Natalia da Rocha

Natalia da Rocha (1957- ) is a pioneering South African actress, singer, dancer, director, youth activist and businesswoman.

BEING EDITED (22-09-2026)

Biography

Born in the Cape to a large Capetonian family with a mother of Jewish stock and a father of Portuguese descent, she studied at the University of Stellenbosch in 1979-1981, the first mixed-race person to graduate with a Drama degree from that institution.

Her daughter is the performer Talia Egelhof (aka Talia Alexis)

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Musical work

A consummate veteran in South African cabaret and stage, she began her career as part of a cabaret duo with longtime creative partner Sam Marais in Johannesburg's Club 58 venue. From these beginnings she developed cabaret as a central feature in her ongoing performance career. Among other things she is well known for her convincing and energetic staged impersonations of international divas such as Tina Turner.

Her various other contributions to South African music include During the 1980s she collaborating with legendary South African musician Neville Nash on a TV special commemorating his achievements (1980s), hosting her own retro-hits radio show Classic Hits of our Time on Kaya FM, co-writing the African Child theme for the International Crystal Awards for Women in Film (1997), and singing Bly by My, the theme song of the 1984 Jans Rautenbach movie Broer Marie (song written by Christa Steyn) .

Stage work

Her broader stage career has been wide-ranging and critically acclaimed, encompassing a wide range of forms across the country, including regular performances at the various South African arts festivals, including the Suidoosterfees, KKNK and Cederberg Arts Festival, and worked for Cape Town's Baxter Theatre, the Wild Coast Sun resort's mainstage and Sun City in their Extravaganza (1987). Among the numerous nominations and awards she received, count a number as Best Musical Performer (e.g. at the Artes Awards in the mid-1980s) and Best Actress (e.g. at the Vita Awards in the early 1990s).

Over the course of her stage career she appeared numerous musical shows, including Fangs (1982), Barnum (1984), Godspell (1985), Movin' (at Sun City, 1987), Ain’t Misbehavin’ ( André Huguenet Theatre in 1990), Gathering of the Beasts (1991). The Boy Friend,

Other productions over the years have included Die Laaste Aand, Vere, Die Verhoor.

TV and Film

On the small screen she has acted in TV serials such as the Afrikaans Gallery; This Life and The Game (about South Africa's institutionalised obsession with rugby union; this TV show starred Gavin Hood who would go on to direct Totsi); current youth melodrama Backstage and as recurring character Amy on eGoli (Zulu for place of Gold) South Africa's longest running soap opera. On British television she appeared in the serial Tarzan. She is also featured or overdubbed on many public service announcements.

Natalia has also co-hosted Saturday morning, women's magazine television programme Just For You.