Living My Dream

Nomsa Buthelezi’s larger-than-life personality makes her a hit with TV audiences – showing her childhood bullies a thing or two!

- Khosi Biyela

AS A child she was often tormented by bullies who would liken her to a boy and call her “fat” and “ugly”. No one believed she would make it far in life – let alone on TV.

Yet Nomsa Buthelezi is making her mark in South Africa’s entertainment industry. The actress is winning over audiences as the new host of reality-TV show Our Perfect Wedding, having taken over from fan favourite Thembisa Mdoda, who is on a break.

When Thembisa said she’d be taking a break from Mzansi Magic’s flagship show – which saw her bag a best TV presenter Sama in March – the producers knew they would need someone with a big personality to take the reins.

They reached out to Nomsa, who says she was excited and apprehensive when she took them up on their offer.

The gamble seems to have paid off – fans can’t get enough of her. “Nomsa is a gem,” one fan tweeted. “Can OPW producers keep her?”

Yet her road to success hasn’t been easy, she tells us, especially since she’d been led to believe the entertainment industry is all about glam and beauty. She had to work hard.

“It doesn’t break me that I don’t have the face, the body or the beauty,” Nomsa says matter-of-factly. “I don’t have the ‘It-girl’ look – I’m not Bonang Matheba.

“The only thing that speaks for me is my talent and no one can take that away from me. That’s why I give it my all – when given the chance, I excel.”

And excel she does. Before she took viewers on journeys to the altar as OPW host, Nomsa (35) was already a familiar face on television. The actress says she has been acting for as long as she can remember and rattles off an impressive list of roles.