrs. Byrd, saw that he was talented and encouraged him to continue working towards becoming an actor. He also includes her as one of his earliest influences.
5. S’dumo Mtshali Started Acting Professionally at Age 27
One thing that has become regular with many great actors is that they have always acted as a passion since childhood. This has also been the story of S’dumo Mtshali. His love for performing arts is something he has nurtured since he was a child.
Hence, it was not surprising that by the age of 11, he had already started appearing on stage. However, he started acting on screen professionally at the age of 27.
6. His Father Was The First Person To Inspire His Love For Acting
The actor believes that his love for acting was instilled in him by his father, who was always collecting films on VHS cassettes. He would watch together with his father and other kids in the community, and gradually, he started falling in love with acting.
One day, while watching Denzel Washington in an African role, his father asked why Americans always told our stories. This registered in the mind of the young Mtshali, driving him more to become an actor and tell our stories.
7. S’dumo Mtshali Started His Acting Career On Stage
Before he decided to act on the screen, S’dumo was initially theatre-trained and had always been on stage. However, since 2010, he has continued to handle both screen and stage productions.
When he was still very young, the first play he took part in was Robin Hood Men In Tights. To date, he is still in love with the theatre and believes that one day he will settle there.
8. He Has Appeared In Many High Profile Productions
Mtshali is not one of the actors in the country who have appeared in hundreds of productions, but among the not too many he took part in are some that can be termed as high profile productions. He has registered his name on stage, as well as on TV and in films. Among some of his most recognized works include Is’Thunzi, which earned him a SAFTA Award, Isibaya, and even more importantly, iNumber Number, which registered many successes across various film festivals worldwide. He played the role of everyone’s favorite gangster on the show, Chili Ngcobo.
Here are some of the productions he appeared in as an actor:
- Class Act (2010 TV Series)
- Intersexions (2010 TV Series)
- Ghetto Dangerous (2010)
- Inside Story (2011)
- Wild at Heart (2012 TV Series)
- Tempy Pushas (2013 TV Series)
- Rhythm City (2013 TV Series)
- Avenged (2013)
- Isibaya (2016 to 2018 TV Series)
- iNumber Number (2017 TV Series)
- iDrive (2018 TV Series)
- Shadow (2019)
- Back of the Moon (2019)
- Dead Places (2021 TV Series)
- The Estate (2021)
While he has established himself as an actor, he revealed that finding gigs is extremely hard.
9. S’dumo Mtshali Has Won Several Awards
If nominations and awards were the basis for determining a great actor, S’dumo Mtshali would have his name on the list. He has been nominated for numerous awards in the past for various works he has done, and in the process, he took home some prizes. At the top of his shelf is a SAFTA Golden Horn for Best Supporting Actor award, which he won in 2019 for his role in Is’Thunzi.
Here is a list of other accolades and achievements he has recorded thus far:
- 2014 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Soap Isibaya (2014)
- 2015 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – Feature Film iNumber Number (2013)
- 2016 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Drama Saints & Sinners (2016)
- 2018 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Drama Is’Thunzi (2016)
- 2019 Nominee SAFTA Golden Horn Best Actor – TV Soap Isibaya (2014)
- 2018 Winner Simon Sabela Film and Television Awards- Best Actor TV Isibaya (2014- )
- 2019 Winner Winner SAFTA Golden Horn Best Supporting Actor – TV Drama Is’Thunzi (2016)
10. He Has A Secretive Love Side
It is not a secret that the famous actor is not married, but everything else is a secret. He has never divulged any information regarding his love life; hence, it is not clear whether he has been involved with anyone in the past or if he is in a relationship at the moment.
While many other celebrities share their love lives on social media from time to time, S’dumo uses his own platforms to keep his followers updated about his various acting projects and socialize without giving out anything about his love life. He stated that he deliberately keeps those he is in a relationship with and his family members away from the public because while he chose this life, they didn’t.
