Hlubi Mboya jumped into South Africa’s heart straight out of high school. Playing the role of Nandipha Matabane, an HIV-positive character on Isidingo, she cemented her place in living rooms across the country. Now more than two decades into her career, Mboya’s still got it. She last graced the big screen playing a drug addict in Dorah’s Peace, a performance that earned her this year’s SAFTA for Best Supporting Actress.
But the name Nandipha will always be synonymous with the actress. As much as the part allowed Mboya to leave a lasting impression on the local film industry, the person she played on screen for so many years left a mark on the star as well. Representing a marginalised character motivated Mboya to get involved in charity work and become a voice for progress. Eager to reach out in new ways, radio provided the perfect space for the performer to put her vocal skills to use in making the case to South Africans that our future can be better if we pull together. She now hosts a CliffCentral talk show called ‘Future CEOs’, named after the entrepreneurial-development NPO run by Gareth Armstrong.
The show sees Mboya team up with Armstrong to head a panel of experts in discussion around building business in the country, aiming to empower up-and-coming thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs. “I’ve made the shift to radio because, as a black 39-year-old South African female, diversity is a must,” explains Mboya. She has achieved so much in her still-thriving career, but what matters to her most is harnessing her influence to effect positive change.
