She digs deeper: Nomalanga Shozi explores the role of a ‘female zama zama' in BET's Black Gold
Nomalanga Shozi believes the series is unique in its portrayal of a woman zama zama.
She stars alongside Dawn Thandeka King and Sello Maake kaNcube and calls it an 'incredible experience'.
Nomalanga Shozi is back to shake up South Africa's screens with a new lead role.
The actress, presenter and media personality has snagged the lead role of Amandla Zungu in the new BET daily drama Black Gold, diving into the high-stakes world of illegal mining.
Set in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal's rich terrain, Nomalanga's character Amandla is a principled and headstrong woman forced into the world of illegal mining after a tragedy changes the trajectory of her life forever.
Catching her in between shooting explosive scenes on the Black Gold set, Nomalanga takes a few minutes to chat with TRUELOVE on her new role.
Exploring the world of a woman zama zama
Nomalanga tells us what resonates the most with her about playing Amandla Zungu on Black Gold.
'I think a story of unbecoming to become is really what resonated with me. And I think it just came at the perfect time in my life as well, where I had gone through just enough life experience to understand how to portray all of those feelings and all of those emotions because I think also life experience is our greatest teacher.
'So yeah, I think the story of somebody going through a phase of having to shed an identity that they had attached themselves to for so long and then become something completely new, that's what resonated the most with me and excited me about it,' she shares.
What portraying Amandla on Black Gold has taught Nomalanga is that the only constant in life is change, and that 'The quicker we embrace change is the quicker we learn and grow,' she remarks.
Black Gold explores themes of feuding family, betrayal and lust, themes that audiences are all too familiar with from popular telenovelas.
But Nomalanga believes that what sets the series apart from other local shows is its focus on a woman navigating the world of zama zamas or illegal mining.
She explains, 'I think it sets itself apart in the fact that it's the first story we've ever seen or been told, or watched of the first female zama zama basically.
'How a woman could navigate that world, who she would have to be, how she would morph her way into becoming this very dangerous, scary, determined, courageous, brave person. So, I think that definitely is the one thing that sets it apart from most.'
Sharing the stage with industry greats
Nomalanga acts alongside industry veterans like Dawn Thandeka King, who plays her fearsome matriarch Florence Zungu, and Sello Maake kaNcube as Tom Motspe, a mining magnate caught in forbidden love and haunted by his deadly past.
This powerhouse cast reflecting the theme of feuding families that Mzansi has come to love is also what distinguishes itself from other telenovelas on air.
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On sharing the stage with these acting greats, Nomalanga says, 'It has been the most incredible experience of my life, I can't even begin to describe to you. I mean, yes, the role is super challenging and obviously having such a big story is also really, really challenging just as a creative, but just having such a supportive web and network of seasoned cast and actors and actresses just to draw inspiration from or to go to for when I needed inspiration, when I need a different way to tackle a scene or handle emotion.
'All of those things to me are just such a blessing and it's not lost on me how unique this opportunity is. And the fact that it's also just a once in a lifetime, yeah, it really, really is.
'I mean, I grew up watching ubab' Sello and now I get to act alongside him and it's just so beautiful, it really, really is. It feels like I'm just learning from the best, and I'm just so grateful, man. It's such an amazing opportunity ... Can you imagine? You walk on the set and it's Archie Moroka,' she laughs.
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