Actress Sbongimpilo ‘Pepi’ Ngobe was a guest on Ukhozi FM lately. Sbongimpilo gained fame for his roles as Vakashile in Izulu no Mhlaba on Mzansi Magic and Ntombi in Netflix’s The Letter Reader.
On Ukhozi FM’s afternoon drama show, Sbongimpilo plays Olwethu, a woman married to an elderly man who abuses her and does not want her to have friends or work, despite her academic credentials. She claims that taking on this role has pushed her to develop as an actress and reach new heights in her craft. Olwethu is outgoing, quick to reply, and unyielding, whereas Sbongimpilo is reserved and slow to warm up. Olwethu never seems to follow advise, whereas Sbongi might be stubborn at times. Sbongimpilo has said of her on-screen presence, “She is a girl who knows she is educated.”
She has made film appearances in a wide range of genre fare, including Forbidden Love, Uzalo, Uselwa, Comatose, The Will, and Jersey Number Ten. Sbongimpilo also disclosed another lesson from the episode, which is that there are lonely ladies in the world. They may be reluctant to come out for fear of their marriages or the loss of their luxurious lifestyle, complete with expensive homes and cars. “This role that I play makes me uncomfortable and I don’t feel comfortable at all because I have to give the listeners what they need to hear.”
Since she is married to Ukhozi FM host Khathide “Tshatha” Ngobe, Sbongimpilo stated that she did not pursue a career in show business. She states that she has always had a strong desire to be onstage. “I used to watch a lot of television. The ‘action’ on screen made me want to try acting. “This love grew within me,” Sbongi remarked of her acting career.
Although she enjoyed acting, she was upset that it was not regarded seriously as a career option in her native country. After finishing high school in Mnambithi at Harvest, she decided to study accounting at the University of Technology in Durban.
After finishing college, she worked for a year before leaving to follow her heart. She stated that Annelise Keating (Viola Davis) and Angelina Jolie (Angelina Jolie) were the reasons she decided to pursue a career in acting. Sbongimpilo’s 10-year plan is to launch her own film and theatre production company and build a name for herself as a playwright and screenwriter.
