Teen sensation Katleho Mabote is relishing in the success of his starring roles in “Youngins” and “Outlaws.”
“I am living my wildest dream,” he said in a recent interview.
“I am so grateful for everything, my career and life, everything is good so far.”
The 20-year-old Bloemfontein-born star gave an emotional performance as Tokollo, a kind and innocent Grade 8 student at the fictional Olifantsfontein High School in season two of the hit youth drama.
He appears alongside leading star Ayakha Ntunja, Thabiso Ramotshela and Kealeboga Masango, among others, on the Showmax Original, which is garnering a significant following, stealing hearts and racking up award nominations.
The series, produced by Tshedza Pictures, focuses on the issues Gen Z experiences daily, such as sexuality, family traumas, popularity, teenage pregnancy and the abuse of power.
“I believe that each and every young actor in the industry would love to be part of ‘Youngins’ because it is a story that us youngsters can relate to,” he said.
“It is set in high school with the ama2000s and the story line is so beautiful.”
Mabote added that the series is popular among viewers because it is an accurate reflection of what is going on with youngsters, particularly Gen Zs.
“I think it is a hit because a lot of people relate to it because it is so authentic.”
“It is also different from other shows because it really does reflect what is going on with young people in high school.”
Mabote also joked that it was an unusual experience for him to be sharing the small screen with actors his age.
“It was different to each and every other show I starred in because I am usually the last born on set but with ‘Youngins’, I got to work with my peers and it made me feel like a child who was experiencing high school again. It was so amazing.”
The actor added that being on the show was such a valuable learning experience as he also got to learn from those behind-the-scenes.
“It was so amazing to work with such a stellar cast and crew.”
“It was such a surreal experience because I grew up watching some of them.”
“In terms of the crew, everyone brought their A-game and I think that translated to the production.”
Mabote added: “It was incredible to see the amount of respect that everyone had for each other and I learnt so many things.”
“I got to work with an amazing assistant director and I got the chance to shadow him and
in terms of acting and for me to tap into my emotions for my role, this is what I did and by doing that, I learnt many things behind the scenes for the first time.”
On the differences between him and his character, Mabote said: “I don't think I am too different from my character.”
“We are both quite funny, we both went to boarding school and almost everything about him reminds me of me.”
“I am also driven just like Tokollo.”
“When it comes to the differences between him and his character, Mabote added: “I don't think I would have smoked or taken any substances, that is maybe the only thing that makes us different.”
Meanwhile, Mabote also enjoyed his time playing Mosa in the award-winning series “Outlaws,” which centres around the rivalry between the Zulu Biyela clan, who are cattle farmers, and the Ts’eoles, who are Basotho and notorious for cattle-raiding.
On the modern-day Western series, which is the first of its kind in South Africa, Mabote stars alongside the likes of Thembinkosi Mthembu, Siyabonga Shibe, Mnqobi Kunene, Nirvana Nokwe-Mseleku, Mmabatho Mogomotsi, Lehlohonolo Mayeza and Keketso Mpilo, amongst others.
“It was so amazing to be part of ‘Outlaws’ because it was my first gig and it won so many awards because everyone brought their A-game and all of us were hungry for success and I think that all translated to the final production.”
As 2024 draws to a close, Mabote has big plans for the future.
“I would like to take on a leading role because I have just been playing supporting roles in a lot of productions.”
“I am also looking forward to working behind-the-scenes and I want to work my way up in terms of becoming a director one day.”
His advice to aspiring actors is simple yet profound: “There are a lot of actors out there so you have to do something different to achieve your dreams and to outshine them.”