Remembering Andile Gumbi: the actor who played Isibaya's Zweli Ngubane
Andile Gumbi was one of Mzansi's established stars, making waves on the international theatre stage and the local screen before his sudden death in 2019. He portrayed Simba on Broadway's The Lion King and delivered the unforgettable performance of Zweli on Isibaya. According to Mzansi Magic:
He was very talented, with lots still to offer to the entertainment industry.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Andile Gumbi passed away in October 2019 at the age of 36 after collapsing while on the set of the theatre production Daniel: The Musical in Israel.
- The actor was survived by his mother, Phindile Gumbi, his partner, Hlengiwe Ngcongo, and his son.
- Gumbi was known for his roles on The Lion King, Isibaya, and Makoti.
Andile Gumbi's profile summary
Full name | Andile Zamani Gumbi |
Date of birth | September 10, 1983 |
Place of birth | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
Date of death | October 25, 2019 |
Place of death | Jerusalem, Israel |
Age at death | 36 years old |
Cause of death | Heart attack |
Heritage | Zulu |
Partner | Hlengiwe Ngcongo |
Children | One son |
Parents | Phindile Gumbi (mother) |
Profession | Actor, singer, dancer, model |
Social media |
Andile Gumbi started his career as a singer
The Durban native was a talented singer and loved music. From 1999 to 2004, he was a member of Abanqobi Musical Group. He went on to perform on the soundtrack of the 2006 family adventure film Elephant Tales.
Before joining the entertainment industry, Andile was following in his mother's footsteps to become an accountant. He dropped out after his first year in university against his mother's wishes.
Source: Original
Gumbi had an illustrious theatre career
Andile became the international face of Disney's long-running Broadway musical The Lion King and portrayed Simba from August 2012 to August 2013. He performed across the world in major cities like London, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai, and Johannesburg.
The actor first joined The Lion King's Australian company in 2004. In a 2012 interview with Broadway.com, Gumbi said that being on Broadway was a dream come true and used his newfound success to impress his mother.
I know I'm good at what I do, but I start to think maybe Broadway is too far; maybe I could never make it there. It's the pinnacle of the theatre industry! So, when it happened, it was the realisation of a dream, but something I wasn't sure would happen for me.
In 2018, Gumbi portrayed the titular role in King Kong: The Musical. The role earned him a nomination for the Best Lead Performance Award in a Musical (male) at the Naledi Theatre Awards. He also featured in plays such as Lalela, Ntsikana, Nkonyeni High, Dance Through Me, and Sarafina.
Andile Gumbi's final stage performance was the lead role of King Nebuchadnezzar in the play Daniel: The Musical. The production was held at the Jerusalem Theatre in Israel.
Source: Getty Images
Andile Gumbi made waves on South Africa's small screen
Gumbi became a household name in South African television when he joined the cast of the Mzansi Magic soap opera Isibaya as Zweli Ngubane. His character was the son of Bhekifa Shezi with a postgraduate business degree from London. Andile was on the show from season 2 to season 5.
In 2015, the actor portrayed Mamadu in an episode of the Canadian historical drama The Book of Negroes. He later landed the starring role of Siyabonga in the first season of SABC1 drama series Makoti in 2019, which became his last role on a television series.
In film, the Durban native portrayed Kwena Mthiyane in Love Lives Here (2019) and Menzi in the short film The Letter Reader (2019). Andile also wrote the short film Garden of Gethsmane for Roar-Shorts.
Source: Getty Images
Andile Gumbi died after a short illness
The Isibaya actor suffered a heart attack while on the set of Daniel: The Musical in Jerusalem on October 22, 2019, and was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Centre. He was resuscitated but fell into a coma and was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit. He reportedly complained about being tired just days before.
Andile Gumbi died on the morning of October 25, 2019, at the age of 36. A memorial service was held on November 6, 2019, at the Assemblies of God church in Sandton, Johannesburg, where many of Andile's friends, family, and colleagues spoke highly of him. Ron Kunene, who worked with him on The Lion King musical, said:
The man was fierce. He was fearless... One thing we also noticed is that he exuded the spirit of Zulu, the spirit of Biko. The man was tough, even if he was playing a character. You could see beyond the character; the man was meant to be what the character was supposed to be.
Andile Gumbi's funeral service was held at St. Augustine Anglican Church in his hometown of Umlazi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He was laid to rest on November 10, 2019, in Umlazi.
Source: Twitter
Andile Gumbi had a son with Hlengiwe Ngcobo
In the 2000s and early 2010s, Andile from Isibaya dated Australian actress Amy Edwards, whom he met while working on The Lion King. After their break-up, he started dating Hlengiwe Ngcobo and welcomed his first son, who was four years old when the actor passed away.
There were conflicting reports that Hlengiwe was Andile Gumbi's wife, but the actor's family and friends refuted the claims. In a 2020 interview with Drum, his mother, Phindile, said Andile had "made a promise" to her family to marry her, but they did not have an "actual wedding".
More drama emerged in December 2019, when Gumbi's son was hospitalised in Johannesburg with a gunshot wound. He reportedly shot himself while playing with a gun belonging to Ngcobo's new boyfriend. Andile's mother had been looking after her grandson before his mother took him following the actor's death.
Source: Instagram
Conclusion
Andile Gumbi's portrayal of Zweli on Isibaya and his other roles cemented his legacy on the local screen and in international productions. His passion for the art was reflected in his performances in a career spanning about two decades.
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Source: Briefly News
