AFTER taking a month-long break from Instagram, actress Samkelo Ndlovu has returned and recently shared how the experience gave her a new perspective.
Speaking in an interview with Relebogile Mabotja on her YouTube channel, Samkelo reflected on what the time offline taught her about online behaviour and human nature.
The 35-year-old actress is best-known for her roles as Sonia on the SABC1 sports drama Zone 14, Lerato in Rhythm City, and Detective Ayanda Jali on M-Net's Reyka, among others.
In May, Samkelo deactivated her Instagram account after receiving backlash from fans of the Showmax series Adulting.
In the show's final episode, viewers were left stunned when a fan-favourite character Tsiki Tsiki, played by Nhlanhla Kunene, was fatally stabbed by his on-screen girlfriend, portrayed by Samkelo.
The emotionally charged scene, which followed a heated argument between the couple, triggered real-life outrage.
Some fans directed their anger at Samkelo, flooding her comment sections with criticism and blame for the character's death.
She explained that the online attacks pushed her to step away from the platform. At the time, she told Daily Sun she wasn't ready to speak on the matter.
However, during the recent interview, she opened up about what the break helped her realise.
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"I'm obsessed with human beings and their behaviour. Even though I deactivated my page, I'm online with my finsta and I'm nameless," she said.
Samkelo noted that anonymity gave her a new understanding of online behaviour.
"Now, I understand why people feel they can say stuff to people they don't know and not care how it's going to make them feel, because they feel like it's fine because no one is going to care and know," she said.
Despite the negativity, Samkelo said she holds no resentment.
"I know I'm still their favourite, so it's okay. I'll be on another show, and you'll love me again," she said.
She also shared a humorous moment with a fan.
"I met a man at Woolworths who asked me why I killed Tsiki Tsiki. I said to him I can give him the writer's number, and he'll ask him. His question doesn't land with me because I just do what the script says," she added.
Daily Sun's attempt to contact Samkelo for additional comment was unsuccessful at the time of publishing.
