Mohalenyane Phakela
LOCAL actor Nkopane Mohola has landed another role on the South African small screen, this time in the drama series Greed and Desire which premiered on Mzansi Magic on Monday.
The Khubetsoana-born actor made waves last year when he debuted on the Sesotho drama series Ya Lla as Lenka Moshoeshoe. The series is also broadcast on Mzansi Magic.
In Greed and Desire, Mohola plays the character of Tokelo Maake. The drama series revolves around the lives of a prominent Bloemfontein-based family called the Makhethas. It starts off with the death of the patriarch whose murder results in the family’s empire falling into the wrong hands.
“Tokelo is a street wise guy who has a girlfriend that works for the Makhetha family,” Mohola told the Weekender from his Johannesburg base this week.
“Through a series of events, he finds himself involved in a scandal that lands him in hot water with the family.”
The series consists of 30-minute episodes airing from Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm.
Mohola said even though it took him five years to land his first acting role, he had not found it difficult to fit in the lucrative South African entertainment industry since he was a graduate of the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance (AFDA).
“I studied acting at AFDA and graduated in 2010. I had been auditioning since that time and only got my break last year when I was invited to audition for Ya Lla,” he said.
“Once I had my foot in with Ya Lla, it was not hard to blend in because the veterans I admire and dreamt of working alongside while still at school are the ones I am working with now.
“They accepted me as the new guy and immediately mentored me on set and I managed to blend in.”
Prior to relocating to South Africa, Mohola forayed into the local music industry as a rapper using the stage names Emcee Conundrum and Terama. He said being part of the South African entertainment industry had made him aware of the long way the local industry still had to go.
“In South Africa, artists don’t struggle as much as in Lesotho since production companies pay them handsomely. As long as an artist keeps working, they can make a decent living,” he said.
“The sad thing about home is that there is not much of an industry. We need to work very hard to change that, because some people think working for or with them is a favour.
“Unfortunately for the arts sector, most of the influential people are not willing to invest in production companies or channels that allow us to make our work official. It is almost impossible to make a living as an artist in any genre in Lesotho.”
Unperturbed by the challenges, Mohola said he aspires to showcase Sesotho culture to the world.
“I have set a goal for myself that in the next three years I should be presenting an authentic Sesotho film at an international film festival,” said Mohola, adding that he had not given up on his musical passion.
“I am trying to work out a way to balance the music and acting. I have not stopped recording music and I intend to make use of my bew-found recognition to relaunch my music career.
“I still love music and Emcee Conundrum is far from finished. I will be releasing a few singles this winter and shows will soon follow.”
