Nomalanga Shozi's journey from 'Rhythm City' to leading lady on 'Black Gold'

Radio and TV presenter and actress Nomalanga “The Flame” Shozi takes on the lead role of Amandla Zungu on BET Africa’s new telenovela “Black Gold”.

​On “Black Gold,” Shozi takes on her most ambitious role yet as a principled and passionate daughter whose world is shattered by her father’s murder and a devastating betrayal that forces her into exile.

Speaking to IOL a few days after the show aired, Shozi reflected on how it was “nerve-racking”, watching that first live episode with her loved ones, the people who’ve seen her go through the early mornings and late nights.

“They get to see this labour of love that we've been putting together, and it was just really exciting, but also just very nerve-wrecking. It was a beautiful night.”

Shozi has had roles on "Rhythm City”, “Roomies”, and “Adulting” and this is her first lead role. She has built a strong reputation as a presenter on shows such as “BET Breaks” and “The Sauce”, as well as live productions including the 29th South African Music Awards and the Red Carpet at the South African Film and Television Awards.

​Acting introduced Shozi to the entertainment industry when she landed the role of  Nomalanga on “Rhythm City” and also found herself dominating in presenting. Shozi has had a fruitful relationship with BET Africa. In 2018, she was announced as the face of the channel.

“I'm doing both (presenting and acting) and it's so rewarding, and I'm just so grateful for this moment right now, and for it to be on BET as well is like a 360 moment.

Making it in the cutthroat entertainment industry is no small task and comes with its own set of challenges. Shozi speaks of God as being her anchor, turning stumbling blocks into building blocks.

“A lot of the experiences that I've gone through in my career and in my personal life, a lot of it has prepared me for this moment to portray Amandla Zungu on ‘Black Gold’.​

“There are so many experiences that she goes through as a woman, as a young woman, as a character, that I probably wouldn't have known how to grapple with, had I not gone through it myself as well.

​“I'm just really grateful for the grace that God has shown me in my career. It's really just such a humbling moment.”

​“Black Gold” is a co-production between Black Brain Pictures and BET Africa. The cast includes screen royalty SAFTA-winning actress Dawn Thandeka King, the legendary Sello Maake KaNcube, multi-award-winning actor Warren Masemola and veteran actor Ernest Ndlovu.

​Shozi credits a session they had before shooting began, where the cast had a table reading to help them understand each other's characters and also get to know each other as people, which helped develop chemistry.

“The thing that makes it so much easier, where I can go beyond the nerves, is the fact that, number one, I respect these people; they're not just figures on my TV screen.

​“These are human beings who have done incredible things in their careers. I respect them and I'm in awe of them and  for me, I'm just here to glean off of that, to learn from them.

​“We've got people who have done so much in their careers and who come from a different school of entertainment in South Africa. For me, representing a different school, a newer school, it's so exciting to get to learn from the legends and the greats.”

​When it comes to her character, Shozi shared that viewers will be surprised to find out the lengths that Amandla Zungu will go to defend the people that she loves the most. Her character being tested at every level and instead of breaking and staying broken, she breaks and she comes back together again stronger.

​“She's so representative of every woman I know, black, white, coloured, Indian. We have a shared experience as women. Lose, heartbreak, and the determination and conviction that you will be the thing that you've always wanted to be.

​“And no matter what that looks like, right, that you're going to fight, even if you fail, you're failing forward. I think the most surprising thing is how familiar we are with her.”

​Outside of acting and presenting, Shozi is quite the content creator, working with brands such as HM and L’Oreal Paris South Africa. “Nothing will test you like being a business owner,” she remarks when asked about growing brand Nomalanga.

​The industry and the economy in South Africa are forcing a person to be multifaceted. Shozi has grown to learn to stretch herself in different ways. “Content creation is something that I am really focusing on because it's a stream of income, it's an avenue. We can't just rely on one salary in this industry or in this country.”

​Her relationship with content creating goes beyond it being a financial avenue but she also genuinely loves it. “I enjoy being on social media. I enjoy creating. I enjoy engaging with my audiences.”

“Brand Nomalanga has been growing from strength to strength and it's going to continue to grow from strength to strength. We're open for business!

"Black Gold" airs on BET Africa channel 129 at 6:30pm and repeats at 9:30pm CAT.

IOL Entertainment