Editing Leleti Khumalo

{{Short description| South African actress (born 1960)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Leleti Khumalo
| image              = 
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1970|3|30}}
| birth_place        = [[Durban, South Africa]]
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| nationality        = South African
| other_names        = 
| occupation         = {{hlist| Actress 
}}
| years_active       = 1988–present
| known_for          = [[Sarafina! (musical)|Sarafina!]]
| spouse             = {{Plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Skhuthazo Winston Khanyile]]|2012}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ewn.co.za/0001/01/01/legendary-playwright-mbongeni-ngema-dies-in-ec-car-crash | title=Legendary playwright Mbongeni Ngema dies in EC car crash }}</ref>
* {{marriage|[[Mbongeni Ngema]]|1992|2005|reason=div.}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/entertainment/2014-09-03-leleti-khumalo-talks-about-her-disgusting-marriage-to-mbongeni-ngema/ | title=Leleti Khumalo talks about her 'disgusting' marriage to Mbongeni Ngema|first= Bongiwe |last=Sithole|date=3 September 2014|website=Sowetan Live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.magzter.com/stories/Womens-Interest/Move/How-Leleti-Walked-Away-From-Mbongeni | title=How Leleti Walked Away from Mbongeni |first=Zenoyise |website=magzter.com|last=John|date=3 May 2017}}</ref>
}}
| partner       = 
| children      = 2
| awards        = 
| relatives     = 
| influences    = 
| influenced    = 
| signature     = 
| signature_alt = 
| website       = 
| portaldisp    = 
}}
'''Leleti Khumalo'''  (born 30 March 1970) is a South African actress known for her leading role in the movie and stage play ''[[Sarafina! (musical)|Sarafina!]]'' and for her roles in other films including ''[[Hotel Rwanda]]'', ''[[Yesterday (2004 film)|Yesterday]]'' and ''[[Invictus (film)|Invictus]]'', as well as the soap opera ''[[Imbewu: The Seed]]'', where she plays Nokubonga "MaZulu" Bhengu and on ''[[Uzalo]]'' as MaNzuza, and currently on ''[[Muvhango]]'' as Dr Ximba.

==Early life and ''Sarafina!''==
Khumalo was born in [[KwaMashu]] township, north of [[Durban]], South Africa. Showing an interest in performing from an early age, she joined a youth backyard dance group called Amajika, mentored by Tu Nokwe.

In 1985 she auditioned for the [[Mbongeni Ngema]] musical which was to become the international blockbuster ''[[Sarafina! (musical)|Sarafina!]]''; Ngema wrote the lead character of Sarafina for Khumalo. She  later married him, but they divorced. She is currently married to businessman Skhutazo Winston Khanyile and she gave birth to their twins Ulwenzile and Yamukelani Khanyile.

Khumalo performed the role of Sarafina on stages in South Africa and on Broadway, where she received a 1988 [[Tony Award]] nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. ''Sarafina!'' had a Broadway run lasting two years, after which the production embarked on a worldwide tour. In 1987 Khumalo received an [[NAACP Image Award]] for Best Stage Actress. In 1992, she starred alongside [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Miriam Makeba]] and [[John Kani]] in [[Darrell James Roodt]]'s film version of ''[[Sarafina! (film)|Sarafina!]]'', which had a worldwide distribution, and became the biggest film production to be released on the African continent. Khumalo was nominated for an [[NAACP Image Award|Image Award]], together with [[Angela Bassett]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]] and [[Janet Jackson]]. Based on the 1976 [[Soweto Riots|Soweto youth uprisings]], Sarafina! tells the story of a young school girl who is not afraid to fight for her rights and inspires her peers to rise up in protest, especially after her inspirational teacher, Mary Masombuka (Goldberg) is imprisoned and murdered.

In 1993, Khumalo released her first album, ''Leleti and Sarafina''.

Sarafina! was re-released in South Africa on 16 June 2006 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the [[Soweto Riots|youth uprisings]] in [[Soweto]].

== Subsequent roles ==
Khumalo co-starred in [[Mbongeni Ngema]]'s international musical ''Magic at 4 AM'' which was dedicated to [[Muhammad Ali]]. She subsequently starred in another Ngema musical, ''Mama'' (1996), which toured Europe and Australia. In 1997, she starred in ''[[Sarafina! (musical)|Sarafina 2]]''.

Khumalo starred in the 2004 movies ''[[Hotel Rwanda]]'' and ''[[Yesterday (2004 film)|Yesterday]]''; the latter was nominated for a 2005 [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] in the category "Best Foreign Language Film". ''Yesterday'' also scooped the Best Film award at [[India]]'s [[Pune International Film Festival]] and had positive reactions at the [[Venice]] and Toronto International Film Festivals.

Khumalo joined the cast of one of South Africa's longest running soap operas, ''[[Generations (South African TV series)|Generations]]'' in 2005 as Busiswe (Busi) Dlomo, a ''refined and altruistic no-nonsense woman who heads up her own publishing empire, based in [[Cape Town]]''. Her character is the younger sister to Sibusiso Dlomo and has none of the power-hungry, egotistical and callous characteristics he (Sibusiso) has. She has used her intellect and savvy to get where she is today, at the helm of South Africa's fictional top communications company, Ezweni, which she runs with her brother and founder Karabo Moroka.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://generations.sabc1.co.za/template.asp?ID=2&char=61 |title=Generations |access-date=2006-06-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060721052852/http://generations.sabc1.co.za/template.asp?ID=2&char=61 |archive-date=21 July 2006}}</ref>

In 2015 Khumalo joined the cast of ''[[Uzalo]]'' and played as Zandile "MaNzuza" Mdletshe. The role marked her first on-screen appearance after a two-year hiatus from acting to raise her children.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citypress.co.za/entertainment/leleti-sinks-teeth-telenovela-role/ |title=Leleti sinks her teeth into telenovela role |last=Dzonzi |first=Thembi |date=18 January 2015 |website=citypress.co.za/entertainment/leleti-sinks-teeth-telenovela-role/ |publisher=[[City Press (South Africa)|City Press]] |access-date=16 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407062516/http://www.citypress.co.za/entertainment/leleti-sinks-teeth-telenovela-role/ |archive-date=7 April 2015}}</ref>

In 2015 Leleti was invited to Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, as a chief guest of the famous African film festivals known as the Zanzibar film Festivals, for its 18th anniversary celebrations.

She played a role of Mazulu on [[e.tv]]'s [[Imbewu: The Seed|Imbewu]], from 2018 until the series' end in 2023.

In July 2024, she bagged a role of Dr. Ximba on an upcoming new season of telenova ''Muvhango''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/entertainment/muvhango-lives-on-sabc-confirms-new-season-with-leleti-khumalo-joining-the-cast-b5a84717-986b-4ca0-a162-f2ffee6b189d|first= Alyssia |last=Birjalal|date=2024-07-26|title=‘Muvhango Lives On’, SABC confirms new season with Leleti Khumalo joining the cast|work=Independent Online|access-date=2024-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.news24.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/tv/fancier-younger-and-bold-muvhango-unveils-new-look-faces-and-storyline-20240726 |title=Fancier, younger and bold: Muvhango unveils new look, faces and storyline|first=Constance |last=Gaanakgomo|location=News24|access-date=2024-07-26|publisher=News24 |date=2024-08-01|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1988|| ''[[Voices of Sarafina!]]'' || rowspan="2"|Sarafina || Documentary
|-
|1992|| ''[[Sarafina! (film)|Sarafina!]]'' ||
|-
|1995|| ''[[Cry, the Beloved Country (1995 film)|Cry, the Beloved Country]]'' || Katie||
|-
|2004|| ''[[Yesterday (2004 film)|Yesterday]]'' || Yesterday Khumalo ||
|-
|2004|| ''[[Hotel Rwanda]]'' || Fedens ||
|-
|2005|| ''Faith's Corner'' || Faith ||
|-
|2005
|[[Generations (South African TV series)|Generations]]
|Busisiwe Mhlongo
|
|-
|2009
|[[Invictus (film)|Invictus]]
|Mary
|
|-
|2010|| ''Africa united'' || sister Ndebele ||
|-
|2010|| ''Hopeville'' || Flo ||
|-
|2011|| ''Winnie Mandela'' || [[Adelaide Tambo]] ||
|-
|2015–2018|| ''[[Uzalo]]'' || Zandile Mdletshe ||<ref name=Bambalele>{{cite web |url= http://www.filmcontact.com/news/south-africa/uzalo-hope-zuma |title='Uzalo' hope for Zuma |last=Bambalele |first=Patience |date=9 February 2015 |website=filmcontact.com/ |access-date=16 April 2015}}</ref>
|-
|2016|| ''Free State'' || Maria ||
|-
|2016|| ''Cry of Love'' || Zenzi ||
|-
|2018–14 April 2023|| ''[[Imbewu: The Seed]]'' || Nokubonga "Mazulu" Bhengu || 274 episodes
|-
|2024 || Muvhango || Dr. Ximba ||
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
===Simon Sabela KZN Film & TV Awards===
{{Awards table}} 
! {{abbr|Ref.|References}} 
|-
|2024
|''Dear Future Wife'' 
|Best actress Film
|{{nom}} 
|<ref>{{cite web|title=LOOK: Nominees for the 11th Simon ‘Mabhunu’ Sabela Film and Television Awards revealed|url=https://www.iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/entertainment/look-nominees-for-the-11th-simon-mabhunu-sabela-film-and-television-awards-revealed-c8474812-2d3e-40ab-807e-94541c1c1cc0|date=2024-06-13|first=Alyssia|last=Birjalal|access-date=2024-07-20|work=Independent Online}}</ref>
{{end}}

===Golden Elephant Awards ===
{{Awards table}} 
! {{abbr|Ref.|References}} 
|-
|2024 
|Herself 
|Lifetime Achievement
|{{won}} 
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Leleti Khumalo honoured with Golden Elephant Award at Market theatre|url=https://www.bona.co.za/entertainment/leleti-khumalo-honoured-with-golden-elephant-award-at-market-theatre/ |first=Samantha |last=Mochele|work=Bona Magazine|access-date=2024-09-06
}}</ref>
{{end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb name|0452009}}
*[http://thecia.com.au/reviews/y/yesterday.shtml Images of Khumalo in the movie ''Yesterday'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060721052852/http://generations.sabc1.co.za/template.asp?ID=2&char=61 ''Generations'' Cast Bio for Khumalo]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110114220446/http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/leleti-khumalo-4784 Leleti Khumalo] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20110901215042/http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/ Who's Who Southern Africa]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khumalo, Leleti}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actresses from Durban]]
[[Category:South African film actresses]]
[[Category:South African musical theatre actresses]]