She’s also a horizontal thinker and lover of all things African. Born in the small town of Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape, she always kept to herself. “Now I’m a proud Xhosa woman. My work is inspired by my rootedness. I was a child that kept to herself and a dreamer. I grew up sheltered, never wanting to go outside and living in my imagination,” said the Linden resident.
Best known for her role in Akin Omotoso’s film, Vaya, Nyoka also has a huge love for theatre. Right now, she is part of a play called Xova, a piece about toxic motherhood that opens up the conversation about a reality that many black South Africans face. “It’s a beautiful piece directed by young genius, Joseph Komani.
It will be showing at the State Theatre in the middle of this month. I’m excited.” She considers herself a tool to tell the stories of others who are not able to. “I embody and become other people to tell their stories.” “I want to create work that heals through writing, acting and music and distribute it, especially in our villages and townships.”
Nyoka’s acting career started in high school but in terms of her career she actually wanted to do something on the opposite end of the spectrum in the science industry. “While I was doing a play, Romeo and Juliet at the University of Johannesburg, I got a call from my co-actor to go audition for a TV series called Mutual Friends on SABC 1.
I got the part and well, the rest is history.” Nyoka believes that life is what you make of it and a whole lot of love is what’s missing in the world. “If we all saw the human in each other we’d treat each other better and our planet.” Her ideal spot in Randburg is Delta Park, to read, write and collect her thoughts.
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