Sindi Dlathu (born January 4, 1974) is a 50 year-old South African actress and singer renowned for her work on Muvhango. Sindi Dlathu’s net worth is estimated to be around $4 million (R57.3 million).
Considered to be one of the most talented actresses of her era, Dlathu has starred in several film productions and has risen through the ranks to become one of the most admired movie stars in the country. Over the years, she has won awards for her works and has garnered so many fans in the process.
Summary Of Sindi Dlathu’s Biography
- Full name: Sindiswa Dlathu
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: January 4, 1974
- Sindi Dlathu’s Age: 50 years old
- Place of birth: Meadowlands, Gauteng Province, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Marital status: Married
- Sindi Dlathu’s Husband: Okielant Nkosi
- Children: 2
- Profession: Actress and musician
- Best known for: Muvhango
- Sindi Dlathu Net Worth: $4 million (R57.3 million)
- Instagram: sindi_dlathu
Sindi Dlathu Was Born In Meadowlands
Sindi Dlathu, whose full name is actually Sindiswa Dlathu, was born on the 4th of January 1974. This means she is 50 years old at the moment. The actress was born in Meadowlands, a suburb of Soweto, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It was there that she grew up with her family.
In a 2019 interview, the actress revealed that she grew up in her grandmother’s house in Meadowlands and was surrounded by many family members, including her aunts, cousins, and sisters. She explained that she had so much fun during those days of her childhood. She also revealed that everyone was musically inclined in her household at the time. She said once in a while, one of her uncles would pick up a guitar and start playing it, and all of a sudden, someone in the house would join in the song and soon everyone in the entire house would be singing and the place would erupt into a song.
Because there were so many people in her house while she was growing up, Sindi Dlathu got to learn how to co-exist with other people. This was what helped her when her career started as she realized that collaboration was incredibly important in drama and filmmaking. Her early days growing up in a singing environment also planted the seed of being an artist in her.
She Has A Twin Sister
Interestingly, Sindi Dlathu has a twin sister. The actress’ twin sister is a beautiful woman called Zanele Sangweni. According to reports, Zanele is married to a man called Matome Meela who happens to be a businessman that deals in used cars in Soweto and also runs a pawn shop.
Sindi Dlathu and her twin sister Zanele Sangweni are very fond of each other. On several occasions, the actress has shared photos of her sister on Instagram, backing them up with sweet, heartwarming captions that prove they share quite an unbreakable bond.
Sindi Dlathu also has another sister called Tina Dlathu. Like her sisters, Tina is really beautiful and is quite popular on Instagram with more than 50k followers who apparently adore her. Tina is known to be very fond of her sisters and is not shy to openly show them off.
Tina has often posted snaps and videos of herself with her sisters having a great time together. She often refers to them as her ‘best friends’, confirming the fact they share a very great bond.
Sindi Dlathu has often referred to her two sisters as her biggest cheerleaders as they always provide her with great support.
She Wanted To Be A Teacher
Today, Sindi Dlathu has become one of the most celebrated actresses in South Africa. However, acting was not what she originally wanted to become; she actually wanted to be a teacher. According to her, while growing up, she dreamed of becoming a teacher so much that everyday after school, she would rush back home and speak to bricks at their home. In her head, the bricks were her students. She was practicing to become a teacher.
As a child, she also loved singing and performing dramas in school. But, she did these things because they were asked to and thought that her love for performing was a passing phase of her life that would give way for her to practice her teaching. As fate would have it, her dream of becoming a teacher would never materialize.
Sindi Dlathu Began Acting In Theatres As A Teenager
Sindi Dlathu began her acting career from a very early age. In 1988, when she was just about 14 years old, she auditioned to be a part of Sarafina!, a musical theatrical performance written by Mbongeni Ngema, a popular South African writer, lyricist, composer, director, and theatre producer. She did well during the auctions and was eventually cast as an understudy of the play’s lead role.
Because the Sarafina! theatrical performance was to be staged in the USA, Sindi Dlathu was sponsored to America along with other actors for the performance. Sarafina! eventually premiered on Broadway on 28 January 1988, at the Cort Theatre, and closed on 2 July 1989, after 597 performances. Dlathu toured the USA with the performance group and got lots of valuable experience that would help her afterward in her career.
When Sarafina! theatrical performance was over, Sindi Dlathu stayed back in the USA and took part in another play called Township Fever in 1989. The actress toured the US with the play for a year until 1990 when the performances ended. That period of her life was very eye-opening and it made her begin to see the world differently as she began to take acting really seriously.
When Sindi Dlathu returned to South Africa from the USA, she went back to school to finish her education after four years of being with Mbongeni Ngema’s committed artists. In 1996, when she was about 22 years old, Sindi Dlathu completed her matric. Following the completion of her matric, Sindi Dlathu decided to go back to performing arts and stage plays. In 1997, she got involved with the FNB Vita Award-winning Game, where she performed with legendary actors like Mary Twala, Nomhle Nkonyeni, and Abigail Kubeka.
How ‘Muvhango’ Changed Her Life
In 1997 when Sindi Dlathu was about 23 years old, she auditioned for Muvhango, a television series that would go on to become one of South Africa’s most popular TV series. She auditioned for the show after meeting with the show’s creator, Duma Ndlovu, a South African poet, filmmaker, producer, journalist, and playwright, who encouraged her to audition. The actress did so well at the audition that she was cast to star in the series the same year.
Sindi Dlathu was cast to play the role of Nomthandazo Buthelezi in Muvhango. At the time Dlathu joined Muvhango, the show was just kicking off so she was a pioneer cast member of the show. The first episode was aired on 7 April 1997 and quickly caught attention with its theme and plot. Dlathu played the role of a very headstrong businesswoman who knew how to scheme her way through situations. Her work on the show made her extremely popular in South Africa as fans came to love her portrayal.
As time went on, Muvhango became more popular and began raking in an average of 4 million daily viewers. It became one of South Africa’s most viewed TV programs and the reason was mainly because of the intrigues and schemes devised by businessmen and women to outdo each other. As the show gained more popularity, Sindi Dlathu’s fame soared in great proportions. She became one of the most popular actresses in South Africa.
Sindi Dlathu went on to star in the show for an incredible 20 years from 1997 to 2017. During that time, she appeared in hundreds of episodes and became a fan favorite. She also rose to become one of South Africa’s highly respected thespians and won recognitions for her work. Eventually, the actress left the Muvhango show in 2017 when she was 43 years old, stunning many fans who had become too familiar with her on the series.
Why Sindi Left Muvhango At Age 43
When Sindi Dlathu announced that she was leaving Muvhango, many fans of the show were shocked because the actress had become an integral part of the show that no one could imagine the series without her in it. She had been on the series for 20 years and it seemed like the entire show nearly revolved all around her. So, the fact that she was leaving was too much for some people to bear. In 2019, Dlathu revealed that some people regularly stop her on the streets to tell her they miss seeing her on Muvhango.
Soon after the announcement was made that Sindi Dlathhu was leaving Muvhango, there were speculations being made on why she may have left the show with some people claiming that she may have fallen out and disagreed with the series producers. Eventually, the actress herself explained why she left Muvhango. According to Sindi Dlathu, she left the TV series because she wanted to grow as an artist. She has been on the show for 20 years and wanted to venture out to explore new opportunities that were available out there and also discover what she can do as an actress and for herself as a human being. She also explained that leaving the show was a difficult decision for her to make because she felt like it was such a big part of her life. The show had meant more than just a job to her. But she knew she just had to take that big step and move on to other things.
But, in a statement released by Muvhango’s associate producer Morishe Matlejoane, the series production is not bidding Sindi Dlathu a permanent farewell because they are just freezing off her character for the time being. This means the actress might actually return to the show in the future. It also meant that Dlathu’s character on the show will not be recast.
‘The River’ Established Her Versatility And Relevance
Muvhango launched Sindi Dlathu to stardom and kept her name on people’s lips for 20 years. However, apart from Muvhango, Sindi Dlathu has also starred in other productions. In 2018, shortly after leaving Muvhango, she joined the cast of The River, another popular South African series and an M-Net original production.
Dlathu was cast to play the role of Lindiwe Dlamini-Dikana in The River. Dlathu’s character is a fierce woman who would go to any length and do just about anything to protect her wealth in order to maintain her lavish lifestyle. She is so ruthless in protecting her wealth that some people have termed her the ‘evilest woman on television’. However, the character is also loved by fans of the show who feel that what she brings to the show is the most exciting role Dlathu has played.
Just like she did on Muvhango, Sindi Dlathu has gone on to mesmerize fans with her scintillating role-interpretation on The River. Her work on the show has proven that she is a versatile actress who can thrive not just on Muvhango but in any other role. The show also proved her relevance as an actress in South Africa because she has succeeded in pulling in millions of viewers to The River as she did on Muvhango.
Dlathu’s work on The River is so scintillating that in 2021, she emerged the winner of the SAFTA Award in the Best Actress category for her portrayal of Lindiwe. Before that, in 2020, she won the award for favorite actress at the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards. So far, there is no stopping Sindi Dlathu as she has shown she is not slowing down at all with her work in the industry.
Apart from Muvhango and The River, the actress has also starred in other projects, including The Queen, a telenovela that has become very popular with South Africans. Dlathu has also starred in Soul City, another series in which she portrayed Nomfundo.
Sindi Dlathu Is Also A Singer
Apart from acting, singing has been something that Sindi Dlathu has always loved. As a matter of fact, she actually began singing before she began to act. In 1986, when she was 12 years old, the actress auditioned for a singing competition called Shell Road Fame but she did not win as the judges scored her poorly. However, her exposure during this competition earned her mentorship from one of the Mbhaqanga band members; Mahotella Queens.
A year later when she was 13 years old, she took part in a national miming challenge. Dlathu competed using “Let It Be,” a song by The Beatles. She, however, performed Aretha Franklin’s cover of the song and won. It was after this that she auditioned to be a part of the musical theatrical performance called Sarafina! and her journey to becoming an actress began.
The actress has revealed that she has recorded a few unreleased songs in the studio and always talked about how music is ‘healing’ for her. When she joined The River in 2018, the show’s executive producers, Phathutshedzo Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon asked Sindi Dlathu to perform the series’ opening song. They got together South African composer Brendan Jury and Monde Msutwana of Idols SA fame to pen a new track and then Sindi hit the studio to add her vocals to their lyrics. The actress proved that there is indeed no end to her enormous talent with the recording.
How Much Is Sindi Dlathu’s Net Worth?
Without a doubt, Sindi Dlathu is a wealthy woman. Having been a top-ranked actress for so long, it is clear that she has raked in quite a lot of money from her acting career so far. She has starred in some of the most popular TV series in South Africa and has become a major force in the film industry.
The exact figure of Sindi Dlathu’s net worth is not very clear. However, some sources have pegged her her fortune at between $3 million and $4 million. This is not hard to believe, considering her extensive work as an actress. While the actress worked in Muvhango, she earned an amazing R80,000 a month and was reportedly South Africa’s highest paid actress at the time.
Combined with all the other roles she has played on other TV series, Dlathu’s net worth has swelled over the years.
Who Is Sindi Dlathu’s Husband Okielant Nkosi?
Sindi Dlathu is a happily married woman. The actress is married to a man called Okielant Nkosi. Unlike this wife who is always in the spotlight, Okielant Nkosi does not like the fanfare that comes with fame and has managed to stay away from the prying eyes of the public to the disapproval of some fans of Sindi Dlathu.
Interestingly, very little is known about the couple. Details about when Dlathu and Okielant Nkosi first met each other and fell in love remain unknown. Because of this, it is not clear how long they dated before they decided to tie the knot as husband and wife. It is also not clear exactly when they got married or where the wedding was held or even who attended it. What is clear is that they have been married for quite some time because the actress has been referred to as a married woman since the time she broke out as a household name. In 2019, it was revealed that she has been with Okielant Nkosi since she was 21 years old. However, it is not clear if she got married at the age of 21 or if she fell in love with the man at that age. What we know is that they have been together as lovers for more than 20 years.
Because they have mostly kept their marriage out of the spotlight, Sindi Dlathu and her husband have not been caught in any scandal or controversy over the years. The actress herself has often spoken glowingly of the man but has refused to reveal his details or what he does for a living. What this means is that the actress and her man maintain a really joyous and harmonious relationship and would do anything to keep it intact even it means keeping their affairs completely offline.
Why She Keeps Her Man Off Social Media
Over the years, some fans have questioned the actress’ decision to keep her husband off social media. Some people claimed that because she is a public personality, she was supposed to keep her fans up to date with who the man in her life is. They also chided her for doing what they called ‘hiding her man’ as if she was not proud of him or as if she was afraid the man might be snatched by other women.
However, the actress finally opened about the situation in an interview she granted in 2019. According to her, she feels like being on TV has already robbed her of total privacy. Therefore the onus is on her to protect the other aspects of her life, including her family. She explained that her husband is a very private person and does not want to be in the spotlight at all. According to her, her husband has no interest in being known and so she has to respect his decisions and keep him away from the public eye.
She, however, revealed that the man is her biggest fan and follows her work on The River. She also explained that the man is surprised at the way she convincingly portrays her character on the show and is also horrified by the actions of the character she portrays on the series because the role is the opposite of who she is in real life.
They Have Kids Together
The marriage between Sindi Dlathu and Okielant Nkosi has been a fruitful one and has produced two children so far. We know this because several reports have confirmed it. However, the identity of the children has remained unknown. The dates of their births are also a mystery at the moment.
Interestingly, the actress has kept her kids out of social media. A quick glimpse through her Instagram page shows she only posts about work-related matters and also posts about her sisters. However, she keeps her children and husband away. For this reason, it has become really difficult knowing anything about who her kids are.
However, it is believed that the actress and her husband have given their kids the best upbringing obtainable, considering the resources available to them.
Is Sindi Dlathu HIV Positive?
Some time ago, there were rumors that Sindi Dlathu was HIV positive. The rumors began to spread after she was cast to play the role of Nomfundo on Soul City. The character of Nomfundo was HIV positive and Dlathu played the role so well that many people began to assert that she had HIV in real life.
The rumors became more intense when the actress fell sick and was said to have fainted twice. However, the rumors have since been debunked to be false. Sindi Dlathu is not HIV positive! The fact that her portrayal of an HIV-positive patient in a TV series can be so believable to make people think she has HIV in real life shows how much talent she has and how good she is at what she does.
