Masasa Mbangeni

Masasa Lindiwe Mbangeni is a South African actress. She is best known for her role as Thembeka Shezi in the popular television serial Scandal!.

Masasa Mbangeni
Born	Masasa Lindiwe Mbangeni Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Alma mater	University of Witwatersrand
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2008–present

Early life and education

Masasa Lindiwe Mbangeni was born on in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.^{[citation needed]}

She received the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in dramatic arts, specialising in performance and directing.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Mbangeni made guest appearances on two television series: as Eunice on the BBC Television crime drama Silent Witness and as Jackie's personal assistant on the M-Net soapie, Egoli.^{[citation needed]}

She also performed in stage plays at the Johannesburg's Market Theatre: Nogogo, Sundjata, and Amen Corner, directed by James Ngcobo. She also toured Grahamstown Festival of the Arts with the play Oedipus @ Koonu.^{[citation needed]}

In 2013, she joined the cast of popular television serial Scandal! and played the role of Thembeka Shezi.^[1][2] The role became highly popular, but she left the series in 2016.^[3]

After Scandal!, she appeared in the season two of thriller television series Thola, telecast on SABC 2. Then she played the role of Celia in the series Harvest.^{[citation needed]} She later returned to the series and then the character was shot dead, making her second exit from the show.^[4][5][6]

In 2011, she played in the American feature film Machine Gun Preacher.^{[citation needed]}

In 2023, she appears in the role of as Mbali Kaleni in the five-part crime thriller series Devil's Peak, based on Deon Meyer's novel of the same name.^[7]

Other activities

Mbangeni took part in the Marie Claire "Naked" campaign in 2015 to raise public awareness about sexual violence against women and children.^{[citation needed]}

Recognition and awards

Mbangeni received two nominations for Best Actress in a TV Soap from the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) in 2014 and 2015 for her role in Scandal!. In 2017, she received a nomination for Best Actress in the inaugural DStv Mzansi Magic Viewers' Choice Award.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Genre	Ref.
2008	Silent Witness	Eunice	TV series
2011	Machine Gun Preacher	Lip-less Woman	Film
2016	Thola 2		TV series
2016	Hard Copy	Khanya Langa	TV series
2013-2016, 2020	Scandal!	Thembeka Shezi Nyathi	TV series
2017	Harvest	Celia	TV series
2019	The Republic	Bridget Ranaka	TV series
2019	The Red Sea Diving Resort	Mother	Film
2019	The River	Adv Akhona Mayisela	TV series
2020	Housekeepers	Nomahlubi	TV series
2020	Legacy	Kwanele Losi	TV series
TBD	I Am All Girls	Thamsanqa	Film