Hungani Ndlovu: South African Creatives Deserve to Own Their Work

South African actor, dancer and producer Hungani Ndlovu is entering a new phase in his career as he takes on the role of director for the Cape Town run of Musical Chairs.

The two-time Naledi Award-nominated dance-theatre production will be staged at Magnet Theatre from August 19 to 23, 2026. Inspired by the familiar childhood game in which players race for a chair when the music stops, the production uses the concept as a metaphor for modern life and the growing influence of social media.

Ndlovu is not only directing the production but also serving as its executive producer and a member of the cast. He says taking on several responsibilities at once has changed the way he approaches his work.

From Performer to Director

Ndlovu explained that moving between the roles of performer, director and executive producer has demanded greater discipline and perspective.

As a performer, he is focused on what is happening within the moment. As a director, he has to step back and understand the entire production, while his responsibilities as an executive producer require him to think about budgets, venues and other practical considerations.

The experience, he says, has also made him more understanding of performers because he knows first-hand how difficult it can be to receive direction while remaining immersed in a performance.

Finding More Than One “Chair”

The central question of Musical Chairs is simple: when the music stops, will there be a chair for you?

For Ndlovu, the question reflects the intense competition within South Africa’s entertainment industry.

Rather than focusing on becoming successful in only one discipline, he has developed several areas of expertise, including acting, dancing, DJing, content creation, producing and directing. Through his company Rush Productions, as well as his work with the South African Guild of Actors (SAGA), he has continued to expand his creative career.

He believes having multiple creative paths gives him greater stability in an industry where opportunities can change quickly.

Dealing With Criticism

Despite more than a decade in entertainment, Ndlovu continues to face criticism on social media, particularly regarding his dancing.

He says criticism has become part of being a public figure but has learned not to give unnecessary weight to opinions from people who have never trained with him or experienced the work that goes into his performances.

For him, building a substantial body of work matters far more than responding to online comments.

Balancing Theatre and Skeem Saam

Ndlovu has also had to balance his theatre commitments with his role as Thabo “Tbose” Maputla on Skeem Saam, a character he took over in July 2023 from Cornet Mamabolo.

Managing the show’s demanding daily production schedule alongside theatre work has required careful coordination. Ndlovu admits that the workload comes at the expense of sleep and family time.

However, he says the fast pace of a daily soap opera has also strengthened his theatre skills by teaching him how to enter a character quickly and fully.

Fighting for Fairness in the Creative Industry

Beyond his own career, Ndlovu has become increasingly vocal about the rights of South African creatives.

Through his work with SAGA, he has advocated for performers to own their work and receive fair compensation.

He connects that advocacy to the Performers’ Protection Amendment Bill (PPAB) and the Copyright Amendment Bill (CAB), arguing that creative achievements should be built on a fair and sustainable foundation.

Ndlovu also pointed to recent Constitutional Court developments involving the two pieces of legislation as evidence that the legal environment may finally be moving in favour of creatives.

However, he believes the entertainment industry still has considerable structural work to do before performers and other creatives receive the recognition and financial fairness they deserve.

The launch of Musical Chairs therefore represents more than a new professional challenge for Hungani Ndlovu. It is also an opportunity for him to put his beliefs about creative ownership, leadership and fairness into practice.