POLOKWANE – It may come as no surprise to see former Kruinie, Maite Rakabe on the screen in your living room these days in the popular Showmax series, Trompoppie (Cheerleader).
Maite completed her schooling at Curro Heuwelkruin in 2017 and joined Afda Cape Town to study acting after school.
She relates her local years: “In Heuwelkruin I had drama as a subject and I had the best drama teacher, namely Nicole Senekal to whom I am forever grateful. She played a huge role in my life.”
Acting has always been a dream of hers, from as long as she can remember, Maite tells Review.
Maite is seen in the role of Tracy in Trompoppie, a role she landed through her agent.
“I would describe Tracy as a firecracker. She has a strong personality and is able to express herself at all times. She does come across as mean sometimes but that is because she protects herself. Trompoppie is a great production that has a lot of plot twists. You don’t see anything coming so you are invested throughout and entertained with each episode,” Maite says about the series.
Before Trompoppie, Maite played other roles such as one of the Agojie Warriors in the movie The Woman King and she had a brief stint in the new Showmax series, Catch Me a Killer where she plays the role of Queen Bhuyani.
As a Kruinie, Maite was exposed to Afrikaans which she says helped in her studies.
“I believe that God prepares us for what is to come. In 10 years I still want to live out God’s purpose for me and made a name for myself within the film industry.”
Maite says the best thing about acting is to be able to experiment playing different characters.
“There is so much beauty in storytelling and the different ways one can portray or interpret a story. But, unlike the common belief, acting is not all glamorous. It is hard work and you need to be mentally strong. People only get to see the role which you are playing, the real hard work happens when you are attending so many auditions hoping to get that role. Learning to accept rejection and still choosing to put yourself out there because of a dream, requires perseverance and consistency.”
She says the most difficult thing for her is the night shoots during stormy weather as the character is not always dressed warmly. She dreams of playing a lead role in an action movie that challenges her and which requires a lot of stunt work.
“My favourite South African actress and actor are Sindi Dlathu and Bonko Khoza. His performances blow my mind each time.”
