DiepCity lead star Zikhona Bali will exit the daily drama in a shocking twist in December, ahead of the telenovela’s conclusion in March.

Bali rose to fame in the past two years portraying a fan favourite on the show. She plays Pastor Charleston’s (Chrispen Nyathi) girlfriend Asanda, who is involved in many shady dealings.

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be leaving DiepCity and a character I grew to love. But I understand that it’s the end of the road for Asanda much like all storylines,” says the multifaceted actor.

“I’ve never played the role of a pastor’s side chick who’s a criminal; with that role I had to navigate my feelings on how best to execute Asanda to viewers as authentic as possible. Asanda is dearly loved by those around her because at first, she seemed sweet and angelic only to turn out the exact opposite.

"She gets caught up in the land of dodgy dealings with her pastor boyfriend and battling drug addiction… how she’ll exit the show will certainly shake viewers.”

Earlier this year Mzansi Magic announced that the telenovela will not be returning for a third season when its second season comes to an end in March next year.

The show is set in the Johannesburg township of Diepsloot. It made its television debut last year and follows the lives of residents as they walk the thin line between poverty and prosperity, legality and crime, and the impact of their decisions.

“Leaving this role is bittersweet for me because I’ve always worked on productions where I’d be filming for a few weeks whereas in DiepCity [which was my first ever telenovela] I was shooting a year and odd months, making it my longest stay on a set production,” she said.

“I’ve loved acting on the set, I’ve loved the people I worked with on the show and playing Asanda, but now I have to step away and find Zikhona again. This will help me get more on-screen opportunities that’ll be knocking on my door.”  

Hailing from the small town of Humansdorp, in the Eastern Cape, she has also acted in Is’Thunzi, Mfolozi Street and Generations: The Legacy.

“I tend to not pick my favourite role because I believe each of them defines who I am as an actor… but what I’ve noticed is that people loved how I played Londiwe on Is’Thunzi. However, I say each character played a pivotal role in different stages of my life as I was acting them," she said.

“When I was 23, I probably looked 16 years old, I played the role of Ziyanda in Mfolozi Street. The character at the time served a purpose in my life then, which applied to my life."

Bali described her decade-long journey as a professional actor as a “steady and upward outcome”.  

“I don’t think I would be here if things didn’t take their course, pace and timing. I don’t think I would’ve played Asanda the way I played her but because of the long road, I was mentally prepared for it,” she said.  

“Back in high school, I had given myself 10 years to make it in the industry and now that it’s about to pass, I am thrilled with how things are going for me.”