The Oscar-winning actress's character of Dr Malaika from the Heart Foundation of SA debuts on local screens on September 4, and her storyline will run until October 5.

The 31-year-old, born Moitheri Pheto, hosted a media party yesterday - also screening snippets of her upcoming appearances and behind-the-scenes footage during her time in Los Angeles, where the 25-year-old soapie is set and shot.

Pheto said yesterday: "When I got a call from SABC1 about a year and a half ago, I honestly thought it was one of those prank calls. Thankfully, I'm not one of those people who jumps up and down.

"I didn't have to think about it too long, because I understood what this opportunity means."

She admitted it "hasn't been easy" - very few can claim to be an Academy Award winner within a year of making their big screen debut.

She was only unearthed by agent and talent scout Moonyeenn Lee in Soweto in 2005, where she was part of a theatre troupe.

Pheto said of getting down to business on set with the likes of Katherine Kelly Lang (who plays Brooke Logan): "You have an hour or two to focus on one particular scene, and I've never been in a production where they only do one take and it's a multi-cam set-up.

"When I went to have a meet-and-greet with some of the cast and producers, all they would say to me is [in American accent]: 'We work fast. We work really, really fast'."

SABC1 spokesman Vukile Madlala said the channel was in talks with the soapie's producers for a possible location shoot in South Africa.

Pheto has just completed shooting the upcoming film Long Walk To Freedom, an adaptation of former President Nelson Mandela's autobiography, which was produced by Anant Singh.

In the film Idris Elba and Naomie Harris will play the iconic statesman and his former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, respectively, and Riaad Moosa will play Ahmed Kathrada.