- Kwenzo Ngcobo plays sports agent Zipho in Champions and has a supporting role in Red Ink as a journalist.
- He has learnt to stay grounded and revels in humility through lessons from his late father.
- The actor is working on scriptwriting and has plans to travel the world and experience new cultures.
After stealing the country’s hearts with his compelling role as Qhawe Zulu in The Wife, Kwenzo Ngcobo is making 2024 his year with show-stopping telenovelas and drama shows.
Having just come off the success of the crime series Soon Comes Night, Kwenzo flexes his acting muscles on the new soccer-themed telenovela Champions.
The 32-year-old acts alongside industry heavy hitters like Jo-Anne Reyneke, Sello Maake ka-Ncube and Kgomotso Christopher. He takes on the role of Zipho, a titan in the space of talent management whose story is about navigating the intricate web of professional success and personal integrity.
READ MORE | Jo-Anne Reyneke talks her role in Champions and lessons learnt in her 15-year career
Kwenzo and the rest of the cast are still hard at work filming the telenovela until August 2024. With the thespian taking on a more laid-back role, he shares with TRUELOVE how different Zipho is to some of the other characters he has embodied.
“I think it’s just a different role for me to try and experience, of which he is a very laid-back guy, but he has a lot of colours that I can play with and where the writers can take him as well.
“So, he's one of those agents that really loves taking care of players and just to make sure that they get the best out of the deal that they negotiate. Just looking out for one of the best talents in the football industry. So, playing an agent, I think, is an interesting part. I'm also having fun with it as well.”
Champions is still in the early stages of introducing Zipho and while the country still gets acquainted with the role, viewers will get to see more of Kwenzo in the eight-part thriller series Red Ink.
Starring alongside Bonko Khoza, Nqobile Nunu Khumalo and Lorcia Cooper, Kwenzo takes on a role as a journalist as we follow Nqobile’s character Lucy who is approached by imprisoned serial killer Napoleon (played by Bonko) to tell his story.
Cast in a supporting role, Kwenzo gives us some insight into how he helps support the main cast while also bringing his character in Red Ink to life.
“I feel like there's a lot to do but at the same time, there's not a lot to do. You understand? Because on Red Ink, I play a supporting role. We follow the story of Lucy and Napoleon. So, sometimes as an actor, you always have to be mindful of how to not overact or not overshadow people. I always find it weird when people do that.
“But when I get the character bio, I follow the character bio and it's like, okay, well, there's a lot to do here, but also there's nothing … He's not like Napoleon, who do extreme things. Who kills people for a living. This one is like – he's like a journalist and he works at the newsroom.”
Through all of the acclaimed characters he has been bagging over the past few years, Kwenzo is not one to let fame get to his head.
He’s learnt how to remain grounded through his success and he credits his industry colleagues as well as his late father, who passed away in March 2023, as the people he has learnt the most from.
Kwenzo’s father was a mayor sharing how this background helped him grow up as an understanding person, saying, “He taught us how to respect people, how to greet people, how to be with people … He taught us to just appreciate life and then try to make something of yourself. You know, work hard for your own things, not to depend on parents all the time.
“So, I think I took that ng’sakhula (growing up) and I have it now, which is challenging living in and being in this industry because you've got different people with different intentions. You don't know where you stand with people. So, I try to create my own space. I don't have a problem with people but I'd like to keep professional at the same time. I don't like the spotlight.”
READ MORE | Sello Maake KaNcube on his TV role on Champions, writing a memoir and his goal of being a director
Not one to bask in the limelight, Kwenzo is all for collaboration, making sure that everyone on set gets their flowers and taking time away to learn new cultures.
Sharing what he does in his downtime to stay grounded, “I like to do adventures, activities, adventure. I like to visit places, learn new cultures. Right now, I think this year I want to travel a lot and I want to camp. I like to do those tough activities, you know, go camping, struggle, cook for yourself, stuff like that … Because I think if you learn about different cultures – that's the thing about religion. I think religion isn't meant to separate people.
“It’s meant to bring people together. Right now, we live in a world where religion separates people. That's not the aim because I think religion serves one purpose: love, peace and other good stuff. So, if you allow yourself to go maybe to Asia to just go to the rural areas and just like experience the way they live, you will learn different things about yourself.”
Currently working on writing scripts and developing concepts for television, Kwenzo’s humble and unique insight into the world makes him one to watch in Mzansi’s world of entertainment.
