Fresh off a SAFTA-winning performance and a string of standout roles, Londeka Sishi is stepping into a major new chapter with Uzalo. The Port Shepston-born actress joins South Africa’s biggest telenovela as Lungsta, the sharp-shooting strategist and brains behind the feared Amantaliyane biker gang, a role that adds another bold, complex character to an already impressive rise.
Since breaking onto the scene as Nkanyezi in Showmax’s record-breaking drama Adulting, Sishi has quickly become one of the most exciting names on South African television. From her award-winning portrayal of Busisiwe Nyathi on Scandal! to leading roles in Netflix’s Umjolo film series, she has built a reputation for taking on layered characters with confidence, honesty, and versatility.
For Sishi, stepping into Uzalo is more than just another role, it’s a homecoming. Returning to KwaZulu-Natal and working with Stained Glass TV for the second time, she found a world that felt familiar while embracing the challenge of bringing Lungsta’s intelligence, discipline, and fearless focus to life. Alongside Abdul Khoza and the Amantaliyane cast, she has built the trust and chemistry needed to make this powerful new chapter in Uzalo feel authentic.
Londeka Sishi sat down with TV Mzansi to discuss becoming Lungsta, building the Amantaliyane bond, the lessons she’s taken from the character, and the journey that continues to shape her career.
Congrats on the SAFTA. Does winning that award change the way you approach your next role?
Oh, man, thank you. More than anything, it’s been incredibly humbling. The truth is, you just do what you do, keep it moving, and get on with it. You almost don’t even realise that there are people out there who genuinely appreciate what you do. So when something like this happens, it’s more humbling than anything else. It’s also made me more aware that people do see what you do, they enjoy what you do, and they appreciate it. I think that’s been the biggest takeaway for me. More than anything, it’s just made me even more humble.
Looking at your career, from Adulting to Scandal and now Uzalo, it feels like every role has become bigger than the last. What has this season of your career taught you about yourself?
I think, first and foremost, when I was introspecting, I realised this is actually one of the things I’ve always had in my personal vision. In terms of the characters I wanted to play, the qualities and characteristics of this character are exactly the kind of role I’ve always imagined for myself. I always said, ‘That would be my ideal role.’
It’s taught me that as a performer, if there’s something you desire, it’s important to start preparing for it. Because it’s easy to say, ‘Oh, I’d love to do that,’ but when the opportunity comes, you need to have already been doing the work. So, more than anything, it’s taught me to constantly prepare and to always be ready. And secondly, it’s taught me that you have to completely divorce yourself from yourself. The character I play now is very different from who I am and from any character I’ve played before. So it’s about constant readiness, constant preparation, and completely separating yourself from who you are so you can fully become the character.
You’re from Port Shepstone, and now you’re joining one of KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest television productions. Did stepping onto the Uzalo set feel like coming home in some way?
Look, this is my second role with Stained Glass, and it’s actually the role I’m shooting as we speak. I also did the Umjolo Collection films. But this one, specifically, feels different because of the reach it has. Uzalo has almost become part of our culture. You know, it’s a ritual, something we watch at the end of the day, after a long day. It’s part of our everyday lives. So it definitely feels like a homecoming. I think this one, even more than the last, feels like a homecoming. At the same time, it also feels like an introduction to a whole new demographic. So, yeah, it’s fresh, and it’s exciting.
Let’s talk a little more about Lungsta. What excited you the most about playing her?
What I absolutely adore and love about Lungsta is that she’s a badass. Excuse my French, but she is such a baddie.
A lot of people have been talking about how cold Ma-Ten-Ten is, the character played by Abdul, but I think the contrast between the two is really interesting. It almost feels like Ma-Ten-Ten has a heart somewhere and you can see him struggle with certain things. With Lungsta, though, I don’t find that. I mean, there are moments of humanity, but it’s almost as if she’s completely divorced from emotion. She’s cold, she’s all about the mission and whatever needs to get done, gets done, whatever the cost. She doesn’t operate from an emotional place, and she doesn’t form emotional attachments.
What I also love the most is that she’s incredibly smart, she’s focused and she’s all about getting the job done. Whatever the mission is, she’s determined to make sure the operation is executed properly and that nothing stands between the team and their goal. She’s not distracted by the little things, the little obstacles that come up along the way. Her eyes are always on the bigger picture. Whatever we came here to do, let’s do it. Whatever distractions come our way, someone else can deal with them, but she never takes her eye off the prize. I think that’s something I want to embody in my own life as well. Just keep your eye on the prize, no matter what.
Abdul Khoza mentioned that you were the one who created the Amantaliyane WhatsApp group. What inspired you to start it?
Can I tell you something? I think if you speak to any performer, one of the greatest gifts you can find on a production is working with people who want to give to the story as much as you do, if not more. When everybody’s commitment is to the story, and not to any particular character, it changes everything. There are no egos. None of that. Everybody just wants to see this beautiful thing come to life. As a performer, that’s one of the greatest gifts because it makes your job so much easier. You trust the person next to you because you know that whatever they’re doing, they’re doing it for the greater good of the story. That’s what we’re all here for.
The amazing thing with us is that, from day one, when we met, there was just so much synergy and so much chemistry. Even with the other cast members, we just clicked. It honestly felt like we’d found our family. Once we had that, we wanted to protect it, nurture it, water it, and let it grow. That’s really why we created the WhatsApp group. We wanted to keep that energy going even when we weren’t on set.
That’s so beautiful. I’m sure that helped in building trust and chemistry within the group.
For me, especially, Lungsta is so far removed from who I am that I knew I needed to lean on my brothers. I needed the encouragement, the support, and sometimes just advice on how to approach certain scenes or certain aspects of the character. Abdul was especially instrumental, even with things like the lingo and helping me understand that world. He’s so familiar with it, so he was a huge help in making sure everything felt authentic.
So that’s why we created the group, to keep the synergy alive. It also helps because, by the time we get to set, we’ve already got our own jokes, our own language, and our own dynamic. None of that has to be manufactured. It naturally brings out that family element within Amantaliyane. The slogan is ‘One Heart, One Life,’ and I really think we lived that. As the story unfolds, you see these people who are tough and heartless on the surface, but underneath all of that, there’s a genuine sense of family. They love each other, they look out for each other, and they actually have a lot of fun together. I think that authenticity comes through because we built that bond long before the cameras started rolling.
Adulting fans still talk about Nkanyezi, Scandal viewers loved Busisiwe, and now Uzalo audiences are about to meet Lungsta. What do you hope people take from her story?
I think one of the characteristics that truly makes a person sustainable is loyalty, and I mean loyalty in the broadest sense. Loyalty to family, loyalty to yourself, and loyalty to your goals. That’s something I really see in Lungsta. She’s laser-focused. Her mindset is, whatever the mission is, we get it done. Whatever it takes, we get it done. And I think as people and even myself, as I’m learning we get distracted so easily. Sometimes that’s how we end up sabotaging ourselves, because we get caught up in the ‘what ifs,’ the doubts, and all those things that pull us away from what we’re trying to achieve.
So, one thing I would love people to take away from Lungsta is that laser focus, that commitment to yourself, to your mission, and to whatever your personal goals are. Just having that loyalty to yourself and staying committed to what you’re working towards. I think people loved Nkanyezi because she had that same quality. She was very focused. Her yes was yes, and her no was no. She was very clear about who she was and what she stood for, and I think that’s what people connected with and took away from her. So, that’s definitely what I’m hoping people take away from Lungsta, and it’s also something I’m taking away from her myself.
Uzalo continues to evolve through bold storytelling and unforgettable characters. Viewers can catch Londeka Sishi as Lungsta from Monday to Friday at 20:30 on SABC 1 also simulcast on SABC Plus. Also, U
Note: Recently, SABC 1 confirmed that from Monday, 27 July, Uzalo will now air at 20h00 followed by Generations: The Legacy at 20h30 on weeknights.
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