Actress Shalate Sekhabi Discusses Landing the Role of Shoki in ‘House of Zwide’

• Fan-favourite actress and singer Shalate Sekhabi recently opened up about playing the role of Shoki on House of Zwide
• Sekhabi reveals that her popular character was supposed to be long, but she [Shoki] began to have her own story
• The rising is reportedly dating her on-screen husband, Wanda Zuma, who plays the role of Nkosi on the show

Rising star Shalate Sekhabi, who starred opposite Vusi Kunene on House of Zwide recently discussed her acting journey.

Sekhabi, whose character previously married her on-screen and off-screen lover, Wanda Zuma, plays the character of Shoki Zwide in the telenovela.

The 24-year-old newcomer revealed in an interview with Sowetan this week that she auditioned for the character of Shoki in 2020 and got a callback.

"It’s nice to play Shoki’s journey because it has helped me grow a lot. It has afforded me a great opportunity to work on my craft," says the actress.

The singer and actress also admits that her role wasn’t supposed to last this long in the story, but Shoki began to have her own story.

Sekhabi is the daughter of playwright, director, Aubrey Sekhabi, who is the artistic director of the South African State Theatre. The actress' mother is former actress Nontutuzelo Sekhabi, who now works for the Department of Arts & Culture.

The fan-favourite actress plays a social media manager, a wife, and a stepmother in the Bomb Productions telenovela.

Shalate Sekhabi's TV roles

TVSA reports that the actress Shalate Sekhabi has been playing the character of Ona Zwide's (Nefisa Mkhabela) best friend and sister-in-law, Shoki Zwide on House of Zwide for 4 seasons.

Sekhabi, who is originally from Mahikeng in the North West province, matriculated from Crawford College in Pretoria in 2018 and joined the University of the Witwatersrand to study film and television.

The fan-favourite actress admitted in an interview with Sowetan that it was challenging to juggle her acting career and her studies.

"Graduating in April 2023 from Wits [University of the Witwatersrand] while acting full-time was difficult to juggle both and stay consistent," says Sekhabi.

She adds that there were moments she wanted to give up, but she's glad she didn't give up her studies.

The singer reportedly made her acting debut on DSTV's multi-award-winning telenovela, The River, as Millicent. Sekhabi made her first appearance in season 3 on 29 January 2020.

The newcomer recently starred on Netflix's drama series, Go!, as a high schooler, Nthabi.

Smoke & Mirrors cancelled after 3 seasons, viewers react: "House of Zwide should be next”

In more entertainment news, Briefly News reported in June 2025 that Smoke & Mirrors was cancelled after three seasons, shocking South African television lovers who followed the eTV telenovela.

Phil Mphela confirmed the show featuring Meshack Mavuso, Lusanda Mbane, and Siyabonga Thwala would not be renewed.

Fans shared mixed reactions, with some praising the show’s quality and storyline, while others criticised it and called for cancellations of other soapies like House of Zwide.

Source: Briefly News