Get to Know Esihle Ndleleni, the Rising Actress Pursuing Storytelling Without Apology
A rising star still finding her way around the storytelling industry, actress Esihle Ndleleni described her journey as a serendipitous one, a chance encounter with a calling whose advances she took as nothing but innocent jokes. And yet, one feature film in the shape of Black Burns Fast and several TV shows deep, the AFDA graduate’s growing place within the silver screen has become less a fluke, and more of an aftermath of calculated risks and the alignment of doing the right thing at the perfect time.
“I moved around a lot when I was younger because of the nature of my parents’ jobs—I think I moved, like, five times before Matric, if memory serves. That’s how I ended up even going to Victoria Girls’ High School, where I eventually did Drama. I completely fell in love with the subject. While I was in Matric, I decided to apply for a spot at AFDA as a joke, and my parents were supportive of my decision. So when I got accepted, it was a surprise and something I decided to continue with without overthinking it since that’s where life seemed to be taking me,” she said.
Esihle Ndleleni | SUPPLIED
Ndleleni featured on the 2026 queer film, Black Burns Fast, starring as Luthando, which was her first major role as a lead. She spoke about the relationships she formed during the filming process as well as her feelings.
“Working with everyone on set was amazing. It was a warm and welcoming environment. We got a chance to connect very early on, way before we had to start filming. For instance, I did my callback with Mila, who played Jodie, and one thing I noticed was that we instantly clicked. As much as I didn’t know if I had nailed my try for the role, the relationship was already established, so that base helped a lot when we actually landed our roles. After we got cast, we had a meet-up of the cast and the crew at Kate’s house, which helped us to really come together and get to know each other more. So the relational level of the making of the movie was a wonderful experience,” she said.
Much like the tryouts for the role, Esihle was sick during the interview. However, she wore perseverance on her sleeve on both occasions, putting her best foot forward to step up for the milestone.
“When I auditioned for the role on Black Burns Fast, I was sick and thought I wouldn’t get the role. I really thought I did terribly. There was also an element of my not believing in myself when I went for it because I put a lot of pressure on myself for it. So with all of that stress and the outcome of getting the role, my work on the film has to be my proudest moment so far,” she said.
Esihle Ndleleni as Luthando | Credit: Coco Van Oppens
A fresh face taking things nice and slow, Esihle reflected on her growth and the steady rise of biding her time.
“I’m still pretty new in the industry. Luthando is my first lead role, and all I’ve done in my recent past have been small roles, from films to TV shows. So I’m happy with the way things are going for now, and I’m excited to see where the rest of my career will take me,” she said.
Esihle talked about the kind of stories she hoped to see more of in Mzansi.
“I feel that Queer stories are really important. I didn’t even realise how important they were until I did the movie and saw the response it got. Made me realise that this is something people need, the kind of stories that people want to see more of. That representation.
“I also think that we need more stories about the history of South Africa, politically and societally. We need those as well because once people start forgetting history, it tends to repeat itself, and with the way things are going right now, I do feel like we are seeing that happen in real time. So, Queer stories and stories about our history,” she said.
Esihle Ndleleni | Credit: APM
Esihle chuckled at the thought of having followers and fans of her craft.
“I have fans?” she said, laughing. “That’s cool. I haven’t been cast for anything else for now, so I’m hoping that anyone who reads this interview will know that I have fans and am worth casting. But on the real, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the best for future projects.”
Ndleleni spoke about her simple routine.
“I am in a church choir, and there’s a music festival coming up, so that’s been on my mind for a while. So if I’m not working, I’m going to church and then coming back to sleep. Just going through that cycle,” she said.
The actress shared her final ambitions for the coming years.
“Looking to the future, I see myself working with dream directors on my wishlist. One of those directors is Ama Asante because she tells some of the most amazing stories out there. Hopefully, I will get to work with her and many other directors that I have in my heart to do something with. But then again, it’s not up to me, so we’ll see,” she said.