From the Streets of Zone 14 to the Palace of Wakanda: A Trip Down Memory Lane of the Iconic Legacy of Actress Connie Chiume
Many South Africans remember her as Mamokete on Rhythm City while the whole world has come to know her as Zawavari from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 2018 blockbuster Black Panther. Whether she portrayed the humble role of a mother-next-door or an elderly figurehead of the council in the nation of Wakanda, the late Connie Chiume will always live on in the hearts of multitudes and within infinite re-runs in screens as a matriarchal exhibit of what it is to be a mother, a leader, and a builder.
Born in Welkom, the Orange Free State, the SAFTA-winning Mzansi actress and filmmaker enjoyed a 47-year-long career in the entertainment business before passing on at the Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg on the 6th of August 2024.
A star born for theatre and the silver screen, Chiume’s almost five-decade filmography began in the late 1970s within the theatre space, with her first major role being in the TV series Inkom’ Edla Yodwa where she played Thembi in 1989 before making her film career debut as Marita the following year in the Warriors from Hell.
Connie Chiume | SUPPLIED
Throughout the ninties, she continued to consolidate her burgeoning onscreen presence, landing roles in TV productions such as The Line (1994), A Woman of Colour (1997), and Tierärztin Christine III: Abenteuer in Südafrika (1998). In the same decade, she also touched more time within the film sphere, including the 1994 American sports comedy film The Air Up There as well as Chikin Biznis… The Whole Story in 1999.
As active as Chiume had already been throughout the nineties, the 72-year-old actress was only beginning to make her mark that would not only see her become a household name in the country but also one of South Africa’s finest representatives in the village of global show business.
The former 2000s decade brought with it more favour for the mother of two sons and two daughters, as she gained prominence in SABC1’s late-night sports drama Zone 14, where she played Stella Moloi between 2007 and 2015, a role which eventually earned her a SAFTA Award. She further cemented her status as a sought-after vet with her role as Mamokete Khuse in 2015 on eTV’s now-canned primetime soap opera Rhythm City.
Connie Chiume | SUPPLIED
The latter decade of her 2010s season in the industry saw Connie Chiume make a climactic appearance on the American film Black Panther, co-starring as Zawavari, an elder part of a council in the futuristic nation of Wakanda. The film went on to break many records and gross over a billion dollars at the Box Office, spawning a 2022 sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in which she reprised her role. Additionally, Connie added another jewel to the crown of her filmography with an appearance on Beyonce’s acclaimed 2020 musical film Black Is King.
The eve of her career in the early 2020s was blessed as much, with Connie starring in Mzanzi Magic’s Gomora as Mam’ Sonto Molefe as well as the Netflix series Queen Sono where she portrayed Nana Rakau.
Having relished a lifelong career full of excellence and celebration, Connie Chiume will continue to live on in the stories she carried and portrayed through the years.