Actress Thandeka Shangase Joins Generations The Legacy, This Is The Role She Will Play
The 29-year-old actress from Umlazi, south of Durban, will make her first appearance on the SABC1’s soapie next week. The ecstatic Thandeka said she believes that her new role will take her career to greater heights.
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“I was filled with excitement when my agent shared the news with me at the beginning of August. I was more excited when I started shooting on 10 August.
“To me, this is a fantastic opportunity. Despite being told that it is a small role, for me, there is no small role as every opportunity counts,” said Thandeka.
She thought to herself, this was the biggest role she’s ever had to play.
Highlighting her role, she said: “Even though I’m not allowed to divulge the details, all I can say is that it’s a very emotional role.”
She said every time she gets a call from her agent about a new opportunity, she has learnt to appreciate whatever role that comes her way, no matter how small.
“That’s how I choose to accept the news. To me, every role is big because you never know if your next big contract is watching.
“They told me I will appear in the second week of September, in one or two episodes for now. If my character grows, then you will be seeing more of me on your screens,” said Thandeka.
Giving a brief background about her acting career, Thandeka said she was once one of the cast members of a TV show called Next of Next Week, and last year she did her first commercial advert with Absa.
“After that I was involved in a few other projects from radio drama and educational theatre,” she said.
Thandeka completed her drama and production studies at the Durban University of Technology in 2016.
Generations: The Legacy airs on SABC 1, Monday to Friday at 8 pm.
Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Thandeka Shangase is ecstatic as she will be making her first appearance on SABC’s gripping soapie, Generations: The Legacy.
Hailing from uMlazi, Shangase completed her qualification in Drama and Production Studies at DUT in the year 2016 and then moved to Johannesburg in 2017.
“Deciding to apply to become a student at DUT was possibly one of the best decisions I have ever made. I realized that this was not just a career but it was a calling. I remember how we would have long hours of rehearsals, how our Head of Department, Prof Debbie Lutge would tell us that the industry is tough and believe me it is. I took in all the advice to help grow my talent from lecturers such as Nellie Ngcongo, Marcia Peschke, and Siza Mthembu, just to name a few. From auditioning for student productions and departmental down to directing our own productions, it all played a huge role in the way I understand acting today. It was never easy but it was definitely worth it,” she said.
Speaking on some challenges that she faced as a student, Shangase said, “It is hard when you are a student away from home. I would remind myself that no one knows where I come from, what I wanted, why I was there, and more importantly what happens after this. I had all the fun I wanted but always kept in mind that I was not getting any younger.”
Persistence and hard work positioned Shangase into the television space after so many rejections.
“For the longest time I auditioned and did not even get a call-back. It was audition after audition followed by disappointment. My mom was and still is my biggest motivation. She would remind me that nothing comes easy but what is meant for me will always find me. One day luck met preparation. I got a call that I was one of the cast members for a small part for a TV show called Next of Next Week. I grew confidence in myself and now I pushed even harder. In 2020 I got the part to do my first advert (Absa Insurances). After that I was involved in a few other projects from radio drama, educational theatre and adverts. Creating trust with my agent became very important to me because I knew that if I showed them how hard I wanted it, the sky would be the limit. I received a call one day from my agent saying that Generations: The Legacy loved me and they would like me to come and shoot for a small role,” said Shangase.
She said she was excited as she believes there is no such thing as a small role, every opportunity is as important as the other.
Imparting some advice on students, she said: “Everything that is meant for you, will find you. Do not stop dreaming.”
Be on the lookout for Shangase as she will be gracing the television screens very soon. Generations: The Legacy airs on SABC 1 every Monday to Friday at 20:00.
Pictured: Thandeka Shangase
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