Queen Modjadji actor Thabiso Bapela wears his ‘African-ness’ with pride

Assuming a role that helps narrate a time in the 1700s is something actor Thabiso Bapela feels is his birthright as a descendant of the Ndebele tribe.

Since the actor, with roots in the small village of Tsantsabela in Limpopo, stepped on our TV screens in 2016 with his first cameo role on Generations: The Legacy, he has become one of the local actors who wears their “African-ness” with pride – one of the key elements being his multilingual ability. 

As one deeply rooted in culture, the budding TV actor is known for his cameo role on SABC 2’s Xitsonga drama Giyani: Land Of Blood, and playing the resident doctor on the popular canned drama series Gomora. He now carries the role of General on Mzansi Magic’s Queen Modjadji – a loyal character he claims helped restore the pride he now has for the Balobedu nation, which forms part of the community he grew up in. 

“Being on one of SA’s biggest shows that speaks to the people of Limpopo is a big moment for me, especially as a child who grew up in that province. It’s a win for us and a win that we can showcase and bring pride to the Balebedu tribe,” said the 38-year-old actor. 

“I grew up speaking Sepedi but have always been aware of other tribes and their languages which always fascinated me. When I heard about Queen Modjadji, I knew I wanted and, more than anything, needed to be on it. I knew it would be a historic moment for me as an actor.”

Having auditioned four times, due to directors making sure he was the perfect fit for the role, Bapela expressed his biggest takeaway from a character who grew on him was how “loyal" he was to the Queen and hopes that one day his role will be researched and studied by people living in the year 3000. ”

“I’ve always advocated for my people, the people of Limpopo. When you see me on TV acting, you’ll hear me speaking either Sepedi, Xitsonga, IsiZulu, Sotho or Xhosa. I do this because I want to relate to the person sitting at home watching the show,” he said. 

“With the platform provided, I want to give viewers a reflection of themselves through the storylines I portray. 

“I always grab the opportunity with both hands whenever I’m given the creative freedom and performance to speak in my language, this helps me to make the story come alive, as authentic as possible." 

The Mzansi Magic series, produced by Duma Ndlovu of Rhythm World Production, highlights the mystical power of the Balobedu rainmaker. It shows how the windows of heaven opened up at the same time as the clouds became pregnant, resulting in indescribable rain all summoned by the Queen. 

“I play the General to Tsokudini, who was the daughter of the last king before the reigning Queen she birthed. She happened to be the mother to Queen Modjadji. As the eyes and ears of the royal family, my character knew the ins and outs of the family and made sure no one penetrated the family. I lead 300 warriors and I must say the last three episodes we see my character having one of the most epic moments on screen,” he said. 

As he continues to mould himself in the acting industry, Bapela, who is big on giving back to kids from his community through his skills development training classes, hopes to one day play the role of a corrupt politician, “something that will help push my skills as an actor”. 

“I don’t know what it is but corrupt roles are in a way more interesting than the good and upright ones,” he laughs. “But on a real note, if you asked me this question months ago, I’d say I want to be a law-abiding lawyer… one of the good ones,” he explained. 

“However, since playing a loyal role in the past couple of months, a corrupt politician would speak to my range as an actor. I want to see the colour that I bring on screen with such a role.”