Zozibini “Zozi” Tunzi is poised to make her mark in the film and TV industry as she joins Top Billing’s 2026 comeback season on SABC3.
She is among the new lineup of presenters on the show, including Miss South Africa 2023 runner-up Bryoni Govender, actor Arno Greeff, and voiceover artist Sine Mpulu.
Hailing from the small village of Sidwadweni, near Tsolo, in the Eastern Cape, Zozi told TshisaLIVE that being on the small screen has been a lifelong dream for her, as she used to watch YoTV as a child and shows such as Top Billing in her adulthood.
“Even before I became the Zozi that everyone knows, it has definitely been something I wanted to do from a very young age. I’ve always been obsessed with TV, presenting, and acting. I loved reading books and watching TV, which is all I ever did besides playing outside,” she said.
“I would watch the shows, having no idea how I would ever get there.”
She has been on a quiet pursuit to venture into TV.
Zozi’s first time outside the village was when she went to study public relations at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. While studying, she juggled acting auditions as well.
“When I got to the city for the first time for my varsity, there used to be this link that I would look for on Google; it used to have casting news.
“I went through a lot of castings in my varsity career. Had the best time doing that. So many rejections along the way. It was always just so exciting to even pursue auditions.”
But it wasn’t until she was crowned as Miss South Africa in 2019 that her life changed. In the same year, she was crowned Miss Universe and made history as the longest-reigning Miss Universe, holding the title for over a year and five months.
In 2022, Zozi made her acting debut in the American film The Woman King. She later returned to the screen, playing the character of Naomi in the South African Netflix series Bad Influencer in 2025.
“I was like a duck paddling all these years, and it’s so beautiful to see how everything has panned out. My six years as a public figure have taught me so much. It has prepared me for this. I’m an artist, a performer; so many rejections along the way.”
Now that she’s finally made it, she hopes to pursue more opportunities in the film and TV industry.
The industry has taken a hard knock in recent years, and Zozi said that as she builds a career in the space, she is not oblivious to the struggles of others trying to break into the film and TV industry and wants their voices to be amplified.
“It’s such a sad reality when you think of the marches that are happening. I feel it’s not taken as seriously as it should. People watch TV all the time to be entertained by actors and other personalities. It brings so much revenue in the country, but it does not reflect on how they are getting paid. I do hope cries of South African artists will be heard eventually.
“There are so many things in the pipeline. I’m not going to lie, I am very busy at the moment, but I do try my best to juggle my personal life and my work.”
TimesLIVE
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