Cynthia Erivo Cast As Miriam Makeba in R300 Million Movie, SA Reacts: “Don't We Have Local Talent?”
- On Friday, 24 April 2026, entertainment commentator Jabu MacDonald confirmed that British actress Cynthia Erivo will portray legendary South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba
- South African actor Thabo Rametsi will play Hugh Masekela, while Guy Pearce has been cast as Archbishop Trevor Huddleston
- Many South Africans questioned why a local actress was not chosen to play Makeba and suggested alternative names
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Award-winning British actress Cynthia Erivo is set to star as the legendary musician and activist Miriam Makeba.
The news that a British actress will portray one of South Africa’s iconic musicians and Apartheid activists sparked a flurry of reactions online.
The Wicked star will portray the Pata Pata hitmaker in the R300 million StudioCanal and MultiChoice film titled The Road Home.
British actress lands role as Miriam Makeba
On Friday, 24 April 2026, entertainment commentator Jabu MacDonald took to X (Twitter) and confirmed that Cynthia Erivo is set to play Miriam Makeba, while Thabo Rametsi will portray Hugh Masekela. He said that the multi-million-rand project will start filming in Cape Town in June. The post was captioned:
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“A R300 million StudioCanal and MultiChoice film is in the works, titled ‘The Road Home’ with Cynthia Erivo set to play Miriam Makeba and Thabo Rametsi as Hugh Masekela. Filming is set to begin in June 2026 in Cape Town.”
See the post below:
SA reacts after Cynthia Erivo bags Miriam Makeba role
On X, South Africans expressed a flurry of opinions, with several criticising the decision to cast Cynthia Erivo as Miriam Makeba. Several netizens suggested actresses such as Thuso Mbedu, multi-talented star Zoë Modiga, and former Freshly Ground lead singer Zolani Mahola, among others.
Here are some of the comments:
@ToyaDelazy suggested:
“Thuso Mbedu/ King Tha/Zolani Mahola/ Bonnie Mbuli/ Simphiwe Dana.”
@sibumabena argued:
“Cynthia Erivo is absolutely incredible, and what she did on the Aretha Franklin biopic speaks volumes about her ability… BUT… Zoë Modiga is the ONLY person that should be playing Mama Afrika 🥹”
@LwandoMbelu argued:
“It’s people thinking South African actresses weren’t called to audition to play Miriam Makeba, which they were. Top SA agents knew the brief and put forward their best talents. Cynthia Erivo earned the role. And strategically, her global profile expands reach.”
@just_norika fumed:
“I don’t know why, but this is making me angry. No offence to Cynthia (who is a giant in her own right), but do we not have local talent? Also, already by the way she pronounced 'Miriam Makeba', I’m not confident in her ability to pull off Qongqothwane 😭💀”
Source: Getty Images
What is the movie The Road Home about?
Directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon, The Road Home follows South African jazz legends Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba and Hugh Masekela, and their Apartheid-era Graceland tour with Paul Simon.
Apart from Erivo and Rametsi, Guy Pearce has also been cast as the boycott leader, Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. The film will feature the legends' original songs plus new recordings drawn from foundation interviews.
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In other news, Briefly News reported that South African actress Tricia Mpisi shared the "embarrassing" moment that occurred in front of Hollywood stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
She explained that after a glass of champagne fell on her head, the two actresses had no problem helping her in her time of need.
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Source: Briefly News
