TALK OF THE TOWN

Amamkele Qamata shot to fame in Mzansi Magic’s Gomora – now her new Netflix series is set to take the country by storm

- NONKULULEKO MAZIBUKO

WHILE most girls her age were happy to play dress-up with their dolls, she enjoyed playing dress-up on stage. As a child, Amamkele Qamata loved the spotlight and when she received a standing ovation as Snow White in a school play, she knew she wanted to be a star.

A few months ago, very few people had heard of her but since Gomora took the country by storm, the actress has become the talk of the town.

Amamkele, who plays Buhle in Mzansi Magic’s hit series, landed a big role in Netflix’s new show, Blood & Water.

When she got word she would play the lead character, Amamkele (21) didn’t think twice about dropping out of her studies.

Her mother, Philiswa Qamata, was supportive and encouraged her to grab the opportunity with both hands. After all, businesswoman Philiswa also had to take risks to invest in her dreams.

“She was like, ‘Mntanami (my child), this is what you want to do. So, when you are given the opportunity to do exactly what you are studying for, go for it’.”

Ama, as she’s known, was in her second year of studying theatre and performance at the University of Cape Town when she got a call from Kutlwano Ditsele, the casting director of Blood &Water.

Kutlwano, who is also an executive producer on Gomora, raised concerns about her ability to juggle her studies and two shows.

“He asked how I would manage if I got the role, and I said, ‘ let me just go to the auditions and I will decide once or if I make it’,” she says.