House of Zwide actress Nefisa Mkhabela (Ona) lands a big role

Popular South African actress Nefisa Mkhabela is well-known for playing Ona Zwide on House of Zwide, although she has starred on other TV shows.

But Nefisa Mkhabela’s future in the TV industry now looks bright as she has started to make a mark in the film industry.

The 22-year-old from Soweto has scored another leading role in the international award-winning film, Losing Lerato. She will play the old Lerato on Losing Lerato 2, which is set to air on Netflix on 2 August.

Nefisa will star along actors such as the film producer, Kagiso Modupe, Zolisa Xaluva, Nolo Phiri and Mondli Makhoba.

She said she was approached by Kagiso to be part of the film.

“He said I’d be the perfect match for the Lerato character. I was so shocked and excited. This film is one of the biggest in Mzansi and it’s globally recognized. Being part of the cast members is big,” said Nefisa.

Losing Lerato explores the emotional journey between Thami (Kagiso) and his daughter, Lerato.

Lerato was previously played by Kagiso’s daughter, Tshimillo.

Losing Lerato also put Mzansi on the international map in 2020 when it was screened at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema at Idyllwild in California, USA.

Nefisa said that besides her busy schedule, shooting the film came with no challenges for her.

“It’s about the relationship between a father and daughter. So, it’s something that I relate to it because of the close relationship I have with my dad. And that made things easy for me during the shoot,” said Nefisa.

She has also appeared in another film, How To Ruin Love, which also aired on Netflix. Nefisa said that acting alongside big and popular faces contributed to her growth as an actress.