New bombshell on the block Londeka Sishi is one to look out for on our TV screens.  

The 26-year-old actress from Port Shepstone, KZN, scored her big break in the television industry earlier this year when she landed the role of Nkanyezi on Showmax’s Adulting.  

While she’s fairly new to the entertainment industry, Sishi – who has no relation with former SMag cover star Ntobeko Sishi – is slowly carving a name for herself and is grateful to be pursuing her true calling which is acting.  

“I come from a strict family where a career in acting didn’t seem like a viable option. After a while of wanting to get into this space and getting rejected at auditions, I kind of gave up on it and focused on my corporate career,” Sishi shares.  

“One day, a colleague and I saw an open call posted on Instagram by Tshedza Pictures for a new show. My colleague asked me to try my luck and because I’ve always had a passion and love for acting, I knew I had to go for it.  

“I recorded a self-tape and submitted it, I got a call back shortly after that. There was a bit of back and forth after driving up to Joburg, I got the role.” 

With the acting door she had been waiting for finally opened, Sishi had to relocate to Johannesburg to be in close proximity to the set. She described the past year as “an instant overwhelming change” that seemed surreal.  

“After the first episode aired, my social media following increased drastically. I started being recognised by the people on the streets who wanted to take pictures with me... so many people started showing me some love which was overwhelming but incredibly beautiful to experience,” she said.  

“I had to go for counselling because of how drastic things changed for me. It was like a shock to the system how my life dynamic has changed because I am now on TV. So far, I haven’t had any bad encounters with fame and I hope it stays that way.

In the eight-part 18SN drama series, Sishi played the role of Bonga Tembe’s love interest which was played by The River actor Thembinkosi Mthembu. Part of her role was shooting nude scenes that allowed Sishi to explore her risqué side as an actor.  

“I was very fortunate to be a part of a production that was very professional. Precaution was taken when it came to shooting the nude scenes, we had close sets and I felt very comfortable acting out the explicit scenes,” Sishi explains.  

“I chose not to tell my family about the sex scenes because I didn’t know how to say it... I just told myself that they’ll see when they watch the show. My mom and I have never spoken about the nude scenes I think because of how conservative she is but she’s been very supportive..

“My siblings on the other hand were questioning me what I was doing on television but they are supportive of my career and what I intend to do, naked or not because at the end of the day, it’s all in the name of storytelling.” 

Being the middle child among six siblings, Sishi explains that was more of a reserved child who preferred to keep to herself. Out of all her siblings, the actor explains that she was raised by her great-great-grandmother who was instrumental in who she is as a creative. 

“I’m not quite sure why I had to live with my great-great-grandmother while my other siblings got to live with my mother but I had a very beautiful early childhood. My great-great-grandmother was amazing and quite lenient with me... I used to look up to her, I even think that’s where I get my personality from,” she shares.  

“When I was in grade 3, I was then told I had to move and live with my mother and siblings which was a huge adjustment for me. My mother is a pastor and she was a lot stricter than my great-great-grandmother was, so I had to adapt to a new setting.  

“Seeing that my siblings already had a bond with my mom, I found myself having to fit into the family dynamic.” 

While she was battling to find herself in her family set-up due to the major life adjustment, Sishi recalls having to look for new friends at a school she wasn’t familiar with.

“At the time I came from a black people-only school into a multi-racial school. I didn’t know the English language that well and as a result I was bullied. However, seeing that I was an intelligent kid, it didn’t take me long to learn and adjust to everything.” 

Now that she’s a star on the rise, Sishi hopes to explore her acting skills and push the boundaries of what she can become in the television and film industry.