Actress Nambitha Ben-Mazwi spent years studying business science at the University of Cape Town and after getting into the corporate world she realised her "calling" was in the arts.
She switched and travelled the globe and says she is just getting started.
Her love for the arts started when at 12 she went to Europe, touring Germany, Holland and Belgium, with the Eastern Cape Children's Choir as a singer.
She came back to finish high school in Port Elizabeth before moving to varsity in Cape Town. She later moved to New York then.
"I tried to balance working in a corporate setting with my MCing gigs and radio presenting [at the varsity's radio station].
"I realised that I couldn't balance my 9-to-5 with the arts.
"Once I realised that, I ventured off to New York for what started out as a holiday but I stayed and worked as a host presenting on different mediums and MCing there," Ben-Mazwi says.
Back at home she has MCed the 2010 Fifa World Cup for MTN, shot adverts, and stood in for Good Hope FM and Heart FM DJs.
The 27-year-old has been back in the country for some years and has already made serious strides that qualify her name to be thrown in the hat of possible future Mzansi "IT girls".
She debuts in Doubt, the new Mzansi Magic crime drama. It's a murder mystery packed with the secrets of an affluent family.
Other stars are Yonda Thomas, Khanya Mkangisa, Lucia Mthiyane and Siyabonga Radebe.
Ben-Mazwi plays Unathi Mweli, an insecure and bitchy daughter whose older brother is arrested for the murder of a stripper.
"Her insecurities were an important thing to understand as far as playing that role in order for me to reach the audience and for the audience to see the human element. At the end of the day, you still want the audience to like you even when you are playing a negative character," she says.
Ben-Mazwi has shot a production in Egypt but her first local role on the drama Traffic as Busi made her realise that she yearned to work in Xhosa.
"I've now made a commitment to stay put here and pursue the local industry. I moved to Johannesburg last winter and I have done Doubt and more commercials and landed my first Hollywood TV series called Black Mirror. It's based on a UK hit TV show by the same name."
lDoubt premieres on Mzansi Magic on Monday April 11 at 8pm.
mashotol@sowetan.co.za
Switch to the arts has paid off for Nambitha
Actress Nambitha Ben-Mazwi spent years studying business science at the University of Cape Town and after getting into the corporate world she realised her "calling" was in the arts.
She switched and travelled the globe and says she is just getting started.
Her love for the arts started when at 12 she went to Europe, touring Germany, Holland and Belgium, with the Eastern Cape Children's Choir as a singer.
She came back to finish high school in Port Elizabeth before moving to varsity in Cape Town. She later moved to New York then.
"I tried to balance working in a corporate setting with my MCing gigs and radio presenting [at the varsity's radio station].
"I realised that I couldn't balance my 9-to-5 with the arts.
"Once I realised that, I ventured off to New York for what started out as a holiday but I stayed and worked as a host presenting on different mediums and MCing there," Ben-Mazwi says.
Back at home she has MCed the 2010 Fifa World Cup for MTN, shot adverts, and stood in for Good Hope FM and Heart FM DJs.
The 27-year-old has been back in the country for some years and has already made serious strides that qualify her name to be thrown in the hat of possible future Mzansi "IT girls".
She debuts in Doubt, the new Mzansi Magic crime drama. It's a murder mystery packed with the secrets of an affluent family.
Other stars are Yonda Thomas, Khanya Mkangisa, Lucia Mthiyane and Siyabonga Radebe.
Ben-Mazwi plays Unathi Mweli, an insecure and bitchy daughter whose older brother is arrested for the murder of a stripper.
"Her insecurities were an important thing to understand as far as playing that role in order for me to reach the audience and for the audience to see the human element. At the end of the day, you still want the audience to like you even when you are playing a negative character," she says.
Ben-Mazwi has shot a production in Egypt but her first local role on the drama Traffic as Busi made her realise that she yearned to work in Xhosa.
"I've now made a commitment to stay put here and pursue the local industry. I moved to Johannesburg last winter and I have done Doubt and more commercials and landed my first Hollywood TV series called Black Mirror. It's based on a UK hit TV show by the same name."
lDoubt premieres on Mzansi Magic on Monday April 11 at 8pm.
mashotol@sowetan.co.za
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