ACTOR Bonko Khoza has recently won his first South African Film & Television Awards (Saftas).
The 31-year-old actor took Mzansi by storm earlier this year when he starred as Mqhele on Showmax hit telenovela The Wife and he took the Best Actor for Telenovela Award for that role.
The Saftas were held last month and Bonko beat Vusi Kunene, Don Mlangeni Nawa, Aubrey Poo and Robert Hobbs for the gong.
He told SunBuzz that the award was God’s way of telling him he’s on the right path.
“Winning this is surreal. I don’t think I’ve had feelings like these before. I can’t explain it. It’s almost like this is my life’s work and purpose,” he said.
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“I feel like the industry and colleagues validated me in an awesome way. I’m humbled, excited and ecstatic. God is really at work. And the Saftas weekend showed me that there really is God and he gave me a nod,” he said.
The actor also announced his departure from the telenovela.
Actor Wiseman Mncube will be taking over as Mqhele on the new season that’ll premiere in November.
He said playing Mqhele was difficult for him.
“It was my first time being the lead in a long-running telenovela and it was a different space. It was the first Zulu project I did. I usually do international films, where I speak English and now I had to be a Zulu taxi driver.
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“I’ve always been known as a ‘coconut’ and it was intimidating to step into the shoes of a proper Zulu man from KwaZulu-Natal when I’ve spent all my life in Joburg,” he said.
When asked why he left the show, he said: “I can’t share right now but for what it’s worth, Mqhele was an incredible journey and experience.
“I’m so happy that we had a nod from the industry, which are the awards. This now makes me think my departure was not so bad.”
Bonko said he isn’t working on anything right now. He’s only focusing on his family and resting.
