Tinah Mnumzana grateful for Generations role - ‘Having a source of income is a blessing'

News24

15 hours ago

She has captivated audiences on the small screen for many years, embodying a variety of roles that have solidified her status in the entertainment industry as one of the most talented actors to ever appear on television.
Seasoned actress Tinah Mnumzana, widely recognised for her role as Flora on The River, is now making her mark in Generations: The Legacy. In a significant shift, she takes on the character of Nokwazi, who struggles with alcohol consumption.
This is an exciting challenge for Tinah, who doesn't touch the bottle in real life. She talks to Drum about how she delves deep into herself to be able to potray the character seamlessly.
'As an actor, I portray different characters and I attend different events where I see drunk people, so I draw from the experiences of people I know and those I don't know. Nokwazi is a single mother, who drinks for leisure. She has been around the block, so she's street smart, and knows her way around Gomorrah in Alex where she lives,' she says.
Stepping into another role means that she now has a regular income, something she says she's grateful for.
'Having a source of income is a blessing, because there are many people who don't have jobs, so I thank God. I've been welcomed with warm hands at Generations, I know some actors from theatre, so it's great that we've crossed paths again,' she explains.
Despite launching her acting career 37 years ago with her debut in theatre, she is steadfast in her commitment to continue performing. She has no intention of stepping away from the spotlight, expressing her desire to act until she is no longer able to do so.
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'There are many actors who acted until they died. The likes of Mary Mhlongo and Nomtle Nkonyeni are a perfect example of what it means to act until you die. I don't plan on stopping anytime. If these women did it until death, so can I. Another woman who inspired me was Connie Chiume, she used to encourage me to stay strong and not give up despite the industry being brutal,' the Bloemfontein-born actress shares.
Her mother, who was a matron and later went into politics taught Tinah a lot about the importance of education, and the fact that it has no age limit.
'My mother was appointed MEC for agriculture in the Free State, and she vowed that she wasn't going to be a stupid MEC, so she furthered her education even though she was 60, that's when I learned that education has no age limit,' she reveals.
Although she has been in the industry for more than three decades, she doesn't think she's arrived, instead she believes that older actors can learn from the younger ones.
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A post shared by Tinah Arcia Mnumzana (@tinah_mnumzana)
'The industry has evolved and I think older actors can learn a lot from the younger ones. For example they are able to beautiful content with smart phones, filmmaker Kagiso Modupe is doing amazing things, and so can we if learn from them,' she concludes.