Sicelo Buthelezi: From Creative to Real-Life Superhero
For actor Sicelo Buthelezi, every career move that he makes is for a greater purpose beyond him. Coming from Tembisa’s Winnie Mandela to create a successful acting and music career, while also being regarded within society as a tastemaker, all his achievements have come with a lot of discipline and a clear vision of what he wants.
From the early days of theater, where he says he gained a lot of experience that further honed his acting skills, Sicelo has always had his eyes set on the performing arts.
One way or another.
The ball started rolling for him when he landed the stand-out character of Teddy on Mzansi Magic’s Gomora, and that really set the tone for his career. The star is now branching his wings onto SABC 1’s Skeem Saam, where he is to portray the role of the mischievous Tobias (Toby) Maswahla’, who gets expelled and is forced to move to Turfloop after causing some serious trouble back in Johannesburg.
Joining the show comes as a full-circle moment for the star, sharing that he was once featured as an extra way back when he was in.
An impressive career move that is worth the nod, as he continues to climb the acting ladder. M
“Back before breaking ground on Gomora, I never really recognized the industry like that. All I knew was going to these acting gigs and getting whatever cash we were offered, if it was a paying gig; otherwise, I was content with doing the work,” all driven by passion.
“Come to think of it now, I chose acting because it was my safe space and I always felt alive while doing it.
“The craft of acting was introduced to me post-2008, when electricity was introduced to the area that I used to live in. It was then that my mother bought us a TV and a DVD player, and my entire world opened up, literally. At that time, I was really good at soccer, and I thought I would pursue it professionally, but something about acting grabbed me,” he said.
His newfound interest set him apart from all the township stereotypes. His differences isolated him from many, but that did not deter him. Looking back at how far he has come, he hopes his choice of remaining different encourages those that come from his area to not be afraid to stand out.
“I love where I am from, and I will always reference it in my story. It raised and shaped the person that I am, but there are realities that come with that side of life. I just want to be yet another example of what paying attention to your dream and passion can produce.”
The star, who is in his late 20s, is well on his way to becoming a real-life superhero, as he forecasted judging by his recent Instagram post, ‘I’m becoming’ a superhero in real life’.
“I am not saying I am planning to be the savior, nor am I implying to be thee hero, but I want to play my part in changing whatever narratives exist and impact lives. I want someone, anyone, who relates to me to see possibilities. That is one of the many ways to reach the heart by being an example,” sharing also that the quote is actually inspired by a Nasty C song. “Shoutout to Nasty C,” he said, giggling.
In just three years of gracing the local screens, the star has amassed an impressive following and has also branched out as a musician.
“Music found me on the way, man. I only found out that it is possible to do all these artforms recently, and whenever I see the positive response from the people, I am further sucked into it. At the end of the day, I am just an artist who finds joy in entertaining people. As a young creative myself, I always want to deliver work that is of great caliber. Always,” he said.
If he isn’t making music or gracing our screens, Sicelo shows off his dance moves or his eclectic dress sense.
In everything that he does, the Sicelo Buthelezi brand always exudes creativity.
The big dream for Sicelo is music.
“Patience is key in this journey because I know my sound is amazing. It doesn’t mean that I will completely forsake acting, but music is another aspect that I want to fully explore. I would like to ultimately release a body of work, obviously with the right demand and appetite for the music. So that is what I am slowly building.
“I refuse to box my talents, and I want to explore every part of who I am. I think if more people believed in themselves this much, we would all live to our fullest potential. I learn from those who are living their wildest dreams, and I also want to inspire the same liberation in others,” he said.