Sonia Mbele on being the change that she wants to see in the industry DEBASHINE THANGEVELO IT’s Women’s Month. As such, we are celebrating those individuals who are making a notable difference. One such pioneer is seasoned actress Sonia Mbele. Aside from becoming a household name as Ntombi Khumalo on Mfundi Vundla’s hit soapies, “Generations”, she went on to star in several critically acclaimed TV shows as well as home-grown movies. While her long-standing career helped her hone her craft, it also exposed her to the cracks in the industry. It was something that didn’t sit well with her and she decided to do something about it. And so, three years ago, she launched All About Films. Her recent acting comeback in Mzansi Magic’s telenovela, “DiepCity”, was quite serendipitous in that it allowed me to finally have a chat with her and unpack her journey. She said: “Look, I think I’ve always known that this was the natural progression that was going to happen anyway. “And I will tell you why. As a young kid, I would write music lyrics and short stories.
“And I remember the first time I went on a flight and I was fascinated by the chicken or beef notion, and I wrote a short story about it. “I’ve always known that this was the direction I was eventually going to take. And it got to a point where going on set just became very monotonous and very routine. “I had been in the industry for years and there were so many things that I wanted to see changed and things that I wanted to see implemented. “And I said to myself, ‘Sonia, be the change that you want to see’, because there are certain things that are happening, in terms of production, that you are not happy with. “And maybe be behind the scenes and implement those changes for the better or the betterment of the industry. So that is what I did.” As with everything in life, these leaps require planning and preparation. She added: “ I didn’t just jump into it. I took a writing course with the NFVF (the National Film and Video Foundation), which is called the Sediba Programme.
“I took that. Then I went overseas. I went to Manchester, London, and I went to the US, just taking short workshops on how to become a formidable producer, basically.” To date, she’s given us two reality shows. Mbele pointed out: “Look, I’m still an infant. It’s been three years since I went into producing full time, so I’m still taking it easy. “So far I’ve done ’The Real Housewives of Johannesburg’ (season 1 and 2) and ’Pastors Wives’. “There are so many things that need to be changed in this industry. I’ve also made some mistakes as a producer. But I’m an infant. “I’m not making any excuses but I’m just saying there are so many things that need to be changed and I found myself in a situation where I’m beginning to dislike what I’m doing or the environment that I’m in. “And if somebody like Sonia, who is ‘established’ is hating being on set, then the young girl and the young man stand no chance, right.” Although it is still early days for Mbele as a producer, she’s encountered positives and negatives.
