12-05-2025
How Lunathi Mampofu's starring role in Inimba is a journey of healing
Lunathi Mampofu's latest lead role is Zoleka Mabandla in Inimba.
Portraying the complex reality of a career-driven mother is what Lunathi loves about the role.
She reveals that the series hits deep as a reflection of her reality as a single mother.
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Sometimes life imitates art in a way that you'd least expect it.
For award-winning actor Lunathi Mampofu, it was bringing to life the complexities of a career-driven woman and single motherhood, which mirrors the themes of her own life.
Lunathi takes on the lead role as the headstrong tech mogul Zoleka Mabandla in the powerful drama series Inimba, who sacrificed everything for her career before returning home and attempting to reconnect with her daughter Qhawe (played by Ayakha Ntunja) she left behind.
As a single parent herself, Lunathi was drawn to how real and honest the portrayal of real issues many South African women face in their own lives.
The 38-year-old tells TRUELOVE about what she loves the most about bringing Zoleka to life.
'With this specific story ... It's real life issues and things that happen and I, as a single parent, am going through some of those things as well and the difficulties of having to choose between being a mom and coming out here and working and doing God's work.
'But I think for me, it's just the fact that I get to portray the reality of what's actually going on out there with the people and how they sometimes feel - and I think we all do - we always feel like we are alone in the situations that we're going through. Whether it's a divorce, whether it's being away from your child, whether it's the difficulties that we face at work, which we face even in our industry.'
A reflection of reality
Zoleka's tale is one that hits deep with Lunathi, who reveals that she personally has felt the pressures of being at a crossroads between fulfilling her commitments as a mother and as a prominent figure in South African entertainment.
She admits, 'Ja man, a lot of times, like schoolwork and stuff like that, I would like to be more present, I would like to do more, but I can't split myself as being the breadwinner, the mother, the person who puts the whole household together, like all of it. That's the reality and the truth and until I'm blessed to find a partner who's going to assist me with that.
'But in the same breath, you have to make it work and I can't take away from the people that love me, that have been there in this journey with me, like my parents, my siblings, in moments where I had to be at work she has to be picked up or she needs to fly to Cape Town because I'm flying out of country. So, those are the moments where I'm just like you know what - and we've had those tough conversations together but the beautiful part is the fact that I've brought up to be independent as well and to understand the route that I've chosen.'
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The journey of healing
Lunathi is someone who is very critical about her performances but, with Inimba, she is using this impactful story to have real conversations with her daughter in a way that is healing for the thespian.
'I struggle to watch myself but with this show - because I said again - it's healing for me in so many different ways, in so many different ways.
'So, it's also therapy just to rewatch it and have those conversations with u-aunty endlini and have those conversations with my daughter where you actually pick up the type of person that she's growing up to be as well and how understanding she is about certain things that have happened in our life. So, I really honestly chose this job because I knew what it was going to do for us.'
