Renowned for her portrayal of Smangele, one of the original cast members of ‘Uzalo’, Sihle Ndaba is thriving as she boasts leading roles that are propelling her career forward.
After starting 2024 with a Netflix romcom, ‘A Soweto Love Story’, Ndaba now moves on to another feel-good comedy with One Weeks, which premiered on Showmax last week.
In the family comedy ‘One Weeks’, Fana, a lovely Soweto native and high school dropout, finds himself dating successful lawyer, Lihle, and he can't believe his good fortune.
To prevent losing Lihle to wealthy men, he must, however, rely on the assistance of her perceptive 10-year-old daughter, Angie.
Created and written by Chris Q Radebe (Icala, Isifiso), the Showmax Original co-stars Zakhele Mabasa-Mokone (Isibaya) as Fana and Mangaliso Aluta Mthembu as Angie.
Ndaba explains what sparked her interest in being part of the show, further describing Lihle and Fana’s relationship.
“When I read the first two episodes, I admired how much love Lihle has in her and how much of a responsible mother she is. She’s a woman who’s so full of life, and she can be quite feisty as well, which is something I appreciate.
“Apart from them having so much love for each other, what I appreciate about Fana and Lihle is that they constantly choose each other — despite their differences and the constant challenges they face. Their relationship might not make sense to the world, but it makes sense to them.
“What I also appreciate about the two is that they understand that they are each other’s safe place. Fana is extremely kind and sweet, and although he messes up a lot, Lihle still chooses him, and he reciprocates that gesture by showing up for her in his special way. It’s an entertaining and beautiful relationship to witness.”
Asked if Sihle would date someone similar to Fana in a parallel universe, she replied that she didn’t think so.
“I don’t think so, but the beauty of acting is that we get to portray people in real-life situations. Many couples in our society are faced with Lihle and Fana’s situation, and we are just vessels mirroring those types of relationships. Hopefully what we portray resonates.”
She further discusses Lihle’s character from a woman’s perspective, highlighting her need for therapy due to her excessive self-commitment to please her parents.
“I’ve loved all the characters I’ve played in my career — and they’re all flawed. From my perspective, Lihle needs therapy.
“Without giving away too much, I say that because how far does one have to go to impress one’s parents?
“Lihle is someone who wants to make their parents proud — but to what extent? Lihle compromises so much of herself to appease her parents. For me, that’s like borderline selling your soul.”
The Star