Nandi Nyembe Addresses the Poor Working Conditions That Led to Her Illness

• The passing of Nandi Nyembe has sent shockwaves through South Africa, and in a recently resurfaced video, she bravely called out the harsh realities faced by actors behind the glitz and glamour
• The late actress spoke about how she and her castmates were not treated with dignity during the shooting of their show, ultimately leading to her illness
• At the same time, tribute messages have poured out since fans learned of the legendary actress's death, while her video sparked a cocktail of opinions from supporters about the film industry

Amid the public mourning of late actress Nandi Nyembe, many fans are also looking back at some of the actress's roles that made her a household name.

The star died on 23 August 2025 after battling an illness, and months before her death, she spoke about her unfortunate fall from grace.

She spoke on the Sunday World Podcast in April about her experience on South Africa's hit TV series, How to Ruin Christmas, where she starred as Gogo Twala.

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Nyembe addressed the harsh working conditions she and her castmates faced on set which ultimately led to her illness:

"It was cold, we shot in the middle of June. I got on set, and there were no heaters or anywhere warm to sit; we sat outside, and I got sick. I asked those people if they thought sending me flowers would help me get better. No, I threw them away right in their faces. Take me to the doctor, I got sick on your set. All those flowers will do is give me sinuses."

Mam Nandi went on to reveal that her castmate, the late Busisiwe "Busi" Lurayi, was labelled a diva. This was for complaining about the poor working conditions and speaking up for her.

The former Zone 14 actress went on to stress the hardships of industry life, emphasising that fans will never understand:

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"This industry is hard; we're struggling. The beautiful thing is that fans can sit at home and watch how everything came together, not knowing what we went through."

As the public digests these revelations, the conversation surrounding Mam Nandi Nyembe's death has sparked a heated debate as more people speak on the dark side of the entertainment industry.

Fans weigh in on Nandi Nyembe's revelations

Heartbroken fans were moved to tears by the late actress's debilitating health and struggles in the film industry.

Many brought up actress Vatiswa Ndara, who was allegedly blackballed for speaking up about the unfair treatment in the industry:

goddess_shibem01 said:

"These actors didn't support Vatiswa Ndara. Look at the majority of them now."

NalediModise confirmed:

"Ous Vhatiswa Ndara wasn't lying, she wasn't crazy."

South African actress and musician, Aya Msani, wrote:

"Then people wonder why I don’t care about acting anymore, I don’t even audition anymore. That place is ridiculous."

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mashoto__m posted:

"Vatiswa tried to speak up but they didn’t support her!"

Thizozo Koena Mokoena threw shade:

"Vatiswa spoke, and what did you guys do?

Mogomotsi Mosupye added:

"But when people like Vatiswa complain, you focus on their English and sell yourself as tough and affordable. Here we are."

Inside Nandi Nyembe's acting appearances

In more Nandi Nyembe updates, Briefly News shared a look at some of the late actress's past works.

With a career that spanned three decades, Mam Nandi has appeared in some of South Africa's biggest and most-loved productions, dazzling audiences with her incredible talent.

Source: Briefly News