Gayton McKenzie Pays Tribute to Soli Philander After His Death at 65: “He Possessed the Rare Gift”
- Veteran South African comedian Soli Philander died at the age of 65 after battling cancer
- On Thursday, 4 March 2026, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, broke his silence
- Tributes poured in from industry peers such as Marc Lottering and others who shared heartfelt messages, remembering Philander as inspiring, compassionate and deeply influential
Source: UGC
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has broken his silence following the death of comedian and actor Soli Philander. The decorated South African actor passed away at the age of 65 after a battle with cancer.
As South Africans mourned the death of Soli Philander, Gayton McKenzie released a statement on his official X (Twitter) account on Thursday, 5 March 2026. The post was captioned:
“Minister @GaytonMcK mourns the passing of Soli Philander, a beloved storyteller and cultural voice. His humour, rooted in the Cape Flats, united and uplifted SA. Heartfelt condolences to his family and all who loved him. Rus sag, Soli.”
Read also
Comedian Marc Lottering heartbroken by Soli Philander's death: "Thank you for inspiring me"
Gayton McKenzi mourns Soli Philander
In the statement, McKenzie paid tribute to Soli Philander and remembered his contributions to the South African entertainment industry. The Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader described Philander as a voice of the Western Cape.
DON'T MISS IT: Stay Away From Fake News With Our Short, Free Fact-Checking Course. Join And Get Certified!
“Whether performing on stage, presenting on television, or sharing his always-ready humour through radio and public speaking, he possessed the rare gift of making people laugh by reminding us of who we are. What made Soli Philander special was not just that he had obvious talent, but that he used it in such a unique way. His humour carried the rhythms, languages and spirit of the Western Cape, and through it he helped bring the stories of ordinary South Africans into the national conversation,” said McKenzie.
Read the full statement below:
SA reacts to Soli Philander's death
Elsewhere on X, fans and industry colleagues such as Marc Lottering and John Kani mourned the death of Soli Philander.
Here are some of the comments:
@theolla21 said:
“Rest in peace, Soli. Thank you for sharing your talent and showing the young ones to love themselves FIRST, ons eie Elsies-kind. You left a huge mark by showing humanity towards the homeless through your endless projects, you caring soul. #RIPSoli”
@marclottering mourned:
“Not the news I wanted to wake up to!!!!! Crazy. RIP Soli Philander. Thank you for inspiring me to do what I do. 🙏🏼💜”
@Bushradio remarked:
“We were lucky to have known #SoliPhilander for many years at #BushRadio - on one of his birthdays we posted this pic. He embodied the "don't curse the darkness, light a candle" philosophy. Thank you for shining bright in a sometimes dark world. RIP”
@KANI_ELDER shared:
“It is with deep sadness that I learn of the passing of Soli Philander. He was a gentle man and an incredible actor. I toured the UK and USA with him and Winston Ntshona, Bill Flynn, in the production of Waiting for Godot. May his soul rest in peace. Elder 🌹🌹🌹🌹”
Source: Twitter
Who was Soli Philander?
Briefly News previously published a detailed biography of the multi-talented Soli Philander.
The detailed profile included Soli Philander's net worth, family, wife, children and career that took him to several countries, including America, the UK, Namibia, the Netherlands, Swaziland, and Sweden.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
