Nonzwakazi Cekete

By Nonzwakazi Cekete

Journalist


Trevor Noah hosts Nomzamo Mbatha in Proudly South African interview

Nomzamo joined Trevor Noah on his show and opened up her journey to landing a leading role on Coming 2 America and how she is finding her feet abroad.


It’s not every day comedian Trevor Noah gets to host a fellow South African on The Daily Show and that is why when he hosted actress Nomzamo Mbatha yesterday, it was a big deal.

It was a truly heart-warming, proudly South African moment, in America, when the two home-grown talents sat down for an interview.

Although the interview was virtual because of Covid-19 restrictions, it was a special moment, with their chemistry almost tangible. A clearly elated Trevor said: “This is an amazing day for me because not only do I get to celebrate you as a South African. I get to celebrate your success in the most successful movie of the year – the movie that broke Amazon Prime, Coming 2 America.”

Clad in a black gown and wearing her  signature, beaming smile, the Coming 2 America actress and UN goodwill ambassador, Nomzamo, couldn’t contain her excitement.

Sharing how she feels about the surreal things happening in her life, she simply says: “It is crazy! It has been an out of body experience for the longest time. But I think you would be able to let me know, how to, you know go about this Hollywood thing – because having to call Eddie Murphy Eddie… it’s been an amazing like coming together – like a full circle moment for me.”

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The KwaMashu-born star shared how she landed a role as Mirembe, a role she aced and is getting praise for across the world.  Nomzamo confesses she had given up hope of ever cracking it on the international market when she landed the role.

She says she had just flown into UAE from New York and she was supposed to fly back to South Africa to host the South African Music Awards when she got a call from her agent telling her, “you want to be in the room for this one. You can send a self tape but you want to be in the room for this one.”

Nomzamo said she had spent so much money flying in and out of the country for auditions and felt it was time to call it quits. She changed her plans and flew back to America, LA to be specific. It was the best decision she ever made because here she is today, taking the world by storm.

In the interview, Nomzamo also shared about her move overseas and how she is adapting. By the looks of things, she is having the time of her life.

Nomzamo is clearly taking space and there is no other way to put it but she is a force to reckoned with. She broke into entertainment in 2012 when she entered the MTV VJ search  and was the runner up.

She later went on to work with ViacomCBS Networks Africa with notable highlights that included hosting the MTV Africa Music Awards, being a roastee on the Comedy Central Roast of Somizi and presenting an award at one of the biggest celebrations of Black excellence on the globe, the BET Awards.

She broke into the acting scene as Thandeka on Isibaya, a role many still adore her for to today, years after leaving the soapie which draws to an end next week.

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