For many lovers of South African television, Gugu Gumede is no stranger. 

From portraying the virtuous woman of cloth as MaMlambo in Uzalo, to bringing the drama as Connie in Isiphetho, she carries each of these women she embodies with such authenticity, that you would expect to bump into them at your local grocery store. 

Although the talented actress shares that ten years ago, this wasn’t the case. Gumede is the daughter of the late powerhouse Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, and she says people would not let her forget it. 

“When I started, they called me Zanele Magwaza-Msibi’s daughter. They now call me Gugu Gumede. Now there are more people who know me as Gugu Gumede. I remember when articles were coming out when I first started on Generations. There was a tone about them- a ‘we’ll see’. Even though my mother is not in this industry, but there was a sense that her connections got me here. That I am a nepo baby. That hurt, because the worst thing you can do to an artist is to question their art. I am a trained actress. And I am happy that this shines through in the quality of my work, 10 years later.”

The beauty of time and experience, Gumede said, is that now people tend to remember afterwards who her mother is – a testimony that shows that dedicating yourself to your craft, pays off.  

She celebrates her milestone in a poignant fashion, as one of the starring roles of Netflix South Africa’s first film collection, Umjolo: The Gone Girl. The romcom is premised on couple’s seemingly perfect relationship that falters when one of them learns about the other’s infidelity. It explores this in the most South African fashion, with the latest Amapiano bangers, beautiful scenery, celebrations of our vibrant traditions and everyday cultural nuances that are uniquely us. 

“I play a character called Bridget, who is a wife and mother, but she is very much ‘my man, my man’ kind of girl. She’s the type of woman you meet quite a lot, who struggles with the one thing a lot of women struggle with in South Africa, a man with philandering ways. Umuntu o ngdlulwa yisiketi (a man that never misses the opportunity to ask a woman out) we’d say in isiZulu.” 

Bridget, Gumede adds, is very aware that her man Themba, played by Ntando Mncube, is a cheat, but that doesn’t seem to deter her at all. In fact, she loves the drama.  

“We quickly come to find she gets a high off of her husband going out and cheating, her catching him and it becoming a thing and then the steamy ways to resolve the conflict. When Themba finally changes his ways, she gets bored with it! She likes the constant cat and mouse – it brings a spiciness to their relationship,” she explains. 

She says this is the beauty of the film – that explores all facets of umjolo-the pandemic as its commonly known; “The beautiful thing about the film is that it really shows a lot of what’s happening in the South African dating scene, in love, relationships and marriages. When you go eKasi, this is what you’d find. The film is multigenerational and can appeal to all people of dating age. It was fun to shoot.” 

The 32-year-old Durban native said she low-key likes these types of roles – roles that are multifaceted and push her to explore other ways to bring them to life. 

“I love characters that are multifaceted and motivating. Characters that show that in life we go through ebbs and flows. I strive for this as a performer – to showcase characters that adapt to the various situations that they face. And that was my approach with Bridgette. It was the same with Connie- as she wakes up from her coma I have played around with her in different ways. The same with MaMlambo- we saw her adapting from her calling to her relationship with Nkunzi, to the ultimate breakup. As people there’s always that fine line of similarities that connects us all, and it also sets us apart – I have found this with my characters, and I have loved bringing those differences to the fore.”

Quizzed about what her biggest lesson has been over the last 10 years, Gumede shares that it is to always honour your craft. This has also been the secret to her longevity in the industry. Gumede said she is still looking forward to showcasing more of her talents. 

“It’s moments like these where you can celebrate that I have done this. And even though I have been at it for a decade, I still feel like there is so much more I can do. I have seen people come and go in this industry. And I have come to learn just how fickle it is. It’s a beautiful anniversary gift for me. I am so honoured. Also because of where I want to take my career on a global stage, being on a Netflix show came at the right time. The only thing I wish, is that my mother had lived long enough to see this moment.”  

Her parting shot – a mjolo pro-tip – in the spirit of all things mjolo is to make sure, no matter how good a relationship is, to never lose yourself. 

“Never lose yourself. No matter how well the relationship is going, how difficult it is, never lose yourself. And like Bridget, stay true to yourself. A queen is always a queen!”

Umjolo: The Gone Girl is now streaming on Netflix. It stars Sibongiseni Shezi, Tyson Mathonsi, Thobeka Shangase, Ntando Menzi Ncube and Gugu Gumede, with exciting narration by Mam S’bosh played by Alphi Sipho Mkhwanazi. 

Nounouche Contributor: Masego Panyane