With Netflix‘s highly anticipated supernovela The Polygamist set to captivate audiences this Friday, Sdumo Mtshali steps into the role of Jonasi, adding another compelling chapter to a career defined by unforgettable performances and groundbreaking television.
There are actors who become famous for a role, and then there are actors who build careers so consistently impressive that their names alone become a stamp of quality. Sdumo Mtshali belongs firmly in the latter category.
Long before streaming platforms transformed the entertainment landscape, the Durban-born actor became a formidable force when he won SABC1‘s reality competition Class Act in 2010. The victory would prove to be only the beginning. Within months, he landed a leading role in Intersexions, the groundbreaking drama series that would go on to earn a prestigious Peabody Award and place South African storytelling on the global map. What followed was a career shaped by carefully chosen roles and undeniable talent.
A graduate of the Durban University of Technology, Mtshali has steadily assembled one of the most respected resumes in local television. Audiences watched him shine in Tempy Pushas, Inside Story and Rhythm City, but it was his portrayal of Sbu in Isibaya that truly cemented his place in the hearts of South Africans. For more than a decade, viewers followed his journey, turning him into one of the country’s most recognisable and beloved television stars.
Yet what makes Mtshali fascinating is his refusal to stay in one lane. From the intensity of Saints and Sinners and Is’thunzi to the emotional depth of Marked, My Brother’s Keeper, Shadow and The Estate, he has continually reinvented himself. On the big screen, he delivered memorable work in iNumber Number, proving his ability to command audiences beyond television.
Now, Mtshali enters another defining chapter. As Jonasi in Netflix‘s newest supernovela, he takes centre stage once again, this time carrying the weight of a production expected to captivate audiences both locally and internationally. It is a role that feels less like a new opportunity and more like the natural next step for an actor whose career has been building towards leading-man status for years.
And if that wasn’t enough, audiences can also look forward to seeing him in the highly anticipated e.tv drama The Four of Us, further cementing his place among the industry’s most in-demand performers.The evidence is difficult to ignore: when Sdumo Mtshali’s name appears in the credits, audiences pay attention.
Xabiso Ngqabe sat down with Sdumo Mtshali to discuss Jonasi, the challenges of the role and what viewers can expect from one of the year’s most anticipated productions.
What was your initial reaction when you first read the script?
I first read the book and then the scripts started coming in. I couldn’t put it down. I thought to myself, this is fun. This is a great journey for me as an artist and storyteller. You’ve done other work, and you start reflecting on it and think, ‘I’ve done this in this way, I’ve done that in that way… but what is the real message with this character? What am I truly trying to say through this role? And what am I trying to say, as Sdumo Mtshali, honestly and truthfully, through this story? That’s what really got me excited.
With everything that’s happening in our society, what’s interesting is that around the time this was happening, there was also the Diddy trial. You start looking at that and you find references everywhere. Even with people we know in this country, people we admire, people who live these grand lives that look so beautiful and sparkling from the outside. As an artist, you start thinking differently. You start getting excited by those layers. I was really excited for this one.
Jonasi is fascinating because he genuinely seems to believe that he has everything under control until things begin to unravel. Do you think he’s a villain or he’s just a guy trapped in his own desires?
He’s so layered. He’s searching for something. There’s something he’s searching for. I don’t think he’s a villain. He’s definitely lost.
What are you most excited about regarding The Polygamist?
This cast! It was assembled nicely, and thanks to Ayanda Sithebe for assembling this cast. Thanks as well to Gugu Zuma, Pepsie Pokane, Stained Glass, and the directors we had – Akin, Nthabi and Rolie. I’m excited that people will get to see this new cast with the likes of bra Ken [Kenneth Nkosi]. More than anything, just to see how beautiful black people are, with the chaos that’s happening in the story.
And Fahima, our DOP, she absolutely did the things. It’s a supernovela. It’s fresh, it’s new, and it’s something different. I’m always fortunate to be part of projects that are pioneering in some way. I’m so fortunate. I think it’s something I pray for, and somehow I’m always gifted those opportunities. I’m genuinely excited about this entire journey.
Were there any aspects of Jonasi that challenged you as an actor or pushed you outside your comfort zone?
I think I was prepared for this role. I prepared for it. By reading the book, I gathered that there would be intimate scenes, emotionally challenging moments, and that the character would be quite vile. But I didn’t want to play him that way. There are 22 episodes, so I still wanted people to keep watching. So, I’d say the challenge for me was the long shooting hours. But we had such a great cast and a great crew, and they made that process special, not grueling or difficult. Because, you know, working in some of the conditions we were working in, it’s not easy to hit those marks.
I can definitely commend Gugu (Gumede), what a beautiful performance from her. And to stay so fresh every day, because it was difficult. We were literally on set every day in different locations, and I’m with different women constantly. My approach was: how am I in these different women’s lives, and what is it that I want from each one? So this character really pushed me to always find a win for him. This character always wants to win. And that’s really how any actor should approach their character. The character is never a victim. It’s always about the win. I want this, so how does this character win in this scene? How does he get what he wants?
That was my drive throughout the entire shoot. I wouldn’t say there was anything difficult or anything that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was prepared, and I was open to receiving anything that was put in front of me by the directors, who were fantastic. It becomes such a collaborative art form, which is what I love. You come there and you’re allowed to suggest things, how you see the scene, how you imagined it, how you want it to look, how you want it to feel, and what the tone of the scene should be. So, in a way, it was always fun to come to set with that licence and freedom.
How did you prepare emotionally to step into a character that carries such moral complexity?
I read the script over and over again. The evidence is all around us. And the other stuff is my own personal stuff that I had to go through. My own shadows that I had to face and bring out, while trying my best not to judge the character. You can’t judge your character. With every character you play, you deal with your own shadows. You use different tools to help bring that character to life. So with this one, like I said before, I was constantly in search of a win. In every scene I was in, I was constantly looking for a win, and I would get it by any means necessary.
And then, having great directors who guide you emotionally and spiritually throughout the process helps. There was a lot of praying. A lot of praying and meditating, before and after. So you try your best to detach as much as you can. And I mean, you really try your best to leave everything on the floor, to leave everything on set, so that you can go home with a clear mind. I find my own tools to come back to myself and reconnect with the things that I cherish. To play any character, you have to know yourself as best as you can. We are constantly evolving, but it’s important to know who you are and to separate yourself from the character. Because you’re constantly going in and out, in and out, in and out of that space.
So, a lot of prayer and a lot of meditation come in handy. I thank the schools where I studied and learned about where trauma points live in our bodies, and where our shadows reside. You know, every character you play is connected to something you’re going through personally in your life. And I can say that I was going through some personal things in my own life at the time. You tend to use that vulnerability. You tend to expose as much of yourself as you can. But those are all the tricks that an actor must keep to themselves.
Produced by Stained Glass Productions, The Polygamist boasts an impressive creative team, with Busisiwe Zwane serving as head writer and Rolie Nikiwe, Nthabi Tau and Akin Omotoso directing. The cast includes Sdumo Mtshali, Gugu Gumede, Kwanele Mthethwa, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, Luyanda Zwane, Celeste Ntuli, Vuyo Biyela, Lwazie Keith Tsebesha, Kenneth Nkosi, Wonder Ndlovu and Noluthando Shabalala.
The Polygamist, Netflix’s new 22-episode supernovela, will debut on 12 June and surely Sdumo Mtshali‘s character will have everyone talking. Mark your calendars and follow #ThePolygamist on the socials.
