Noxolo Dlamini returns to the stage as Sarafina

For Noxolo Dlamini, acting isn’t merely a job — it is spiritual. It’s a channel that allows her to connect with people through their spirit. 

I can immediately sense the passion she has for the vocation when she speaks. For her, the art of acting is one that enables her to portray characters that stand up for others and seek social justice. 

Her portrayal of Sarafina is no exception. She has returned to theatre to reprise her role in the critically acclaimed musical by late South African playwright Mbongeni Ngema. The opening night of Sarafina took place on 30 May at the Joburg Theatre and it will run until 15 June.

The award-winning actress recounts how acting was a big part of her childhood, long before she stepped onto the stage and screen.

“I’ve always acted,” she says. 

“I started in nursery school. The earliest memory or story I’ve heard from my mother is that there was a show that we did. I was like five, six. We did the Down in the Jungle song and I got to play the mama. 

“And I remember my mom saying that my teacher at the time went up to her after the performance and said, ‘I don’t know if you know this, but Nox is really good at this thing, you know. She seems to really enjoy it too.’ And my mom was like, ‘Oh, okay. Well that’s really nice.’ 

“And so my mom always reminds me of that story and I think that’s when she first realised. 

“But, for me, I used to love playing in the mirror. I used to dance, sing and act in front of the mirror. It’s just something I really liked. I just enjoyed it. I got to primary school and that’s all I did.” 

During her time at Craighall Primary School in Johannesburg, Dlamini had a drama teacher, Mrs Martel, who would later on put in a word to convince her mom to allow her to pursue her love of acting.

“When I got to grade seven, she’s the one that spoke to my mother about the National School of the Arts and she’s, like, ‘I think she should go there because she clearly loves it and she’s good at it.’

“So then I went to the National School of the Arts. She really fought for me, you know, and my mom was very supportive. 

“It was really lovely because my mom’s a single mom of five and I think she appreciated the help of someone else spotting my talent and actually pushing for me to, I guess, go for what I really love.” 

Dlamini was cast as Sarafina in 2017 and again in 2019. After that, she took a break from theatre to focus on film and television projects.

“I’ve always done theatre. My career studying-wise was always theatre. Film and television wasn’t the thing I was actually planning on doing until 2018. 

“The idea started playing in my head in 2017, but in 2018, I made the decision that, in 2019, I’m not auditioning for theatre anymore.”

It was during this break from theatre that she won a South African Film and Television Award in 2023 for the best actress in a feature film category for her performance in Netflix’s Silverton Siege.

The actress recently starred in Amazon Prime’s action film G20, inspired by the G20 meeting set to take place in South Africa in November. It stars Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award-winning American actress Viola Davis as “Potus”, the president of the US, and New Zealand actor Antony Starr as Rutledge, the villain.

“When I got G20, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I actually get to work with her [Davis]!” Dlamini remembers. “You know, the first time I worked with her briefly on The Woman King, doing stunts, but now I actually have a scene with her.” 

What makes the movie an exciting watch, for South Africans anyway, is spotting the local accents of several of the characters. Dlamini plays Lesedi, a South African government agent posing as a hotel staff member.

“Lesedi is a badass. I think what’s lovely about her is that she’s such a powerful representation of what a South African woman is — in an action sense, of course. 

“But I think my favourite thing is how we were allowed to firstly play ourselves — South Africans — but also, that we were allowed to be a part of the heroes.”

“Lesedi, I think this is like with any soldier — she lends herself … to protect others, to help others. 

“I did learn from her that there’s nothing wrong with lending yourself, ” Dlamini says.

Recently, before the announcement of her return as Sarafina, she spoke about the theatre itch she hadn’t been able to quite shake off.

“Like, right now, I’m definitely going back to theatre. There’s something in my heart that feels like it needs to happen. 

“And, instead of feeling like I’m angry or like I’m tired of filming television, I realised I need to go back into theatre again. I need to fuel up. 

“I need to inject myself with that love and that creativity and just give all of that again, to get back to going, ‘Okay, okay, okay, fine, I’m okay.’ I just needed a dose of that. 

“But, yeah, I think I shouldn’t leave it for too long, actually.

“I miss the adrenaline. I love the rehearsal space. I love rehearsal time. I love finding the character. 

“I love getting to do the same show five times, six times in the week where you can literally have a different show every night because things happen differently. I just miss that.”

Some might call it fate that the actress has been cast as Sarafina three times. After all, Dlamini’s love for the character began when she watched the 1992 film adaptation of the musical starring South African actress Leleti Khumalo and American actress Whoopi Goldberg. The movie is what finally inspired her to become an actress.

“The earliest I can remember, because I’m thinking of the cassettes we used to watch, we used to have Sarafina. I loved Sarafina. I loved it because it incorporated everything I enjoy. It had the acting, the dancing, the singing and I was just like, ‘Yoh!’

“You know what it feels like to me, it feels like … I don’t know how to explain it. I think musical theatre people, people who do theatre, will understand the feeling of, like, after doing a huge number on stage and it’s at the end. Just that feeling, that exhilarating feeling. That’s how it makes me feel. 

“And that makes me feel alive. And it makes me feel like I just did everything in the world, you know?” 

Sarafina showcases a pivotal moment in South Africa’s history when students led protests during the 1976 Soweto Uprising. The characters depict the violent trauma that many students experienced under the apartheid regime. It is for this reason it is crucial for actors to be able to step back from a role.

“We use ourselves. We are the vessel that the character is coming alive through. And some people use their own past experiences to reach certain things. To be a human being and to put yourself through something that isn’t actually happening, you know it, but your body and your mind don’t really,” Dlamini says.

“That’s why they’re always talking about de-roling. And it’s because your body actually goes through it. The trauma of the character, your body goes through it too.”

She says an actor’s mind does  it too: “Oh, by the way, just so you know, this is not real, you know, because you’re using your actual emotions and you’re using your actual self. 

“It’s really important to understand how you get in and out of that. How to get to a point where you go, ‘Okay, the character’s done. Now we have Nox. How do we get back to Nox? What does Nox like?’ 

“It’s really important to have that relationship with yourself so that you’re able to kind of lend yourself out to your characters.”

The actress says she has reached a milestone in her career — and has no plans to slow down.

“My career has been so blessed. I’ve just reached the 10-year point. I was starting to kind of feel like it’s slowing down and I’m just like, ‘Ah, do I still want to do this?’

“‘Of course I want to do this, but what do I want to do? There’s something else. There’s something else that’s meant to happen.’

“I don’t know what it is right now. And I love that feeling because it’s brought me closer to God again. Because, initially, the reason I wanted to do it was because I believe it is what God gave me. He put that dream in my heart. I can’t give up on myself because I feel like giving up on myself is giving up on God.” 

Dlamini’s focus at the moment is on returning to the stage and making her mark once again.

“I think, more than anything, I love what I do because I get to express myself. It’s that one feeling of being on stage and going, ‘Huh!’ And, ‘I gave everything that I could.’ 

“And also, the energy! There’s so much energy in what you get from the audience, what you give to the audience. And it’s just … it’s beautiful to be in the space where we’re all telling a story. 

“The energies are so different because every show feels so different. 

“I get to go home and sleep. And then the next morning, I get to wake up and do it again.”