Renowned for playing Uzalo's resident bad boy Mastermind, actor Ntokozo "TK" Dlamini is set to switch things up with his new character of Bafana in DiepCity.

He believes the new character will show television viewers a different perspective of his acting chops.  

Dlamini is set to make his debut on the Mzansi Magic telenovela on January 31 and he reveals what viewers can expect.

How does it feel to be back on the small screen?

It’s very exhilarating. I had to step away from acting just to solely focus on my waste and sanitation company that I’ve been running for 7 years. Now that it’s stable and my team knows what to do, I’ve decided to fully come back to acting which is my first love.  

Tell us more about your new role?

Bafana comes back to Diepsloot at his grandmother’s house after years of living in the fancy suburbs of Fourways with his father who is a renowned businessman. But weeks after his return he is caught up in a messy situation – while he is there, he then gets entangled with a love interest. There will be certain nice twists and turns that viewers will get to see Bafana go through.

Do you think people will love Bafana?

Yes, they will. Bafana is a bit different from who I am as a person and viewers will definitely gravitate towards that. However, I cannot shy away from the fact that Mastermind was the most loved character I’ve played to date but I think Bafana will give Mastermind a run for his money. The more I am on set shooting, the more writers see different routes to take than they initially had thought.

What was your favourite moment on set?

I really cannot point out one but I remember having an intimate scene where my performance skills and the director’s abilities were tested. We had to try and portray the moment without actually being too intimate so that we keep within the Covid-19 protocols.

That was challenging for us because we were considerate of how we could sell the story without overstepping the boundary. It is sort of challenging to toe the line during these times, however, our directing team has been good at making being on set a lot easier and more comfortable for us.    

How would you describe your journey in the industry so far?

It’s been a beautiful journey so far. My biggest show to date has been Uzalo even though I have appeared on other shows as well. Mastermind is one of the characters a lot of people still speak about today but I hope with this new role, I will contest that.

What are your future hopes and dreams?

Seeing that I am also a business person, I hope to grow in the waste and sanitation sector. In terms of acting, I really hope to one day act alongside Denzel Washington. He is such a phenomenal actor and if he doesn’t retire soon, I might share a set with him one day.