Gugu Gumede is a South African actress born in the

Province of Natal The Province of Natal (), commonly called Natal, was a province of South Africa from May 1910 until May 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. During this period rural areas inhabited by the black African population of Natal were organized into ...

. She is well known for portraying the character of a

prophetess In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

, Mamlambo, in the soapie ''

Uzalo ''Uzalo'' is a South African soap opera produced by Stained Glass Productions, which is co-owned by Kobedi "Pepsi" Pokane and Gugu Zuma-Ncube. It began airing in 2015, quickly becoming a hit due to its compelling narrative, writing, direction an ...

''.

Early life

Gumede was born in the

province of Natal The Province of Natal (), commonly called Natal, was a province of South Africa from May 1910 until May 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. During this period rural areas inhabited by the black African population of Natal were organized into ...

. Her father was Simon Hulumeni Gumede and her mother was Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi. She studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles.

Career

In 2013, Gumede returned from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and landed a role as Mandisa in ''

Generations A generation is "all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively." Generation or generations may also refer to: Science and technology * Generation (particle physics), a division of the elementary particles * Gen ...

'', one of the most successful shows in South Africa. In 2015, Gumede was cast to portray the character of Mamlambo on the most viewed television show in South Africa, ''

''. In 2018, she presented the 11th Crown Gospel Music Awards alongside

Somizi Mhlongo Somizi Buyani Mhlongo (born 23 December 1972) is a South African media personality, television presenter, actor and choreographer. In 1992, he appeared on the musical and political film, '' Sarafina!'' which gained him prominence. Mhlongo becam ...

Rebecca Malope } Batsogile Lovederia "Rebecca" Malope (born June 30, 1968) is a South African gospel singer. She is known as "The Queen of Gospel." Her music career spans more than three decades. She has sold at least 10 million albums worldwide, making her o ...

Clement Maosa Clement Maosa (born 9 May 1988) is a DJ,South African actor, most famous for playing the role of Zamokuhle Seakamela in the SABC1 soap opera, '' Skeem Saam''. Early life and education He is from Polokwane, Limpopo. He attended schools in Sout ...

and other celebrities.

Filmography

Television

Personal life

Gumede is a

born-again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

. Gugu gave birth to her daughter on 24 March 2022.

References