From heartbreak to triumph: Amanda Seome's journey to starring in Shaka iLembe's Ndwandwe clan

The Citizen

7 hours ago

Amanda Seome had an unsuccessful audition for the first season of Shaka iLembe, but she is now part of the latest cast.
In her first significant scene on Shaka iLembe, Amanda Seome's character, Ntombazana, asks her mother for a bigger role in the Ndwandwe clan.
However, her mother, Queen Ntombazi, portrayed by Khabonina Qubeka, tells Ntombazana to wait as she will play a bigger role within the Ndwandwes soon.
This call for patience was also what was asked of Seome, as her first attempt at being part of the first season of Shaka iLembe was unsuccessful after she went through various auditions.
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Seome unsuccessful at first
The first season of Shaka iLembe premiered in 2023, and the auditions took place two years prior.
The 29-year-old first learnt of the Shaka iLembe auditions from former Durban University of Technology (DUT) schoolmate, actor Thembinkosi Mthembu, who is one of the leading characters on the show.
Seome had a successful first-round audition, managed to get through the callbacks, and even went through a chemistry test.
'Ever seen when you go through a chemistry test, and you start feeling that this role is mine… I thought, 'This is it',' Seome tells The Citizen.
However, soon after her auditions, show director and creator Angus Gibson sent her a text that she unfortunately didn't get the role.
Seome, who at the time was still based in KwaZulu-Natal, but was residing at a family friend's place in Soweto due to the auditions, says Gibson's message came in as she was walking back from gym, to her temporary abode.
'Because I don't have Angus' number, I saw a pop-up message saying 'this is Angus…'. I got excited that he's about to tell me the good news…and then you read the message; okay, I didn't get it. I had to hold my tears,' shares Seome with died-down excitement as she relives those emotions again.
Even as she narrates the story, her eyes are teary, with tears not yet flowing down her cheeks but on the verge of doing so.
'I had to hold my tears, and I felt numb. That walk to the house, my head was spinning…and then I got home, I cried.'
'I cried as though someone had died.'
She says the thing about the audition process is that once you reach the stage of chemistry tests, you start telling your family and friends in excitement and ask for prayers.
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Mom knows best
She called her mother and told her that she hadn't got the role, but, similar to her on-screen mother, Seome's birth mother encouraged her to be patient.
'You know what my mom said? … 'It wasn't meant for you. ' And when someone tells you that after being unsuccessful, you feel like they don't understand what you're going through.'
Nearly two years later, Seome concedes that her role wasn't meant for her. 'It wasn't a performance thing; it was just not yours. It was not the time.'
By the time the first season aired in 2023, she had overcome her disappointment and was able to watch the popular TV show.
'When they were marketing and promoting the first season, it was painful because you can't be telling people that 'I auditioned for that show'.'
'But then the show premiered. I was watching it, I wanted to watch it. I was literally on my feet watching it, I only sat down during the ad breaks,' she says.
She speaks in awe of the show's cinematography, the colour grading, and the performance of the actors. 'I grew up in theatre and Shaka iLembe is very theatrical…I just said to myself that 'I need to be here',' she says.
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Making it on second season
She didn't dwell on her disappointment but picked herself up, understanding it was a matter of timing, and that making it this far proved she had something to offer.
Some years after that, Seome saw an open call for auditions in KZN and decided to try again. She prepared herself by going to the gym more to ensure she was in good shape to take on any role that would be offered.
'I auditioned for the second season, but because I'm human, in the back of my mind, I still had the thought that I was unsuccessful the last time,' she says.
Now residing in Randburg, Gauteng, Seome says she received a call informing her that she had been offered the job. Again, the news came to her after a gym session.
The producers of the show played a prank on her by calling and hanging up the phone before sharing the good news with her.
'They put me in a group call and said 'Amanda congratulations you got the role'…I didn't even care which role it was, as soon as I was told, I prayed first and called my mom, and we cried.'
'Hearing your parent say 'Thank you Lord…', there is no feeling above that one because this has become a family journey.'
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