Television hunk Lunga Shabalala has gone from surviving on a packet of two-minute noodles a day to blowing as much as R13000 a night on booze, entertaining friends.
Shabalala, 29, has experienced the good, the bad and the ugly side of show business. When he told his dad he wanted to become a TV presenter, he told him to pack his things and leave his house since he didn't want a "proper job".
"I had just finished my diploma in town planning and property development at Maritzburg College. But I wasn't interested in that career," he said.
So in 2011, aged 21, he packed his bags for the City of Gold.
"When I got here I squatted with a friend for about two weeks before things started taking shape. I got cast in a Coca-Cola TV advert," he said.
He then moved out of his friend's place and got himself a bachelor flat in Westdene, west Joburg. Because he had only one gig to depend on, he started starving. "I would go through a day without proper food. I survived on two-minute noodles."
Even though his parents were a phone call away, Shabalala said his pride wouldn't allow him to call them for help because he didn't want to hear them say "we told you so".
In between odd modelling jobs, his luck changed when a giant retailer roped him in for its television campaigns, which meant a stable income.
"I started making a decent living because I had clinched a long-term contract. I became self-conscious when I took taxis because people saw me on TV."