They say it takes years to become an overnight success, and in the case of rising star Ama Qamata, nothing could be closer to the truth. To many of us, the 22-year-old actress appears to have become an overnight sensation, thanks to the success of Netflix’s Blood & Water, in which she stars.

However, Qamata has actually been honing her skills since the tender age of 10, when she was cast in her primary school play as Snow White. At 16 years old, she started acting professionally, landing her first major television gig on SABC1’s My Perfect Family. In 2013 she also featured in a BBC drama series, but it was her turn as Puleng on Netflix’s runaway hit that made the world really sit up and take notice. ..