Actress Luyanda Zwane, known for her role as Sibongile in “The Dlaminis,” shares how her life transformed after she embraced confidence in her acting career.

Luyanda Zwane had no idea that her life would change for the better when she auditioned for Bomb Productions in 2021.

This week, the Umlazi-born actress told Sunday World that she became interested in acting during her matric year after seeing an Actors Spaces Instagram post searching for actors.

“I was first exposed to the arts in high school, where I participated in school musicals and drama competitions, and I studied drama as a subject,” Zwane explained.

When Zwane finished her matric she bagged her first role on e.tv’s sacked telenovela Durban Gen, where she played the role of a young teenage girl.

She then moved to the city of gold when she landed her second role in Shaka iLembe.

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Luyanda Zwane

She had minor roles on Redemption, Durban Gen and Shaka ILembe.

She is a lead on Mzansi Wethu’s first telenovela ‘Sibongile And The Dlaminis’.

Her performance as Sibongile gives a glimpse into her acting prowess and ability to carry a project. pic.twitter.com/xy6WunYzVV

— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) August 30, 2023

Zwane said since March 2022 her life has changed drastically, positively, and greatly. She made her first appearance on Shaka ilembe last week as Vundlazi, King Shaka’s love interest.

“Shaka ilembe was life-changing for me, I was given an opportunity to work with the biggest productions and names that I grew up learning about in High School. It was also educational because I got to learn about my culture, my tribe, and the other tribes discussed.”

Her persona Sibongile is a rural young woman from Ixopo in KZN who is humble, courteous, and educated. Her father raised her when her mother died when she was just two years old.

“Sibongile is a character who represents at least 65% of black children in South Africa.” Those who have goals yet are financially dependent on the system. “She is tenacious even in the face of adversity and the suspension of her dreams,” Zwane remarked.

She described playing Sbongile as both tough and therapeutic because she has personally experienced nearly half of what her character has gone through.

“It’s been difficult because I’ve had to confront my own traumas of not being able to go to school and study what I want.” “Sibongile pushed me to feel emotions I never thought I’d feel,” she explained.

Zwane will appear in Showmax’s Outlaws and Netflix’s new Miseducation series, both of which will premiere on September 15. She considers these two series to be classics.