Wanda Blaq Zuma (born September 7, 1991) is a South African

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, scripwriter and film director. He is best known for his starring role as Nkosi Zwide on

e.tv e.tv (commonly referred to on-air as e) is the first and only privately owned free-to-air television station in South Africa. Founded in 1998, the company is headquartered in Cape Town. It is the fifth terrestrial television channel in the ...

telenovela ''

House of Zwide A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

'' and

Mzansi Magic Mzansi Magic is a South African digital satellite and general entertainment channel created by Multichoice and run by M-Net's local interest division, and is broadcast on DStv. History The channel launched in mid-July 2010 on channel 107 as ...

short film ''

Shaka iLembe ''Shaka iLembe'' is a South African series produced by Bomb! A production for M-Net's channel Mzansi Magic, Multichoicecompany. The series, South Africa's most expensive show to date, retells the story of King Shaka of the Zulu Kingdom and his qu ...

'' as Mawewe.

Early life

Zuma was born on 7 September 1991, in

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

KwaZulu Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

, South Africa. He attended Grosvenor Boys' High School where he obtained his matric in 2009 and studied drama at Creative Arts College, graduated in 2014. He furthered his acting formal training from the South African Film Institute and The Playhouse Company.

Career

Zuma began his acting career in theatres. He made his first television debut in 2018, where he appeared in

SABC 1 SABC 1 is a South African public television network operated by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). It broadcasts programming in English and Nguni languages. SABC 1 was established in 1996 following the SABC's restructuring of it ...

drama series ''

Uzalo ''Uzalo'' is a South African soap opera produced by Stained Glass Productions, which is co-owned by Kobedi "Pepsi" Pokane and Gugu Zuma-Ncube. It began airing in 2015, quickly becoming a hit due to its compelling narrative, writing, direction ...

'' as a hitman. He made his appearance in the television films Love and Maskandi and Young Adults, which were part of SABC1’s NFVF Youth Films initiative. In 2019, he played the recurring role in

short series ''

EHostela ''eHostela'' is a South African television drama series produced by Stained Glass Productions and broadcast on Mzansi Magic. The series was renewed for a third season, but lead actor Thobani Nzuza did not return. Instead, Siyabonga Thwala, Tony ...

'' alongside

Wiseman Mncube Wiseman Mncube (born 29 May 1990), is a South African actor, playwright, singer and director. He is best known for the roles in television serials, such as ''Gold Diggers'', EHostela, ''Uzalo'' and '' Shaka Ilembe.'' In June 2024 he was nominat ...

. He also played the role of Mthunzi in '' Imbewu: The Seed''. By 2020, he played the role of Detective Mthaka on the final season of ''

Isibaya ''Isibaya'' is a South African television drama series that started production in 2013, premiering on Mzansi Magic and created by Angus Gibson, Desiree Markgraaff, Teboho Mahlatsi, Catherine Stewart and Benedict Carton. Siyabonga Thwala leads the ...

''. In 2021, he played the lead role on fashion industry

telenovela ''

'' as Nkosi Zwide, the son of fashion designer "Funani Zwide" and "Faith Zwide". In 2023, he bagged the starring role on Zulu portrayal history movie ''

'' as Mawewe. He appeared as Thapelo in

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

drama series ''How to Ruin Love: The Proposal'' aired in 2024. By 2025, he played the role of Patrick in

Showmax Showmax is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service that launched in South Africa on 19 August 2015. Its majority owner is MultiChoice, which owns 70% of the Showmax group, while American conglomerate NBCUniversal owns 3 ...

''Kites'' theatre series and also playing the season 2 of ''Shaka iLembe''.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zuma, Wanda Living people 1991 births Actors from KwaZulu-Natal South African male actors