The popular television series, Wenera, has introduced many new stars onto the local entertainment scene with one of them being Zolile Makeleni whom many have fallen in love with as “Tsotsi” on the local TV drama.

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A cheerful and hardworking man, Makeleni has risen from being a mere boom swinger to one of the stars featuring on the first high definition Zimbabwean drama series.

The character he plays “Tsotsi,” is a cunning individual who does whatever it takes to achieve his desires.

Zimbo Jam caught up with Makeleni, and he spoke to us about his career and his social life and the journey that led him to Wenera.

Take us through your career journey. How did you end up as Tsotsi?

It started in 2010 when I featured in a short film, “Makomborero” that I played as a supporting act and from there I felt the need to acquire some education for my chosen field and began to study film making, specializing in film-directing at AFDA.

Life got tough and I eventually failed to pay my tuition fees, forcing me to drop out and just enter the field of film with just the few pointers I had acquired in school. I started to look around for small jobs in different productions and eventually met my current producer.

Initially, I was behind the scenes doing sound and lighting because management thought I wasn’t good enough for TV, until the day that my producer looked at me and said I looked like a “tsotsi,” and that was the day the character “tsotsi” was born.

Let’s roll back a little bit. Who is Zolile?

Zolile is a 29 year old man born to a Zambian mother and a South African father. I am the second of five siblings and I grew up in Epworth. I have always been a person who loves being in the spotlight, so I find myself doing anything that can get me an audience, from stand-up comedy to singing and even dancing.

How significant is Wenera to your acting life career?

Wenera has been the springboard that has taken my career from just directing to acting as well. Everything I learnt I’ve implemented but I still learn as I go and I thank the executive producer of Wenera for believing that I could carry the burden of acting and directing. Wenera has become the only production I can owe my success to and will always be my first step in a journey that I believe will make history.

What does the journey ahead hold for you and your fans?

I plan on becoming one of Africa’s most celebrated actors and directors. A few years from today, I plan to establish a hub that produces the best and finest television personnel. I want to create a foundation that nurtures talent from the early ages of six to eighteen.

And off screen, what does your life look like?

Zolile is a single and fatherless person who loves to be around people who are original and not ashamed to express who they really are. I am a soccer fan and a loyal Caps United supporter. As a result, one will notice that most of my social circles are also soccer loving individuals and when I am not doing film, I am usually watching soccer.