Sthandile Nkosi: The First African Female Superhero

Black girl posing wearing a pink dress and sunglasses

She was the lead in Netflix Africa’s The Brave Ones.

Welcome to our latest series, Emerge. We are spotlighting creative peeps who are from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Creating in every language you can possibly imagine, we want to highlight these international tastemakers. We are talking to them about their career journeys, beauty secrets and wellness tips.

In 2022, Sthandile Nkosi became the first African female superhero when she played the lead in Netflix’s The Brave Ones. Sthandile plays an all-mighty goddess reincarnated as Ntsiki, an innocent and lovable young woman trying to figure out life.

Joyful, absolutely radiant and so easy to talk to, Sthandile told us, “I felt like everything aligned to bring me to this role. Even how I got it was mind-blowing” on video call from her parents house in Soshanguve, Pretoria.

The first TV show of its kind, The Brave Ones addresses the lived realities of South Africans in a township who are challenging corrupt developers trying to take their land while weaving powerful supernatural themes steeped in South African folklore and mythology.

Sthandile is also skincare obsessed and runs Perfectly Imperfect Me together with a youtube channel where she shares her skincare journey and she told us more about how she takes care of her skin and hair.

She talks to us about how she got ready for the role of a lifetime. and how she protects her energy.

A girl on The Brave Ones poster Netflix Africa — @sthandile_n

We have to talk about the Brave Ones. I watched it in the original Zulu with subtitles. What was it like being the lead in a Netflix production?

Nothing short of incredible, such a blessing from God. It meant everything because this series showcased so much of our culture, ancestry and really paid homage to that and to carry this vision onto a platform that was bringing it to the world. I am so grateful that the reception has been amazing.

Being a lead on such a platform meant everything because not only are you showcasing your talent and talking about African Gods and ancestors and to be able to carry this vision onto a platform and bring it to the world.

Your character, Ntsiki’s story arc centred the whole series. Why did you feel a connection to this role and how did you prepare for it?

It was about the epic and gods that connected me. Africans are famous or infamous for their ancestors and lineage and our beliefs and I’ve never seen anything like this being done before.

I felt like everything aligned to bring me to this role. Even how I got it was mind-blowing. I auditioned with all these other people who could potentially get my role and I was so sure I wouldn’t get it! When I went in, I kept forgetting my lines but the casting director was so lovely she gave me time to take 5 minutes and come back to the audition.

When I got the call back, I found out that Ntsiki needs to know how to swim and I’m kind of hydrophobic. I had to take swimming lessons and get over my fear of swimming. The whole preparation process was intense because it was not just about getting over my fear but also trying to channel Ntsiki’s journey in the best possible way and in the most authentic way.

I think the fact that I was hydrophobic and then she went through that whole journey where she was plunged back into the water and reborn - it gave me a sense of newness and helped me glide over that fear and conquer whatever needed to be done.

What was it like working with Director Akin Omotoso?

Working with Akin Omotoso has been amazing. Akin, Rolie Nikiwe and Tosh Gitonga - such leaders in as much as they were directors. It was not just about their vision but they also helped me carry my acting abilities the best way I know how and pour it out into the character.

Many people may think you made it overnight but you’ve been acting for a while! Tell us about your past roles.

After university, I went into MTV Base Shuga (where I was actually the nail lady for S'Thandiwe Kgoroge who plays my mother on the Brave Ones)! I had no lines, I just had to paint her nails and the best advice they gave me was whenever the camera would pan to you just come alive baby come alive!

I then went into Vula Vala with Black Brain pictures where I played Teaspoon, a ghetto young girl who was a shopkeeper but also a love interest for the lead. After that, I did other short films on TV including Love Heist on Showmax. So I’ve been working hard, waiting for my opportunity to shine.

As a South African actress, what are some of the challenges you face in the film industry?

What I find challenging is finding stories that make sense for me personally, represent my fellow black people and picking characters that really represent us.

I find it hard to see roles that are written for and representative of black females and that put them at the forefront. I’m looking for such work that will allow the black female body to shine, stories that have multi-faceted viewpoints and characters. Every story has a million sides to it and I want to explore that.

For example, in the Brave Ones most of us are from the kasi (townships) so we can all relate to how we deal with power cuts (like we go outside and cook) and this connection means everything because then I can put my best performance forward without being artificial. This means you can tell stories that are representative of your people and talk about things that are happening where you live and this makes you feel like you’re so close to Hollywood, irrespective of where you are.

Sthandile Nkosi on becoming a superhero

“The whole preparation process was intense because it was not just about getting over my fear but also trying to channel Ntsiki’s journey in the best possible way and in the most authentic way. .”

You majored in directing and scriptwriting at Tshwane University of Technology. Any plans to go in that direction?

I would love to go in that direction. I come from a theatre background and love creating thought provoking conceptual work. Even in varsity, I directed Waiting for Godot, a play by Samuel Beckett and I fell in love with absurd theatre.

With studying directing, my intention was to really understand the director’s vision and help me quickly adjust when I get onto sets. With script writing, I wanted to write things that reflected me because I always felt I never saw characters that were fitting for me personally. I hoped that when I was eventually in the industry, I could one day write and direct myself.

Who would you love to work with?

I’m already seeing people I would love to work with! I admire people who are not afraid to take risks when it comes to character, people who are not afraid to jump and meet the character halfway even if it means losing themselves for the sake of the character, for the sake of the story.

Thuso Mbedu is amazing, Rosemary Zimmo (she’s one of my friends actually) and Sindi Dlathu (a pioneer here in our industry, she plays Lindiwe Dlamini on the River, a South African TV Series) are all on my list. Some others are Samuel L. Jackson, Viola Davis, Johnny Depp and Leonardo Di Caprio and Jamie Foxx.

I am also fascinated with watching people come from a theatre background and transition into television. In theatre you are forced to go big and project yourself but in film everything is so intimate and I think there is such beauty in all of that.

How is the South African film industry changing and what are the most exciting developments for you?

Netflix and Prime brings the lens closer to home and what is happening here. People from abroad can access us at any point in time and we can work with the people we want to work with and who challenge you and this in turn gives you an opportunity to grow.

Currently, an important discussion here is remuneration and royalties. So many of our entertainers die poor so we need to make sure that if your film does well then you will be taken care of. So many people say you can't make a living out of acting but things are changing now. The younger generation are not scared to voice how they feel and we need to talk more about royalties and even shares in our work.

Some films you loved watching?

Far from home is great.

Disconnect 1 and 2 (from Kenya) has some amazing wit and humour and was directed by Tosh Gitonga who also directed the Brave Ones.

Matwetwe which was about these two boys from a township and who are trying to make a living and we go into people’s homes and how they live.

Blood and Water and also Savage Beauty on Netflix is great too.

From your social media, we can see you love skincare! Tell us why skincare is so important to you and about Perfectly Imperfect Me, your skincare page on Instagram?

For me, I love skin. I had acne when I was young and it really tainted my self-esteem and this can make you shy away from opportunities or even just a guy you like!

I wanted to find ways to make myself feel better and love myself a lot more.

The first thing my mum go me was the Garnier 3-in-1 and I didn’t use anything else. The more I took care of my skin, the more I felt in touch with myself and the more I fell in love with myself and I wanted to learn how to take care of this big organ which is so intelligent and that can do all these amazing things. Especially going into the film industry, you are in touch with lights, heavy makeup and when you go home you have this huge zit and how do you take care of it. I also wanted to make sure I had the best looking skin on camera.

Perfectly Imperfect Me was to help someone else find their confidence and find little bits of yourself you can fall in love with. Even your hands on your skin – your skin does respond to the heat on your hands, improving your blood circulation and giving you glowy skin. It’s a growing channel and I really hope to work with brands in the future and hopefully launch my own skincare brand one day. There is beauty in taking your time with these projects and I am really enjoying that journey.

When you are on set, what are your favourite skincare products?

I love using products with Niacinamide because it really takes care of any acne and I love Neutrogena HydroBoost moisturiser and it really works for my combination skin. After the Hydroboost, I always go in with the Link Vitamin E Forte All purpose Cream because I really need to balance my oily side with my dry side.

On the Brave Ones, Babalwa Mtshiselwa, who was also the makeup artist for the Woman King would literally take the time to wash our faces, massage our skin and she would massage Dr. Hauschka products on my skin.

Let’s talk about Nsitiki’s style. How did you feel about her style – her outfits, her hair, her whole look?

Two Black girls posing wearing glasses — @sthandile_n

I loved it. I’m a tomboy and the last born in a family of three boys. I would wear my brother’s hand me downs and try to be one of the boys. So for me I felt such a connection to her – she was literally me. Such a carefree spirit. Even her hair, such a simple cut, it’s such a normal African hairstyle without any braids or anything.

She transforms in such a beautiful way because you find her being as innocent as possible and she gets heartbroken and then she is reborn again and then she finds herself again. She finds herself with Siya (shout out to Zamani Mbatha – he’s so amazing) and she starts wearing dresses and heels – she wants to impress.

The transition was beautiful and I felt like I was travelling with her the whole time. I’m also trying to find my style, I’m also trying to find my voice. When she finds her strength and her power with the bracelets and all of that you even see it in her stature, the way she stands and speaks, she is so sure of herself. The wardrobe tells the story so beautifully in such a quiet way but such a loud way at the same time.

I’m loving your current hairstyle.

I love my hair currently. It’s so quick and so easy, I just curl my hair and I look good. For me, it’s trying to find what works and what doesn’t work on you. If it doesn’t just let go and start afresh.

I am trying to grow out my hair at the moment so I’m products with biotin in it and I’m also using the LOC method (Liquid, Oil, Cream) and I am big on sealing in to help my hair grow.

Actually I didn’t used to have a good relationship with my hair until I figured out the same way you love your skin, you love your crown as well and when you give so much love to it then it will love you back and everyone else feels that energy too. And that’s whether you have hair or not - you should love your crown.

Funny story about my current style - I had this hairstyle before and I thought I would go platinum blonde. I loved it but then I went and relaxed my hair a week later and it all fell out! So then I had to grow my hair all over again. And I had to shoot scenes for the Queen at that time and I asked the director if I could incorporate my real look into the scene by ripping out my hair in the scene and doing something different and he agreed!

So I’m not too attached to my hair so even if it falls out tomorrow – I’m good!

The film industry can be really challenging. How do you keep your spirit nourished and happy? What’s your self-care routine?

I have an amazing support system. My parents are my best friends. I used to live in Johannesburg and when I was there I would call them everyday. I would call them my dialect coaches and they would help me translate scripts. They give me words of wisdom. We are a praying family and my mum dedicates 30 minutes to an hour of our time to pray and read the bible together in the evening.

For me, I believe the goodness in people and I love giving the benefit of the doubt. I have an amazing energy and I am super aware of that because I am such a nice person and I give so honestly and if I feel you are not giving honestly then I protect my peace and I walk away. It’s so important to be aware of these things because not everyone has good intentions. People may say they want to be your friend but they want to take away your joy and so you need to protect your peace as much as you can.

I love what I do. For me it’s a blessing to do what I do. Before I became an actress I was a supermarket teller and I didn’t like the job I was doing. I always wanted to be in the arts and I really wanted to entertain people. Yes, it’s nice to help people with their groceries but what that has taught me is to take care of your customers and take care of your audiences.

I am so grateful because it can only be God who could take me out of such a situation and put me in such a different situation where it’s something I love and feel so passionate about and there is no other way except to be grateful and humble and happy all the time to do what you do.

Even when things go wrong – like today I missed out on a gig I wanted and I cried so much but I thought someone else will get it and when one door closes another one opens so don’t change your spirit and it's cool. We only have one life and there is only so much you can do to live this life so it's important to be happy, to be grateful and help all the people you can help and protect your peace as much as you can.