Thuso Mbedu’s net worth is estimated at about R21 million. She reportedly earned a salary of R13 million for her role in The Woman King. The award-winning actress is best known for her roles in Is’Thunzi (2016-2017), The Underground Railroad (2021), and The Woman King (2022).
A graduate of Wits University, Mbedu made her acting debut in 2014 in the Mzansi Magic drama series, Saints and Sinners. It didn’t take her long to establish herself as a force to reckon with in the industry, thanks to her outstanding displays in Is’Thunzi between 2016 and 2017. Having featured in both South African and international productions, it’s no surprise that the 32-year-old has accumulated a multi-million rand net worth.
What is Thuso Mbedu Net Worth in Rands?
Thuso Mbedu‘s net worth in rands is estimated at 21 million. Though she professionally began her acting career in 2014, the actress has had an upward trajectory that has seen her shining on the global stage. At the early stage of her career, she made appearances in popular South African soap operas, playing recurring roles. She later grew in the field and began clinching main roles, hugely contributing to her jaw-dropping wealth status.
Thus far in her career, she has over 11 acting credits and they have landed her 18 award nominations with 6 award wins including Film Independent Spirit Award. Furthermore, The Woman King star has added writing and directing credits to her resume. She worked as the writer and director of a TV series titled, iDrive in the year 2018.
Thuso also works as a brand ambassador and social media influencer, using her social media channels to endorse several notable brands such as Dior, L’Oréal, and Porsche USA. According to reports, an influencer can earn between $2,976 and $4,961 per sponsored Instagram post. Little wonder, Thuso Mbedu is a rand multi-millionaire.
Thuso Mbedu’s Salary
There’s no denying that Thuso Mbedu has earned hundreds of thousands to millions of rands in salary per acting role. However, the salary she earned for each of her works is yet to be made public. Nonetheless, the salary of an experienced actor in South Africa reportedly ranges from R38,700 to R61,500 per month. And in the United States, an actor’s average monthly salary is said to be between $49,952 and $74,011.
The KwaZulu-Natal native, however, pocketed about $700,000, which is a little over R13 million going by the current exchange rate, for her supporting role in the 2022 American historical movie, The Woman King. According to Showbiz Galore, Thuso Mbedu was the second highest-paid actor among the movie cast and reeled behind Voila Davis who allegedly earned a salary of $2 million. Then the third-highest actor, Lashana Lynch was said to have received a paycheck of $500,000.
How Thuso Mbedu’s Net Worth Accrued Through Her Numerous Acting Roles
Shortly after completing her studies in Theatre and Performance Arts Management at Wits University in 2013, Mbedu landed her first acting role the next year. She played the recurring role of Boni Khumalo in the Mzansi Magic drama series, Saints and Sinners. She further recurred the role in the second season of the series and then, was promoted to a starring cast in the third season in 2017.
Meanwhile, in late 2014, she had another recurring role, playing Nosisa in the second season of Isibaya. Later in 2015, she debuted on Scandal as Kitso Medupe, a wild child and journalism student. Her performance in the soapie gained her much-needed public attention which propelled her career to the next level in 2016 when she bagged her first leading role on television.
Thuso Mbedu was cast as Winnie in the teen drama series, Is’Thunzi aired on Mzansi Magic. Interestingly, the role clinched her Emmy Award nominations and equally, earned her a career breakthrough as she moved on to score another main role in MTV Shuga. In the fifth season of the drama series in 2017, the talented actress was cast as Ipeleng.
She reprised the role in the seventh season of MTV Shuga in 2019. Meanwhile, in the previous year, she featured as Okuhle Cele in the SABC1 soap opera, Generations: The Legacy, and equally scored the role of Phiwe in the miniseries, Side Dish. Then in 2021, Thuso Mbedu racked up her net worth with the earnings from her first international role, as she played a leading role in The Amazon Prime Series, The Underground Railroad.
Consequently, she emerged as the first black South African actress to achieve such a feat. Her stars further shone brighter on the international stage when she was cast in a supporting role in the American drama film, The Woman King opposite Viola Davis in 2022.
The Best of Thuso Mbedu’s Movies and TV Shows
Although Thuso Mbedu has made appearances in several movies and TV shows, she is best recognized for her roles in Is’Thunzi, The Underground Railroad, and The Woman King. Here are more details about her roles and the success of her work.
The Woman King (2022)
In the year 2022, Mbedu was cast as Nawi in The Woman King and her terrific performance earned her the title of a ‘breakout star’ by several critics. The film, which follows the story of Agojie – the all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries, was a box office success and grossed $97.2 million worldwide on a budget of $50 million.
Interestingly, Thuso Mbedu’s role in The Woman King did not only add millions of rands to her net worth but also earned her some awards including:
- Girls on Film Award (2023)
- Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Actress (2023)
The Underground Railroad (2021)
Thuso Mbedu left an indelible mark on the international scene with her breathtaking portrayal of Cora Randall in the American historical miniseries, The Underground Railroad which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on May 14th, 2021. She played the lead character of an enslaved woman from Georgia who joined Caesar to ride the subterranean train to freedom in the miniseries.
She enacted traumatic scenes in the series and thus, had on set therapy team that helped her deal with her emotions. Having nailed her role, which is the beating heart of the series, The Underground Railroad won the Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries as well as BAFTA’s Best International Programme Award. Also, Thuso Mbedu took home the following awards:
- Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance (2022)
- Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Performance in a New Series (2021)
- Hollywood Critics Association Television Award for TV Breakout Star (2021)
Is’Thunzi (2016-2017)
Is’Thunzi, a South African teen drama series, follows the story of a group of four girls and their everyday struggles. Thuso Mbedu was one of the lead actresses and her outstanding depictions as Winnie in the Mzansi Magic series for two seasons got her nominated for the International Emmy Award in the category of Best Performance by an Actress for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018).
Amazingly, she won the South African Film and Television (SAFTA) Golden Horn Award for Best Actress in 2018 for her role in the drama series.
List of Thuso Mbedu’s Movies and TV Shows
Films
- Lokoza (2017)
- JJC: Johnny Just Come (2018) as Fifi
- The Woman King (2022) as Nawi
TV Shows
- Saints and Sinners (2014-2017) as Boni Khumalo
- Isibaya (2014) as Nosisa
- Scandal (2015) as Kitso Medupe
- Snake Park (2015) as Kheti
- Is’Thunzi (2016-2017) as Winnie
- MTV Shuga (2017-2019) as Ipeleng
- Generations: The Legacy (2018) as Okuhle Cele
- Side Dish (2018) as Phiwe
- The Underground Railroad (2021) as Cora Randall
