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- A gogo from Thenzheni village in Limpopo made her television debut at 96.
- Tshinakaho Mananga appears in the SABC 2 soapie Muvhango.
- "She ticked all the boxes that the production was looking for, which made her the perfect candidate for the role," says the production company.
Long after the shelf-life of nearly 100% of actors on television is over, Tshinakaho Mananga has been given an on-screen role on South African prime-time television in SABC 2's Muvhango at the age of 96.
The 96-year-old newcomer has been added by Word of Mouth Pictures to SABC 2's prime-time Venda soap at 21:00 and makes her first appearance when she pops up on the royal chair in the palace and introduces herself as Vho-Myadzanga to Lindelani.
The character of Vho-Myadzanga serves as a guide to Lindelani, with the two starting off on the wrong foot with a relationship driven by fear. However, the relationship will change as the story progresses.
Mananga is from Thenzheni village in Limpopo, where she lives with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren and got the role after she sent a photograph of herself to try and play an extra on Muvhango when the local soap decided to do some on-location shooting in Venda.
Word of Mouth Pictures was so impressed with Mananga that they decided she could play much more than an extra in the background.
Mananga says she "prayed for Muvhango to call me back with a role, and shortly my prayers were answered".
According to the production, Mananga charms everyone with her passion and discipline and excels in her role. "Her breakthrough serves as a glorious reminder that you're never too old to pursue your dreams, and when you finally do, give it your best and nothing less."
