Zimkitha Kumbaca
Zimkitha Kumbaca (1988-) is an actress, singer, composer and scriptwriter.
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Biography
Born Zamandlovu Zimkitha Kumbaca on 9 January, 1988, in King Williams Town, she studied Drama and Film, majoring in Acting Techniques, at Tshwane University of Technology.
Contribution to South African Theatre, Film, Media and Performance
Her first starring role in television was "Nontle Sanqu", a Xhosa girl who falls in love with a Sotho boy, in the e.tv drama series Matatiele.
Theatre
Her theatre career has included roles in Rhetorical and Relativity, a piece that had a successful tour in France; So What's New? (which earned Zimkitha a Naledi nomination for Best Performance by a Newcomer in 2012); Trapped (which she starred in and co-wrote with Mhlongo. This piece had an acclaimed tour of Austria.)
Television
She had a supporting role in the short film called Lotus and a brief cameo on the SABC3 soap opera Isidingo, before heading to theatre to perform in Rhetorical and Relativity, a show that had a successful tour in France.
A theatre piece directed by Princess Mhlongo, So what's new?, earned Zimkitha a Naledi nomination for Best Performance by a Newcomer in 2012. She also starred in and co-wrote with Princess Mhlongo. The show had an acclaimed Austrian tour.
Also in 2012, she was the music composer for the SABC1 reality competition series Life's a Stage, featuring young hungry performers at a school of Arts as they pursue their stage dreams by performing in Trapped. The series was directed by and starred Mhlongo, who at the time was the winner of the Standard bank Young Artist Award for Theatre 2012.
In 2015 she landed the role of Nontle in Matatiele.
In 2017, Zimkitha had a guest starring role as a younger version of Vatiswa Ndara's character Clementine on the e.tv drama series Harvest, appearing in Season 1, Episode 17 (which aired on 21 August).
Later in the year she had a guest starring role on the SABC1 soapie Generations: The Legacy, first appearing on 30 November. She was also a cast member in an episode of the SABC2 sketch variety show The Bantu Hour, appearing in Season 2, Episode 7, which aired on 22 December, 2017.
On 14 February, 2018, Zimkitha began a recurring role as Joyce Masondo on the Moja Love telenovela Hope, first appearing in the opening episode. Three days later she appeared in the first episode of the Moja Love comedy series Judge Thenjiwe Khambule.
Later in the year she landed a starring role as Thembelihle in the SABC1 miniseries Emjindini, which revolves around a humble miner in a small town who stumbles upon a horde of gold coins. The series premiered on 16 September, 2018.
In November 2019 she was appointed Resident Festival Director appointed for the 27th Zwakala Festival in 2020.
