Life’s challenges should not deter young people from achieving their dreams. Instead they should use such obstacles to motivate them, says Khayelitsha born actor, Malibongwe Mdwaba.
The 20-year-old is making a name for himself through acting, having recently appeared in Ubudoda screened on Mzantsi Magic.
In the drama, he played the son of renowned television stars, Jet Novuka and Zandile Msuthwana.
His break into acting came in 2016 when he featured in Gold Diggers and soon he will be appearing on Isithembiso, another drama series on Mzantsi Magic.
He currently stays in Johannesburg, and is doing his third year in a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance and Performance Arts Management programme at Wits University .
In a quest to motivate and inspire other young people, Mr Mdwaba says he plans to visit various schools in Khayelitsha next week as part of his School to School campaign.
The initiative seeks to motivate pupils to stay at school and to make informed decisions.
He says he wants to use his life story to motivate the youth of Khayelitsha and wants young people to be agents of change who create a new image for the “beautiful community” of Khayelitsha.
Mr Mdwaba said he started acting in church productions at the age of 10 but never imagined he’d become a professional actor.
He said when he was at high school he attended arts and drama classes after hours. It was when he completed his matric in 2016 that realised that he wanted to act. He said he informed his parents who supported his decision.
He then started acting in theatre plays .
“There is nothing special about me,” said Mr Mdwaba.
“If someone from the streets of Khayelitsha can appear on TV and achieve his dream, that means other young people can also achieve their dreams.
“ I want to be a beacon of hope for the youth of Khayelitsha. Nothing is impossible.
“As young people, we should stay way from things that do not help us achieve our dreams.
“We all have the potential to become anything we want to be,” he said.
Mr Mdwaba said while Cape Town was one of the most unequal places in the world, with a high unemployment rate, that should never discourage young people from working hard.
Mr Mdwaba appealed to young people to stop using drugs, and to avoid getting involved in crime. “We need to rewrite the history of Khayelitsha as young people. As young people we need to motivate each other,” he said.