Known for bringing his assigned characters to life remarkably, Sthembiso Khoza is a man of many talents. He is grounded in sports, especially rugby, karate, and soccer but the one talent he gave his all is acting, and that is what he is known for today. His popular roles include the movie Baby Mamas (2018) and TV series The Queen. Khoza plays the role of Shaka Khoza on the show and has grown to become a fan favorite. The cast list of the Ferguson Films telenovela comprises stars like Connie Ferguson, Zandile Msutwana, Zenande Mfenyana, Ntando Duma, Thembisa Mdoda, and more.
The fifth season of The Queen premiered on Monday, 27 July 2020, and the show has been picked up for a sixth installment that will air on July 26, 2021. Khoza joined the show in season two and has remained one of the main actors on set, despite a brief break.
Who is Sthembiso Khoza?
Aside from being a South African actor of note, Khoza is also a television host. He was born into a Zulu home on July 1, 1986, in KwaZulu Natal. The 37 years old actor was active in sports while growing up. He played soccer, cricket and participated in rugby in his locality. To cap it all off, he was only 12 years old when he earned himself a black belt in karate.
Khoza has explored different parts of the entertainment industry. He worked as a host on the Channel O show – Mzansi Ridez and also hosted Goal Diggerz. Khoooza was equally with Trans Africa in the capacity of MC and voice-over actor. The first time he appeared in an onscreen acting role was on the set of iNkaba. He played DJ Teeman in the Mzansi Magic telenovela in 2012. Another show he hosted is Mzansi Wethu. He anchored the first season of the dance show in 2013 and reprised the role in 2014 for season 2.
Among all his contributions in the media industry, his role in The Queen is the one that brought him to prominence as an actor.
Sthembiso Khoza Joined The Queen in Season 2
Produced by Ferguson Films, The Queen premiered on Mzansi Magic on August 1, 2016. Now in its 5th season, the Mzansi Magic TV show has 260 episodes for each season. The show’s cast comprises industry stars who played the main characters in seasons 1, 2, and 3, with Khoza joining the cast list in season 2. From season 4, new faces and more big stars appeared on the show, including Rapulana Seiphemo, Jessica Nkosi, Ntando Duma, and others.
The fifth season of The Queen premiered on July 27, 2020, and almost a year later, it was picked up for a sixth season that would premiere on July 26, 2021. Since joining The Queen, Khoza has been an important cast member, garnering fans with each episode he appears in.
Sthembisa’s Role as Shaka Khoza on The Queen
The Queen’s storyline focuses on the Khoza family, of which Sthembisa’s character is a member. The family is made up of drug lords who leverage their logistics company as a front to conceal their illegal activities. Constant clashes with competitors and authorities form the major part of the drama on the show. Harriet Khoza “The Queen” (played by Connie Ferguson) is the widow of a drug lord, and her main rival is another drug lord known as T-Gom (Rami Chuene).
Shaka Khoza is the oldest son of the Khoza family, a tough man who is very close to his uncle Brutus. The character was introduced in the show’s second season and he fast became beloved among the fans. Shaka’s love life is also a tumultuous one, to say the least. He was married to Mmabatho Mabuzo and Linda and equally dated Thando Sebata. He later asked Thando to marry him, and she said yes, though the relationship didn’t survive long enough for them to exchange vows.
While he was still married to Mmabatho, Shaka had an affair with Onica. Another woman Shaka had an entanglement with is Goodness Mabuzak, whom he was also engaged to. However, she cheated on him with Kagiso, his younger brother. Shaka is currently dating Mbali Tau (Candice Modiselle), one of the main cast members since the show premiered.
Shaka Khoza Died and Resurrected on the Show
Diamond Mabuza (Zolisa Xaluva) is a dangerous ex-con whose name can be linked to a number of killings on the show. He was responsible for planting explosives at Shaka Khoza’s wedding venue on a boat, but this was not what killed Shaka.
Shaka met a brief end when he was killed by his own brother Kagiso during a fight with his cousin Dingane. His supposed death only lasted a short while as he later returned from the dead, seeking revenge against the two. His attempt to kill Kagiso and Dingane was thwarted by Harriet and Brutus, who instead helped them reconcile.
Sthembiso Khoza was Allegedly Fired From The Queen Because of His Love and Personal Life
News emerged in September 2019 that Khoza’s character would no longer be a part of the show. According to DRUM, Mzansi Magic’s Head of PR & Publicity, Philly Kubheka, confirmed that Sthembiso had outlived his stint on the show. She said the storyline has passed through many changes, and Shaka Khoza is gradually fading away from it.
On a different note, Sunday Sun opined that Khoza was actually fired for having ‘diva tendencies’ and being unprofessional by bringing his personal life issues to work. The publication claimed the actor always got into trouble on set; he was always delaying filming and battling with child support drama. He was reportedly warned several times about this before producers had no other choice but to write him off the show. The actor was actually involved in a scandal about him cheating on his partner with his The Queen co-star, Pabee Moganedi. The show somehow confirmed the rumors about Khoza leaving the show when his character was killed.
Meanwhile, Sthembiso never dropped a comment to address the rumors making the rounds about the status of his job on The Queen. He did make an exit when his character was killed after four years on the show.
Is It True That Shaka is Coming Back To The Queen?
This is very true as Shaka Khoza has come back from the dead to continue filming with the rest of the cast. It was announced in May 2020 that the character that was killed off the previous year would be making a comeback. Mzansi Magic made the announcement, saying that he was coming back because he has become a fan favorite.
Following news of the character’s departure from the show the previous year, fans decided to protest. There were petitions to bring him back, and just like instances seen in TV series like The Bold and the Beautiful and Days of our Lives, the showrunners listened to the plea of the fans.
Sthembiso Khoza confirmed his return to the show during an Instagram live video with Shona Ferguson. They talked about the South African television industry and concluded with Khoza’s role on The Queen. Shona’s concluding comment implied that Khoza is returning on set soon as he said: “I will see you on set very soon”.
More confirmations came in the comment section where Connie Ferguson said she’s quite eager to commence shooting with Khoza once again. Also, Abdul Khoza made a post about the comeback, expressing his excitement about having him back on set.
Sthembiso’s Role Has Earned Him an Award
Sthembiso Khoza wins Outstanding Supporting Actor award at the @SoapieAwards.#royaltysoapieawards#RSA20 pic.twitter.com/lGOeBt78Zo
— PopPulse (@PopPulseSA) September 26, 2020
Though he has won one personal award from his role on the show, The Queen has been a big-time winner since its inception. Sthembiso Khoza grabbed the Outstanding Supporting Actor award at The Royalty Soapie Awards for his role as Shaka Khoza on The Queen. He won the award in 2020, the same year the show claimed two other awards from The Royalty Soapie Awards in two categories – Outstanding Lighting and Outstanding Wardrobe. Khoza’s co-star Loyiso MacDonald also won Best Supporting Actor – Telenovela at The South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), while four other cast members were nominated.
Other awards won by the show include DSTV Viewers Choice Awards for Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress won by Themba Ndaba and Thembsie Matu, respectively.
