Acclaimed South African actress and author Dr Thembi Mtshali-Jones celebrated a US gathering of creativity and heritage in North Carolina
SALM TEAM 
The event, which took place earlier this month, featured acclaimed South African actress and author Dr Thembi Mtshali-Jones, who captivated the audience with a heartfelt reading from her book, “Theatre Road.” The book, a proudly South African product, chronicles Mtshali-Jones’s journey through the world of theatre and the profound impact of meeting and receiving validation from the late President Nelson Mandela. Her poignant reflections on Mandela’s influence served as a reminder of the power of artistic expression and the importance of preserving one’s cultural heritage.
Multi-talented Dr Thembi Mtshali-Jones is recognised as one of South Africa’s most celebrated artists, renowned for her contributions as a singer, actress, producer, and playwright. Her distinguished career has placed her in the League of South African Legends. She co-founded Spirit Sister Productions in 2006, producing the women’s television magazine program ‘The Power Within’ for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Since 2009, Thembi has served as a juror for the International Emmy Awards for Film and Television. Additionally, she has been a member of the Advisory Board for the Chelsea Film Festival in New York, USA, since 2015.
Board Memberships
– Gauteng Film Commission: November 2014 – December 2017
– Council Member and Deputy Chair, Playhouse Co.: December 2014 – November 2017
– Baxter Theatre, Cape Town: December 2017 – November 2020
– Living Legends Legacy Fraternity Trust (LLLFT): December 2019 – Present
Early Life and Career
Born in Durban and raised in KwaMashu Township, Thembi began singing in school concerts. Her professional career as an actress started in the early 70s with the original Umabatha (a Zulu adaptation of Macbeth), which was invited to the World Theatre Season in London. She later moved to Johannesburg and joined the musical Ipi Tombi, where she played the lead role of Mama Tembu, touring the world, including performances on London’s West End and New York City’s Broadway.
While in the US, Thembi collaborated with Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba. Upon returning to South Africa, she formed the band Peace with Sipho Gumede and joined the Market Theatre Company, working on productions such as Black And White Follies and Have You Seen Zandile, the latter co-written with Gcina Mhlophe and Maralin Vanrenen. She also co-wrote and performed in Eden and Other Places and Inyanga Women of Africa, and toured with Malcolm Purkey’s musical Marabi in the UK and the US.
Theatre Highlights
In 1999, Thembi co-wrote and starred in A Woman in Waiting, a one-woman play based on her life story, created and directed by Yael Farber. The production won a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival and later transferred to London’s New Ambassador Theatre. A Woman in Waiting has been performed in South Africa, Tunisia, Canada, the USA, Bermuda, Paris, Azerbaijan, Dubai, and Hong Kong.
In 2006, Thembi participated in Michael Lessac’s international theatre production Truth In Translation, which premiered in Rwanda and toured the US, Europe, and South Africa. The American Time Magazine praised her performance, highlighting her extraordinary impact on audiences.
In 2009, she created a one-woman play adapted from Sindiwe Magona’s novel Mother to Mother, which premiered at the Baxter Theatre in South Africa and toured Rwanda, Europe, the UK, Bermuda, and the US. In 2014, she created Gogo and Big Sister, a musical revue that also performed at the National Black Theatre Festival in 2015 and 2017.Television and Awards
Thembi has led award-winning television dramas such as Imbewu The Seed for ETV as MaNdlovu and starred in hit sitcoms Sgudi’Snayis and Stokvel, the latter receiving an International Emmy nomination in 2004.
In 2019, she released her autobiographical book Theatre Road and celebrated her Platinum birthday by receiving the Living Legend Award from the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2020, she won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) for her monumental contributions to the industry. In 2022, she was honoured with a Doctor of Philosophy in Visual Arts from the Durban University of Technology.
Recent Achievements
In 2023, Thembi represented South Africa at the Berlinale in Germany for the global premiere of the anti-apartheid film Mapantsula, directed by Oliver Schmitz. The event, where she mingled with industry giants like Euzhan Palcy and Steven Spielberg, marked another milestone in her illustrious career, showcasing her enduring influence and commitment to South African arts and culture.
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