Thandolwethu Zondi on his role on ‘Outlaws’ and learning from veteran actors

Thandolwethu Zondi is cementing his status as one of South Africa’s young great talents. At 23, the KwaZulu-Natal-born actor’s career is on a surge.

After his stint on Shaka iLembe season 2 and the teen drama Go!, his latest role on Outlaws season 2 has everyone talking. He plays Mthunzi Biyela. whose romance with Buang (played by Mamodibe Ramodibe) stirs family tension.

“I had to dig deep because I was discovering Mthunzi. I had to start by asking myself: have I ever been in love to a point where it could cost me my loyalty? Those were the hard questions I needed to confront,” Thandolwethu said.

“As I explored him, I realised the only person who truly loved Mthunzi was his mother — and she had passed away. The loyalty he held was towards people he felt weren’t really loyal to him in return. When he met Buang and fell in love with her, that love completely surpassed the loyalty he had for his family."

Before acting, Thandolwethu’s dream was to pursue sports on the field and off the field as a commentator and presenter. Today he’s fully dedicated to his craft. He goes through intense training for his scenes. There are scenes where he had to walk barefoot across the North West terrain and a scene on a bus where it was extremely hot.

“By the time I stepped onto the Outlaws set, we had a stunt coordinator, Jose, who knew how to work with us. Because of my training from Shaka iLembe, I had all that muscle memory. I knew how to move, and Jose told me we didn’t need extra lessons. Coming from a production with heavy stunt work helped."

Having shared the screen with legends including Dawn Thandeka King and Slindile Nodangala means Thandolwethu learnt from the best.

“Mam’ Sli played a huge role in my acting career. On set she would give me notes and share insights about her craft. She was like a mother to me. Sometimes I’d watch the veterans work when I’m not in the scene. I always want to see them shoot because I want to see the choices they make. We grew so much closer and she helped me tremendously.”