Popular House of Zwide’s Lois du Plessis, who plays the character of Pearl on the e.tv’s soap opera, is more than just an actress.

The singer has a career that spans more than 20 years. She recently released her gospel single Same God, where she seeks to celebrate her illustrious career. 

Du Plessis started off with Coca-Cola Popstars’ 2002 music group Afro Z, a band that was established after the winning group’s formation of 101. They went on to enjoy a five-year run of success and, at age 26, she got the opportunity to sing with internationally acclaimed gospel group Israel and The New Breed. 

“Every year Coca-Cola Popstars would form new groups and that forced us to diversify our career paths. I then took up presenting for a gospel show on SABC2 and that is when I met Israel Houghton,” said Du Plessis.

During an interview at a concert, the crowd screamed that she should sing and although she didn’t, six months later Houghton came back looking for her. 

“Somebody called me to tell me that Israel was trying to meet me and that is how we connected and my life changed forever. I didn’t even audition for him because he said on the night that I asked the question, God showed him that I needed to be a part of what they were doing regardless of hearing me sing,” she said.

The 12 years that followed saw her traveling the world with the group, sharing stages with heavyweights such as Darlene Zcech, Mary Mary and Fred Hammon, among others. 

“When I think about it, to this day I am still in awe about that period of my life. I used to see documentaries of artists in tour buses and to think that I was in five or six different buses touring is mind blowing.”

Returning home in 2018, it was time to put her national diploma in drama to use. She started doing adverts and two theatre productions before landing her comeback TV role on House of Zwide. 

“I had felt a strong urge to come back home but before that I decided to use my remaining years in the US to its fullest. At that time the band was not travelling. 

“Auditioning in New York was super tough but I learnt a lot there. Realising that I needed to have money saved up for things like accommodation while auditioning, I ended up working at Amazon’s warehouse for almost two years,” she said, laughing. 

“Coming home was also for my parents because they were older, regardless of having work lined up there. I just trusted my heart that I needed to come home. I came home in July and in December of that year, my mother had a heart attack,” she said, adding that her mother is recovering well. 

Du Plessis hails from Mpumalanga in Middelburg’s small township called Nazareth. Her acting career started in the theatre many years ago before featuring on small screen roles such as on Jozi Streets.

She believes that being part of House of Zwide is a reintroduction to television for her and says it has been exciting.

“I started doing auditions and bagged a couple of commercials. I didn’t allow the nos to deter me from what I wanted to achieve and coming home I realised that I hadn’t arrived, regardless of having lived and travelled the world. I still had to start from the bottom, but starting from a place of knowledge and wisdom ... that helped me reintegrate within the local industry,” she said. 

Asking if there will be an album after the single, she said she was not sure as yet but that music would continue to be a part of her journey. “I hope my story teaches others that the world is our oyster and there’s so much available for us,” she said. 

malibaa@sowetan.co.za