Former ‘The River’ actor Seputla Sebogodi joins ‘Scandal!’. Image via Twitter @SeputlaS
Actor Seputla Sebogodi: ‘I feel we can go back to apartheid’
[WATCH] Former ‘The River, ‘Generations’ actor Seputla Sebogodi reveals on the King David podcast why apartheid was better for actors.
Former ‘The River’ actor Seputla Sebogodi joins ‘Scandal!’. Image via Twitter @SeputlaS
Veteran actor Seputla Sebogodi, who is popularly known for his roles in The River and Generations, revealed on the King David podcast that actors were paid and treated better during apartheid.
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‘I THOUGHT APARTHEID WAS BAD, BUT ACTUALLY’
The former The River actor Seputla Sebogodi, who currently plays the character of Captain Mthethwa in BET_Africa’s Redemption, added: “I feel we can go back to apartheid”. He also opened up about the entertainment industry.
“Recently I had thoughts of wanting to quit. Because people can hate you for speaking the truth. This stuff is public knowledge of how much actors are getting paid.”
“The politics in acting are not good. I used to think apartheid was bad, but I would differ. Now if you ask me, I’d say no, actually, I feel we can go back to apartheid. We’ll make more money.”
The star also tells King David that it doesn’t make sense to him that someone can still offer him the same pay rate in 2022 that he was earning in 1987.
“Same offer that I had in 1987. And the treatment was much better ‘although there’s a thing of you’re black’ but the money was much better. State Theatre used to employ something like 32 to 52 actors that were working every month, earning a salary.”
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SEPUTLA SEBOGODI: ‘IF YOU CAN’T SPEAK ZULU, PREPARE TO STARVE’
The star Seputla Sebogodi also reveals in the interview that the South African entertainment industry is biased towards Zulu actors and actors who can speak isiZulu.
“This year I said no to five soapies or drama series. I said no, because you ask me, ‘can you speak Zulu’? My brother, be prepared to starve. Tell me one soapie without Zulu’s, I will give you a million (Rand). In South Africa, if you can’t speak Zulu, you are as good as scrambled eggs. It’s a big thing.”
IHarare reports that the former The River actor added that if an actor/actress cannot speak isiZulu in South Africa, they are likely to “starve” in the entertainment industry.
The Sepedi-speaking actor Seputla Sebogodi also warned actors who do not speak isiZulu fluently will find it hard to get roles. He added that actors who do not speak the language, are not recognised.
The star also revealed in an interview with The Sowetan that despite new opportunities and the inclusion of black people in drama schools, many battles being fought today — such as financial hardships — have existed since his time at classic productions, such as Bophelo ke Semphekgo.
“I want the industry to be regulated and I would love for a union that can take care of the actors. And I hope development is something that our government can do.
“This is an industry that can create a lot of jobs and is an industry that helped break the walls of apartheid. People knew about apartheid because of plays.”
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