Ayakha Ntunja chats about landing her first lead role on Showmax's 'Youngins'

Ayakha Ntunja is beaming with pride after landing her first lead role on Showmax's new teen drama series, Youngins. 

The actress plays Amo Mosweu, a sweet, determined girl from a rural town in KwaZulu-Natal on the show set in a fictional boarding school named Olifantsfontein High. It follows the lives of pupils as they navigate their academics and the drama in their lives. 

"Amo is very different from me right now, but very similar to me back when I was in high school. I think I was someone who really had my goals intact and really knew what I wanted in life, but just didn’t have the grit and the confidence in myself to achieve those things," she said..

"So a lot of the times when you see Amo falling into some situations, I was like that too and you only learn afterward that some things could have been handled differently."

Her first breakthrough role was in 2023 when she played Thembi in season 3 of MTV Shuga Down South, but it is only now through playing Amo that Ayanda said she has learnt to separate herself from the character she portrays.

"This is my first lead role, and it has truly been a journey of learning and experience. The pressure is intense, but I'm having fun with it, and I'm thrilled to finally give my all.  

"Playing this role took me out of my comfort zone, and I believe it does the same for Amo. I am learning alongside her, making this season both exciting and endearing. Trust me when I say we do not know what's happening next — it continues to shock us. I'm genuinely excited about the unpredictability of the storyline."

Growing up, Ayanda did not have acting aspirations, but after a friend took her along for an audition she fell in love with the craft and has never looked back. 

"I was convincing my dad I want to go to NSA [National School of the Arts in Joburg], and I was like, 'This is what I want to do — I want to create art, I want to create movies and want people to watch me, even if it's just one person.'

"It might sound clichéd, but I feel like it was a moment when I started knowing that this can change people’s perspectives on a lot of things."

Ayanda said she put in "a lot of hard work to create a beautiful story" alongside her co-stars and hopes many get entertained as well as educated as they watch.