Fresh off a widely acclaimed performance in Shaka iLembe Season 2, Thembinkosi Mthembu steps into a bold new role in Mzansi Wethu’s telenovela Homecoming, opposite lead actress Mpume “Six” Nyamane.
While audiences are still reeling from Thembinkosi’s unforgettable final appearance in Shaka iLembe Season 2 on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161), tributes continue to pour in. Fellow actor Bonko Khoza (The Wife, Red Ink, Ithonga) was among those applauding his performance.
“You’re not just one of the greatest of our generation, you’re a giant carving your name into the history books of South African storytelling. You’ve inspired me, as an actor and as a man. And you continue to inspire a whole generation,” said Bonko.
Just one day after his final bow on Shaka, the SAFTA-winning actor was back on screen – this time on Homecoming, airing Mondays to Wednesdays at 18:30 on Mzansi Wethu (DStv Channel 163).
In Homecoming, Thembinkosi plays Sifiso Khubeka, a respected traditional healer in a rural village who also serves as a police officer. The character’s dual identity – upholding both ancestral wisdom and the law – creates a complex and compelling persona that Thembinkosi was excited to explore.
“I love challenging myself as an actor. I’ve often played characters who are loud, aggressive, and fun like Bonga in Adulting or Bandile in Outlaws. But Sifiso is calm, grounded, family-oriented, and deeply spiritual. It felt like the right time to show this side of myself and see how far I can take it,” he said.
Nyamane stars as Zethu Hlongwane, a top medical graduate who returns to her hometown of Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, after her dreams of becoming a surgeon are derailed.
Back in her rural community, Zethu finds herself unemployed, frustrated, and forced to confront the expectations and limitations of the home that raised her.
While the role fulfilled Six’s long-standing desire to play a doctor, she was equally drawn to the relevance and urgency of Homecoming’s broader themes, particularly the ongoing crisis facing newly qualified medical professionals in South Africa.
“South Africa is facing a doctor placement crisis among its existing unemployment issue,” she says. “Every year, hundreds of newly qualified students complete their studies, only to find there are no jobs waiting for them. No public placements, no income, no clear next step. I’ve embodied various characters over the years, but Zethu represents students who’ve sacrificed everything – time, money, sleep, relationships – with the promise of a career that will uplift their families and change lives. And then nothing happens. No callback. No placement. Just silence…It’s not just a professional failure, it’s an emotional wrecking ball.
Imagine rewriting your entire life story because the dream didn’t manifest. Homecoming tells this urgent story that I wholeheartedly appreciate.”
Watch the cast of Homecoming talk about their characters HERE.
Homecoming airs Mondays to Wednesdays at 18:30 on Mzansi Wethu (DStv Channel 163). Catch up anytime on DStv Stream, and join the conversation using the hashtag #HomecomingMzansi on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
