Actress Andrea Dondolo has proven that life indeed begins at 40.

Dondolo, who plays Aunt Queen on Mzansi Magic's The Queen, had her first child last year when she was 39 but waited until her 40th birthday late last month to publicly show off her one-year-old son.

The bubbly actress laughs heartily when asked whether she planned the pregnancy or it came as a shock to her.

"At my age, there is no way it could have been a shock. My partner and I planned this for some time and we spoke about it a lot to the point that he once even asked why it was taking long," she said.

She may be over the moon but she was quick to point out that raising the child, especially as a first-time mother, is no walk in the park.

"But I have always been a tough cookie and I'm not one to elevate and give power to hardships. I have learnt to embrace this journey and consult my support system which comes in many forms, shapes and sizes.

"My mom is also there for me and she has been supportive. She is very happy to finally become a granny," she said.

The actress flatly refused to reveal her baby daddy's identity or whether he was also in the entertainment industry.

"Who he is and what he is, is of no importance. I prefer to keep those details private. I am just too happy to share my joy at being a mother."

How does she balance motherhood and her hectic acting career?

"l just create and maintain balance. It also helps that I have friends who remind me to breathe through it all and take it one step at a time.

"Also, I have a full-time nanny on tow and tech support of gadgets," she added

One of the lessons that Dondolo learnt from motherhood, she said, was to be patient with herself, learn to share her space and be open to learning new things.

The Eastern Cape-born actress, who recently opened up about how she grew up as an angry child following her parents' divorce when she was only 13, said that she now understands that "we are all imperfect beings".