Lerato Mokoka (born in 1996) is a South African actress, screenwriter, and director best known for playing the fictional character Tshiamo in Gomora, the South African television series.Â
While Lerato had no acting experience before she joined the show, she has grown to become one of the actresses to watch out for. She has a short film titled The Budding, which she recently directed and wrote.
Lerato Mokoka’s Biography
- Full name:Â Lerato Mokoka
- Nickname:Â Lerato
- Gender: Female
- Year of Birth: 1996
- Lerato Mokoka’s Age: 28 years old
- Nationality:Â South African
- Sexual Orientation:Â Straight
- Marital Status:Â Single
- Famous for:Â Playing Tshiamo on the TV series Gomora
- Lerato Mokoka’s Instagram:Â lee_mokoka
- Twitter:Â @koena_ladyl
- Facebook: Lerato Mokoka
Tshiamo from Gomora’s Age and Real Name
The real name of Tshiamo from Gomora is Lerato Mokoka, and she was born in the year 1996 in Rustenburg, a town in North West, South Africa. This makes her 28 years old at the moment.
The actress spent the bulk of her life with her family in her hometown until she moved to Johannesburg to find greener pastures. Actress Lerato was born into a supportive family – her mother has always supported her dream of becoming an actress and making waves in the entertainment industry.
Initially, her father was worried she might not be able to make it in the industry, but ever since she bagged her role in Gomora, he has been very proud of her and the woman she is becoming.
Mokoka had her elementary and high school studies in her hometown. She applied to study at the renowned New York Film Academy, but she couldn’t go ahead with it because of financial constraints even though her application letter was accepted.
Unfazed by the development, she proceeded to the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performances (AFDA), where she studied screenwriting and directing. She subsequently qualified as a director and screenwriter after she graduated from the prestigious institution.
Lerato studied financial accounting on a bursary at the University of Pretoria. She also worked at a mining company in Rustenburg for two years before she eventually resigned to start acting.
Acting Has Always Been The Actress’ Childhood Dream
Lerato has always wanted to be an actress and also behind the scene. It is not known if she took part in drama and other activities while in high school. However, she became more convinced that acting is her calling in her second year at the university.
The actress joined other people at the audition after she came across open calls for actors by the Gomora production crew. Although she didn’t expect to win the role, she eventually received a call from them informing her that she had won the role of Tshiamo on the show.
Gomora is the actress’ first and only project in the TV industry currently. She joined the series with no acting experience, and it’s been an awesome journey for her considering the fact that she has been growing as an actress ever since she debuted.
Lerato Shares a Lot in Common With Her Character Tshiamo
Lerato Mokoka has continued to grow with her character ever since she debuted. She has never disappointed her fans with her top-notch acting skills and on-screen delivery. Without mincing words, she is the right actor for the role, and according to her, she would be forever grateful for the role that thrust her into the public eye.
Tshiamo in Gomora is the teenage daughter of Pretty Molefe and Sbonga. She lives at the Sonto house with her grandmother MaSonto, cousin Buhle, and aunt Thathi. She is a student at Gomora High School and is close friends with Sibongile Buthelezi (played by Nandipha Khubone).
Although she started on a bumpy ride with her cousin Buhle who came into the Sonto house with an attitude from Sandton, the two gradually got along well together. Tshiamo also often finds herself in challenging situations, such as lying to protect her friends.
Though known for mistakenly revealing sensitive secrets, Lerato’s character also minds her business. She also experienced a lot of physical and emotional abuse, such as her father being ridiculed for cohabiting at his mother-in-law’s house, her grandmother’s arrest for Mbongeni Ndaba’s murder, and the burial of her closest cousin Langa who died in an inferno.
The actress shares screentime with notable South African thespians such as Katlego Danke, Mam Connie Chiume, and Thembi Seete. She literally grew up watching these people on TV, and she feels honored to be on the same set with them.
Lerato Mokoka’s Movies and TV Shows
- Gomora – as the character Tshiamo
- The Budding – as the project’s director and screenwriter
Lerato Mokoka Could Be Dating Someone Secretly
The actress may be vocal about her career and work life, but the same cannot be said about her personal life. She has been tight-lipped about her love life which makes it difficult to tell if she is dating someone at the moment.
However, a lot of people believe she is seeing someone secretly and probably waiting for the right time to introduce her man. On the other hand, the Gomora actress could be single and very much focused on her growing career.
Till she clears the air on her personal life, we would assume she is single or probably seeing someone secretly. There is no record of her past relationship as she has not been linked to any man. Also, no one has ever shown up to claim he previously dated the actress.
Mokoka has not given birth to her own kids. She plans to do so after marriage.
She is More Active on Instagram Than on Any Other Social Media
The Rustenburg-born actress is more active on Instagram, where she has over 40,000 followers. Her Instagram account (lee_mokoka) is basically where she shares her work photos and some of her other personal pictures.
God you did it for me and I know you can do for others as well.😇
— Lerato Mokoka (@koena_ladyl) February 7, 2020
Her Twitter account has just about 300 followers, and she is not always active there. Her Facebook account is being followed by over 1000 people, and she uploads her photos randomly on the platform.
