Their portrayal of nyaope addicts has left Rhythm City viewers addicted to their acting, thanks to the gripping and moving way they play the characters of Emmanuel and Sabelo.

Nkosiphendule Cengani and Ishmauel Songo have sparked a much-need conversation about the impact nyaope has had in South Africa.

The highly addictive drug is a cocktail of low-grade marijuana, anti-retroviral drugs, milk powder and rat poison that has broken families and brought communities to their knees.

Nyaope has done more to SA than crack did to the US.

Sabelo introduced Emmanuel to the drug. The latter took a hit and was hooked. They stole and sold Bash's CDs and DVDs and ransacked Mamokete's tuckshop.

But it's interesting how nyaope crept into the storyline of the soapie, because it was initially not in the producers' plans.

Songo played a cameo role and he proposed the daring storyline.

"I saw how bad the problem of the drug had become, it's become like HIV," says the 23-year-old.

The two young actors did research and prepared for their roles by hanging out with nyaope addicts.

"It's never easy playing an addict because I sometimes start a scene rolling a joint and smoking. At the end of the scene I have to look high and that must be convincing to the viewer," says Cengani.

Songo says he hung out with nyaope addicts in his home township of Tembisa.

"I come from a poverty-stricken environment and I saw how bad things are for these guys. I had to sit down with them to see and learn how they roll their joints because we had to make it convincing."

On screen, they puff on light tobacco, which is not hard because they are both cigarette smokers.

Songo says they'll soon embark on anti-nyoape campaigns.

tiwaneb@timesmedia.co.za