With the popular Showmax drama The Wife returning for Season 3 this November, Kaya 959 caught up with fan-favourite Zikhona Sodlaka affectionately known as Mandisa.

 

 

 

Speaking about her similarities with Mandisa, the 37-year-old says they are very much different.

“I’m shy and quiet in real life, so it’s been really lovely playing somebody so loud. That’s one of my favourite things about her: her absolute imperfection. Everything about her is so wrong to a person like myself, who likes to hold back. “

Playing Mandisa has taught Zikhona to be a little braver.

“It doesn’t matter what she sounds like; it doesn’t matter what she looks like; it doesn’t matter what her size is. Which is something that was quite a sore point for me in Season 1 because I had just had a baby and I was just like, ‘Oh my God, do I want to play this role? Shouldn’t I wait until I’m an eight again?’ Playing her has taught me to be a little bit braver.”

Her onscreen chemistry with Abdul Khoza‘s Nqoba is something to be admired.

The actress attributes their connection to how dynamic and yet similar their characters are.

“One is a female version of the other and vice versa. It then becomes completely unfair that we get to play so much on set. He is the scene partner I didn’t know I needed.”

Zikhona is not opposed to the idea of Mandisa spin-off.

“I think the reason why people want a spin-off is because they do want to see that kind of love. That imperfect identifiable kind of love. The kind of love that is usually written about is fantasy.

It’s like, ‘Oh, I wish I could be as pretty as…’ or ‘Oh, I wish I could cry as beautifully as…’ But with Nqoba and Mandisa, it’s very relatable. I think the spin-off would be dope.”