By Rorisang Modiba
- Despite winning two Royalty Soapie Awards, Lunathi Mampofu was broke, out of work and had to sell her belongings.
- The Inimba actress says she lost her home, car and flat, and had to return to Cape Town with her daughter.
South African actress Lunathi Mampofu says that at the peak of her career success, she was actually broke and starting over.
Mampofu, who plays Zoleka Mabandla in the TV drama Inimba, opened up about her personal struggles in an episode of Sunday World Engage.
She said she had just won two Royalty Soapie Awards when she lost almost everything. She had no work, no home, and was forced to sell her car. She also lost her flat and had to put her belongings in storage.
The 38-year-old single mother said she moved back to Cape Town with her daughter and had to rebuild from nothing.
“If you haven’t lost everything as an actress, you’re lucky,” she said. “It’s happened to me more than once, and now I know it’s important to save money and think like a businessperson.”
Mampofu has worked as a casting director in both Cape Town and Los Angeles. She said the entertainment industry can be brutal, and her journey has taught her hard lessons about survival.
She also said her daughter is her biggest priority and believes God has helped her raise her child.
Her current role as Zoleka hits close to home because the character also faces deep struggles, much like her.
Mampofu said that Inimba gives her the chance to show that even when people look like they’re winning, they may be going through the worst time of their lives.
Pictured above: Lunathi Mampofu
Image source: @lunathimampofu
