Over the years, Sindi Dlathu has cemented her place among the very best and greates actors in Mzansi.
Her acting career
Born Sindiswa Dlathu on January 4th, 1974 in Meadowlands, Soweto, she is best known for her two iconic roles in Muvhango and that of role of Lindiwe on The River.
What most people may not be aware of is that she began her acting career at a very young age. At the age of 11 she entered a miming competition and won. She performed Aretha Franklin’s cover of the of the Beatles song ‘Let it be’. It was perhaps at that moment that the spark for the arts was lit inside her.
The following year, young Dlathu auditioned for a talent competition-Shell Road Fame. Though she did not win the competition that time, she did however earn recognition and mentorship from one of the Mbhaqanga band members; Mahotella Queens.
The defining moment of her career came when she was cast for lead role’s understudy on Mbongeni Ngema’s Sarafina which opened many more opportunities for her, including working alongside Whoopi Goldberg for the screen version of the show.
Dlathu continued performing on stage both in America and South Africa, including the 1997 play-The Game, which won the FNB Vita Award, where she performed with South African legends Mary Twala, Abigail Kubeka, and the late Nomhle Nkonyeni.
Later that year, she joined the cast of a then new show- Muvhango where she was cast for a lead role of Thandaza Mokoena, a role she played for over two decades until her departure in 2018.
Dlathu left Muvhango to play a leading role in the telenovela The River, where she plays the role of Lindiwe Dlamini-Dikana, a fierce woman, who would do anything to protect her wealth and maintain her lavish lifestyle.
It was for this role that in 2020 she won the award for favourite actress at the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards. This year, she has also won the SAFTA award in Best Actress category for the same role.
Salary and net worth
Thanks to her long acting career and various endorsement deals, Dlathu is among the wealthiest celebrities in South Africa. As of 2021, glusea.com estimates her net worth at around $5 million (R70 million).
As lead actor for The River, Dlathu is also the show’s highest paid actor with a monthly salary of R80-85 000, that’s over R1 million a year.
Family
The actress keeps a tight lid when it comes to her personal life and family. However she has shared some glimpses of her family life with her followers on her social media.
Like this picture, shared on her Instagram page with her twin sister that looks so much like her, named Zanele Sangweni.
For those who are wondering, she is off the market. Dlathu is married to Okielant Nkosi, they have been married since 2004, and have two children together.
Unlike most celebrities, Dlathu never discuss her personal life on the media. In fact, her husband and kids are not even known as she has never shared their pictures on social media.
Sindi Dlathu is truly an icon of the South African entertainment industry, and has worked hard from an incredibly young age until now, and continues to do so. Her winning two of the most important awards two years in a row, is testament to this.
In spite of her fame and success, she has also managed to achieve what has eluded so many- a complete separation of her limelight life and personal life.
