Meshack Mavuso (born April 8, 1977; Age: 47 years old) is a South African actor and film director best known for his role as Javas in the popular South African show Isidingo.
Mavuso is not from Zimbabwe as widely speculated. Instead, he hails from a rural community called Mandagsoek in Limpopo province. Besides Isidingo, the veteran actor has also appeared in several other high-grossing local soapies such as Yizo Yizo, Heist, and Durban Gen.
Summary of Meshack Mavuso’s Biograph
- Full name:Â Meshack Mavuso Magabane
- Nickname:Â Mavuso
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth:Â April 8, 1977
- Meshack Mavuso’s Age:Â Â 47 years old
- Ethnicity:Â Black
- Nationality:Â South African
- Zodiac Sign:Â Aries
- Sexual Orientation:Â Straight
- Marital Status:Â Married
- Meshack Mavuso’s Wife:Â Neo Mavuso
- Meshack Mavuso’s Net worth: $250,000
- Famous for: his lead role as Vusi Moletsane in the popular soap opera, Isidingo
- Meshack Mavuso’s Instagram: Mavuso101
- Twitter:Â @MeshackMavuso
What is Meshack Mavuso’s Age Now?
Actor Meshack Mavuso is currently 47 years old. He was born on the 8th of April 1977 in Mandagsoek, Limpopo province. There is no available information about his family background, childhood, and early life.
Mavuso grew up without his father in his life; he was raised by his grandmother in Alexandra township, a town in the Gauteng province. He received his elementary and high school education in the region.
The actor also studied at the Alexandra township-based Linda’s Victory Siyanqoba Theatre Company, which was founded by the late iconic South African playwright Bongani Linda. The Yizo Yizo star also spent some time in New York, where he took part in several theatrical productions.
Is Meshack Mavuso from Zimbabwe?
No. The actor is from Limpopo province, precisely from a village called Mandagsoek. He was born there and raised in Alexandra township. It’s not clear why many people often assume he is a Zimbabwean.
Nevertheless, we can establish that he is a South African.
The Yizo Yizo Star Became a Professional Actor in 1998
Meshack Mavuso launched his acting career in his early twenties, precisely at the age of 21. He began his career by appearing in the 2nd and 3rd seasons of the SABC2 police procedural series Zero Tolerance as ‘Simiso Mtshali.’ He initially played different uncredited characters in the first season of the series.
He broke into mainstream success when he joined other casts as the fictional character Javas in the South African thriller film Yizo Yizo in 1999. His appearance on the project thrust him into the spotlight and boosted his career.
He also went on to star in a handful of local TV series, including Hijack Stories (2000) and Who Do You Think You Are (2009), after which he took a break from TV in the year 2013 to take over the administration of the Victory Siyanqoba Theatre Company following the sudden death of Bongani Linda in April 2012.
Linda established several theatrical groups in cities like Alexandra, Soweto, and Newcastle in KwaZulu Natal, and Mavuso (who graduated from the company) took it upon himself to bring back to life its long-lost glory days.
Mavuso Magabane was one of the celebrity dancers in the South African Dancing New Year Special ‘Strictly Come‘, which aired on December 31, 2008.
He Made a Comeback to TV Three Years Later
Meshack returned to the small screen in 2016, starring in the e.tv action-packed drama Heist, which debuted on 9th February of the same year. He played a guest role in the first episode of the TV series and later made his second appearance as the character ‘Chairperson.’
The Mandagsoek-born actor has been active since his reemergence in the industry. He currently plays the character Dr. Thabo Dlamini in the drama telenovela Durban Gen. He joined the TV series after a short stint in the serial, The River.Â
Mavuso is not only a talented actor but also a top-notch director. He was Assistant Director for Aubrey Sekhabi’s Freedom – The Musical in the year 2019. Offstage, he also directed the TV Series Bay of Plenty in the year 2007.
In 2015, he directed the stage play One Square Mile as well as the epic theatre musical Shaka Zulu: The Gaping Wound in the year 2015.
He Has an Industry Award Under His Belt
Mavuso has won one industry award over the course of his career. He bagged his first award (The SAFTA Golden Horn for Best Supporting Actor – Telenovela) in the year 2018 for his role as Nsizwa in The River.
Meshack Mavuso’s Filmography
TV Series
- Â Isidingo as Vusi Moletsane (1998)
- Who Do You Think You Are? – Cameo role (2009)
- Â Soul City as Doctor (2014)
- Zabalaza – Cameo role (2015)
- Heist as Chairperson (2016)
- Durban Gen as Dr. Thabo Dlamin (2020 – present)
Films
- Yizo Yizo as Javas (1999 )
- Portrait of a Young Man Drowning as Captured Man (1999, Short film)
- Hijack Stories as Papplas man (2000)
Did Meshack Mavuso Change His Surname?
The renowned stage, film, and television actor changed his surname upon his reemergence on TV. He stated that the name Mavuso is his grandmother’s name, which he grew up with.
The actor eventually took up his father’s name Magabane after they reconnected after so many years. He used the name ‘Mavuso Magabane’ for the first time in the television serial Zabalaza.
Who Is Meshack Mavuso’s Wife?
The name of Meshack Mavuso’s wife is Neo Mavuso Magabane. The two met for the first time in New York while Neo was schooling at St Mary’s. The actor shared that Neo asked for his autograph after he finished a dress rehearsal with his team in Amsterdam, New York.
He added that she came with a ticket from the market theatre (a Johannesburg-based theatrical company), on which he simply wrote “I love you” and signed. The two subsequently met at the Market Theatre after he returned to South Africa.
They went on to exchange numbers, and the rest is history. Meshack and Neo tied the knot on 6th February 1995. Their marriage is blessed with four children. However, their names, birth details, and current whereabouts are not open to public scrutiny.
Not much is known about the actor’s wife. However, we can establish an executive member of the ruling party, the African National Congress. Further information about her political career is not publicly known.
