Sibongiseni Shezi is a 31-year-old South African actress and performer who is easily recognized for her role as Hleziphi on Uzalo, the popular South African soap opera.
Shezi started as a supporting actor in the series before becoming a lead character. This development not only skyrocketed her to immense popularity but also paved the way for more acting jobs in the industry. Besides Uzalo, she has starred in a handful of other local productions.
Summary of Sibongiseni Shezi’s Biography
- Full name: Sibongiseni Shezi
- Nickname: Hleziphi
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: March 17, 1993
- Sibongiseni Shezi’s Age: 31 years old
- Ethnicity: Zulu
- Nationality: South African
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status:
- Sibongiseni Shezi’s Net Worth: $80,000
- Famous for: Playing Hleziphi on Uzalo
- Sibongiseni Shezi’s Instagram: seni_shezi
- Twitter: @SeniShezi
- Facebook: Sibongiseni Shezi
Hleziphi from Uzalo in Real Life was Born in 1993
Actress Sibongiseni was born on the 17th of March 1993 in a village in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. She is currently 31 years old.
Hleziphi from Uzalo is of Zulu ancestry. She was born into a supportive family that has stood by her from her early days as an actress. However, she has carefully kept information about her childhood, family members, background, and early life under wraps for personal reasons.
She has never publicly spoken about her family or introduced any member of her family to her fans. Her fans are, however, not surprised by her decision since she is known for being a private individual.
Shezi received her elementary and high school education at schools in KwaZulu-Natal. She
holds a degree in music from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Live Performance Cum Laude from AFDA.
She immediately joined the South African acting world after graduation from AFDA.
What is the Real Name of Hleziphi from Uzalo?
The real name of Hleziphi is Sibongiseni Shezi. However, she is popularly known for her Uzalo character name because the TV series was her first major project in the industry. Sibongiseni is a popular Zulu name that means “Be thankful with us.”
Contrary to popular belief, the actress did not change her birth name at any point in her life. Sibongiseni Shezi has been the name she has had since she was born. Moreover, the actress has never mentioned changing her name in the past or before stardom.
The actress only became known for her character name “Hleziphi” after she joined other casts in Uzalo. But before then, her family and friends do refer to her by her birth name, “Sibongiseni.”
Shezi has no problem with the fact that she is best known by the name of the character she plays on TV. She appreciates the fact that her fans love her character, the performance, the energy, and the vibe she brings on each time she appears on the screen.
The Actress Boasts an Impressive Acting Career
Hleziphi is relatively new in the industry. In fact, she is considered one of the fast-rising actors to watch out for in the TV and film industry. Acting was not her first career choice as she had wanted to become a professional ballet dancer right from childhood.
Unfortunately, her dream of becoming a ballet dancer was truncated in 2015 when she had a fatal accident. Upon recovery, she switched to acting, and since then, she has never slowed down or looked back.
The actress earned her big break on TV when she joined Uzalo, portraying a supporting character. She was subsequently then cast as a vindictive high school student who wasn’t scared to commit a crime in support of her then-fiancé Njeza (played by Nkanyiso Makhanya).
Her character has since grown from a school kid to a fully grown young woman on Uzalo. Shezi is such a delight to behold on TV. She is a fan favorite and one of the best talents on the show. Her performance on the show has earned her a large following both in real life and across her social media platforms.
Sibo is an award-winning actress who has won only one award presently but is likely to win more awards in the nearest future if she continues to impress viewers and filmmakers. She snagged her first award in the year 2019 at the Simon Sabela Awards for her outstanding performance in the AFDA Durban 2018 Feature Film, “Run.”
She earned the highest vote in the award category to clinch the award, outsmarting several seasoned actresses in the same category. She has played several lead roles since she started out.
Here’s a list of Sibongiseni Shezi’s Movies and TV Shows:
Television
- Uzalo- Support to Lead
- RCL Foods Corporate -Lead
Short Film
- KwaGhebhezi – Lead
- Sean Penn’s The Last Dance -Film (Support to Lead)
- RUN – Lead
- Ordinary People – Lead
- Reincarnation – Lead
- Ngomlilo – Lead
- Inkunzi – Lead
- Dark Beauty – support (2021)
- Tokoloshe- The Calling
Does Sibongiseni Shezi from Uzalo Have a Husband?
The Uzalo screen star is reportedly married to a fellow South African actor Lethu Gcwabaza. Not much is, however, known about Lethu’s life and career, although he is said to also be a film producer.
The two reportedly tied the knot a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, there is no record of how and where they met, how long they dated before marriage, and the number of years they’ve spent together as husband and wife.
Shezi and her husband are yet to give birth to their own kids, according to reports. It is not known if Lethu was the first man she dated before marriage, as her dating timeline is not public knowledge.
The actress doesn’t share matters pertaining to her family life publicly. This explains why it is difficult to tell how her marriage is fairing and if her union has been plagued by any form of scandal or controversy in real life.
Sibongiseni, who is currently signed with Star Quality Management Agency, is mostly active on Instagram, where she is currently being followed by over 100,000 people. Her Twitter account (@SeniShezi) has about 2700 followers.
Thank you #2019 🙏🏾 #2020 Let’s Goooooooooo! 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/6p26Lz3Lqu
— Sibongiseni Shezi (@SeniShezi) January 2, 2020
The actress has thousands of followers as well on her Facebook page, Sibongiseni Shezi.
