Who is Siyabonga Sepotokele? Discover the talented actor capturing hearts in South Africa
Siyabonga Sepotokele is a South African actor and singer who has steadily built a name in the local entertainment industry. He is known for his roles in popular productions such as The River, Muvhango, Lingashoni and Smoke & Mirrors. In 2026, he gained fresh attention for playing Azande in Inimba.
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Key takeaways
- Siyabonga Sepotokele hails from Soweto.
- He is also known professionally as Siya Raymond Sepotokele.
- His acting credits include The River, Muvhango, Lingashoni, Smoke & Mirrors and Inimba.
- He plays Azande Ngcukana in season two of Inimba.
- Sepotokele is multilingual and has spoken about his comfort with isiXhosa.
Profile summary
Full name | Siyabonga Raymond Sepotokele |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 23 October 1995 |
Age | 30 years old (as of August 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
Place of birth | Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa |
Current residence | South Africa |
Nationality | South African |
Ethnicity | African |
Religion | Christianity |
Father | Shadrack Ta Sello Ntsibande |
Mother | Late Phyllis Sepotokele |
High school | St David's Marist Inanda |
College | University of the Witwatersrand |
Profession | Actor and Singer |
Who is Siyabonga Sepotokele?
Siyabonga Raymond Sepotokele is a South African actor and singer who was born and raised in Soweto, Gauteng. He began showing an interest in music while still at school and later developed a career in acting.
He is sometimes credited as Siya Raymond Sepotokele or simply Siya Sepotokele. Sepotokele first gained major television attention as Lehasa in the SABC2 telenovela Keeping Score. His career later expanded across several South African television productions.
How old is Siya Raymond Sepotokele?
Siya Sepotokele Raymond's age is 29 years. He was born on 23 October 1996. Sepotokele grew up in Orlando East, Soweto. He is the son of Shadrack Ta Sello Ntsibande and the late Phyllis Sepotokele. His mother reportedly died from cervical cancer in January 2017.
His early interest in music became noticeable at Sivuleleni Primary School. He began singing around Grade 6. He later received a bursary to attend St David's Marist Inanda, a private school in Johannesburg.
His musical talent eventually led him toward professional performance. He later studied music at the University of the Witwatersrand, although reports say he did not complete the programme.
Source: Original
What is Siyabonga Sepotokele's tribe?
Siyabonga Raymond Sepotokele's home language is not known. What is better established is his connection to South Africa's multilingual cultural landscape. Sepotokele has described himself as multilingual and has demonstrated his ability to perform in different South African languages.
In a 2026 interview about Inimba, Sepotokele said he was comfortable speaking isiXhosa. He explained that he had not spoken the language regularly for some time and worked to reconnect with it before filming.
He later told Daily Sun that isiXhosa is one of the languages he is very comfortable speaking. He also listened to isiXhosa radio and read books to strengthen his command of the language for his role.
Acting career
Siyabonga Sepotokele began his television career with a small cameo in isiBaya in 2016. His breakthrough came with Keeping Score, where he landed his first starring role as Lehasa Letsie. TVSA describes the role as his first major starring television role.
His career grew rapidly from there. In 2019, he appeared in several productions, including The Republic, Grassroots, Impilo: The Scam and The River. His role as Njabulo in The River became one of his longest-running television roles, with IMDb crediting him in 93 episodes between 2021 and 2024.
He later took on roles in Muvhango, Lingashoni, Smoke & Mirrors, Law, Love & Betrayal and Yoh! Christmas. In 2026, he joined Inimba as Azande, playing Siya Raymond Sepotokele. Below are Siyabonga Sepotokele's movies and TV series, according to his IMDb profile.
Film/TVshow | Year | Role |
Inimba | 2026 | Azande |
Yoh! Bestie | 2026 | Charles |
Law, Love and Betrayal | 2024 | Thabo |
The River | 2021–2024 | Njabulo |
Yoh! Christmas | 2023 | — |
Lingashoni | 2021–2023 | Donald Nondumo |
Is'phindiselo | 2021–2022 | Chris |
Qiniso Lam' | 2021 | Thapelo |
Meet the Radebes | 2017 | Shane |
Is Siya Raymond married?
Details about Siyabonga Sepotokele's wife are not known. No confirmed public information shows that he is married as of August 2026. His romantic life appears to be relatively private, and reliable sources do not identify a current wife.
Fast facts about Siyabonga Sepotokele
- Siyabonga is fluent in numerous languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tsonga, Venda, Swati, and English.
- He trained in classical music from a young age and briefly studied music at the University of the Witwatersrand before transitioning into full-time acting.
- He landed his major television breakout role as Lehasa in the SABC2 telenovela Keeping Score.
- His television credits span popular South African productions, featuring roles such as Njabulo in The River, Donald Nondumo in Lingashoni, Sechaba in Muvhango, Sakhile in Smoke & Mirrors, and Azande in the second season of Inimba.
Siyabonga Sepotokele has grown from a talented young performer in Soweto into a recognisable name in South African television. His latest role as Azande in Inimba has introduced him to an even wider audience. With acting and music both forming part of his artistic journey, his career remains one to watch.
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