'Generations: The Legacy' Star Winnie Ntshaba Reveals Her R2 900 First Paycheck on Radio 2000

• Winnie Ntshaba sat down with Radio 2000's Sis Ntombi to talk about her return to Generations: The Legacy after years away
• The actress, who turned 51, left the host stunned with her glowing skin and revealed an unexpected beauty secret
• Ntshaba also opened up about auditioning five times for Generations: The Legacy and once turning down a role over a matter of pride

Veteran South African actress Winnie Ntshaba had Radio 2000 host Sis Ntombi completely floored during a sit-down at the station's studios on 25 September 2026. Between laughs and candid admissions, Ntshaba gave fans a rare peek behind the curtain of her decades-long career, right as she marks her return to the small screen.

Winnie Ntshaba's glowing skin steals the show

Before the conversation even got into career territory, Ntombi could not hold back her amazement at how Ntshaba looked. "You literally woke up like this. I can see there's no lick of makeup on you. Your skin is glowing," the host told the 51-year-old actress on air. Ntshaba's response? She credits good genes, adding with a laugh, "I think we took after our mother."

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The actress made her highly anticipated return to Generations: The Legacy on SABC1 on 1 September 2026, reprising her beloved role as Khethiwe Buthelezi. The comeback has reignited fan interest in both the show and the woman behind the character.

The infamous R2 900 paycheques

Ntshaba, who graduated in 1997, was remarkably candid about her early hustle. She shared that her very first paycheck in 1998 amounted to R2,900, an amount she describes with pride. "It was a lot. I was sending some home. I was living in North West. I bought furniture. It was a lot," she said.

She relocated to Johannesburg in the year 2000 and quickly discovered how brutal the industry could be, particularly after having landed work with relative ease during her studies in the North West. The confidence that experience gave her also cost her: she auditioned for Generations: The Legacy five times before breaking through, including one nerve-wracking attempt in Durban where she borrowed an oversized suit from a friend because she did not own one.

What is remarkable is that, even while struggling financially, Ntshaba turned down an offer of just two lines on the show. Her agent called with the opportunity, but she held firm. "I said to her, no, I'm not gonna take that," she recalled. "I had a vision. I knew when I got in there, I wanted to get in.."

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The actress also revealed she had originally planned to become a doctor, a dream she abandoned when a teacher from Cape Town introduced drama as an extracurricular activity and suggested it could be a real career. Her mother was not impressed at the time.

Watch Winnie Ntshaba's full interview on Radio 2000:

Winnie stars in e.tv series

In a previous report from Briefly News, Winnie Ntshaba and Jo-Anne Reyneke star in e.tv's new telenovela Land of Mills and Money.

The show debuted in the 7 PM slot on 31 August 2026, sparking reactions.

Source: Briefly News