You don’t have to be a teenager to play one on television.That’s the first thing that comes to mind when I meet Ingénue Mapula Mafole. She has an enviable petite, youthful form, a pinchable baby face, and a soft-spoken demeanor.

It’s thanks to her pint-sized frame that the 32-year-old actress has managed to fool the nation, becoming a household name in the process, playing high school teenager Mapula on e.tv soapie Rhythm City.

For our tête-à-tête, Mafole is rocking a lustrous wig, full face make-up and a pair of jeans, styled with a biker jacket and All Star sneakers.But despite her cool and trendy look, it’s hard to shake off her on-screen persona and see her for the grown-up she really is.

 

 

 

“I’ve a child-like spirit for sure. I just look really young, but I’m an adult. I’m trying to grow into myself and become the woman that I’m meant to be,” she says.“Sometimes it’s so frustrating [looking like a teen], like when I’m driving and I get pulled over. I do get hit on by small boys, which is so weird, because I’m just like, ‘dude, calm yourself, I’m actually old enough to be your [big] sister’.”

Mafole gives a sad, nuanced, and painfully sympathetic portrayal as an orphaned teen caring for her two younger brothers while juggling her schoolwork in Rhythm City.

There is always a black cloud hovering over her character, who has overcome sexual assault and brutality.Mafole adds that she has struggled with feeling anxious and depressed almost her whole life, and that playing such a heavy part has provided her with relief.This year, 2023, she got a role in Ke Bona Spoko, a drama series nominated for Best Movie in Southern Africa. Recently, she revealed that she got another teenage role, but she didn’t reveal the name of the drama series she would be featuring. Since she lost her job on Rhythm City, the actress was struggling to find another job, so she ended up using her passion for music as a DJ. But today she is happy because she is getting a few roles to feature in.