A Mpumalanga-born actor, Sipho Eric Ndlovu, known as Sambulo on the Showmax drama series The Wife, has the whole country smitten with his charm on the TV screens.
Ndlovu, also a musician, has won over the hearts of the public after his feature on the hottest podcast in South Africa, Podcast and Chill with Mac G, and also with all the roles he has done in a variety of TV dramas, including The Queen, DiepCity, Isibaya, Muvhango and Isipho.
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He has amassed a substantial fan base and did not let his upbringing determine his future. Losing his mother at a tender age, Ndlovu did not let tragedy take him away from his dreams.
“My mother passed away when I was a little child, and soon after my father became ill as well. He went away to be cared for, along with my siblings, who were relocated to relatives in other provinces, leaving me to face this thing called life alone. I worked hard to complete matric, and then I pursued a BA in communication with media studies as a major at the University of Limpopo. Due to the challenges of being independent at a young age, there were occasions when I thought about giving up, but my teachers were there for me and so were some of the people in the community,” Ndlovu said.
After university, Ndlovu did odd jobs in Mbombela to try and survive. He ended up working in the communications division in the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison for several years. In 2016, he got his breakthrough when he landed himself an acting role in a four-episode series, Side Dish Dilemma, on SABC 1, playing the character of Zollie.
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Ndlovu said he drew his inspiration from the legendary actor Sello Maake Ncube.
“People have concluded that I am from KwaZulu-Natal because of the roles I play, but they should know that I was born and bred in Mpumalanga. I will come home for the festive season and give back to the communities I grew up in. I will lead a shoe drive at the school I matriculated as part of my appreciation for this province. I was raised by getting help from generous community members, so I will also play my part by being generous,” he said.
“I encourage the youth in Mpumalanga to work hard in everything they do. Dreams do come true, I can say. I am also here to help and guide all who are interested in pursuing acting as a career,” Ndlovu said.
