Hope Mbhele (born 5 April 1996) is a South African actress best known for playing Mabusi on the hit Mzansi Magic telenovela Umkhokha. She has appeared in other television shows such as Shaka Ilembe and the SABC1 music show Issa Vibe.
| Hope Mbhele | |
|---|---|
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| Personal Details | |
| Name: | Hope Mbhele |
| Born: | 5 April 1996 (age 29 years old) |
| Place of birth: | Mtwalume, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Ethnicity: | Zulu |
| Parents: | Sissy Dlamini (mother) |
| Education: | Business administration |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Siblings: | 3 |
| Relative: | UMaGumede |
Early Life
Hope Mbhele was born on 5 April 1996 in Mtwalume, on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. She is the eldest of four children and the only girl. Her mother, Sissy Dlamini, is a radio personality whom she grew up watching.
She grew up in a taxi family and a Christian home. Her mother made her sit with her during radio shows. She also encouraged Hope to attend auditions as a child. Hope knew from age six that she belonged in front of the camera. She lost her grandmother, UMaGumede, in March 2023.
Education
Mbhele completed her matric in 2014. She holds a degree in business administration.
Career
After matric, Hope moved to New York and worked several jobs for a year and a half. She folded clothes in retail before Gagasi FM hired her. She spent almost five years at Gagasi FM. Hope presents Sunday Chill Zone on Sundays from 2 pm to 6 pm. She also presented Breakfast Gang Gang on Saturdays from 7 AM to 10 AM.
She later scored a weekend slot on Metro FM. She hosts The Morning Shake Up with Hope Mbhele on weekends from 3 AM to 6 AM.
Mbhele was on the Kings’ Drive and started as a social media producer. She got her acting breakthrough after playing Mabusi in the hit Sunday-night TV drama Umkhokha.
Following her success on Umkhokha, Hope landed a short-lived stint on the show Uzalo. She played Amahle Sishi, a lesbian love interest of resident cop Lilly Madongwe. She also played Baleka, a healer for the Mthethwa King Jobe, in the series Shaka iLembe.
She auditioned to be a VJ on the 24-hour music channel MTV Base but got rejected more than four times. She received a call offering her the job in April 2022. She had also auditioned for presenting gigs with no luck since she was 16.
Hope Mbhele hosted the blue carpet for the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards alongside Pamela Mtanga and Smash Afrika in June 2022. She was also a nominee for Favourite Rising Star on the night.
References
- Keamogetswe Matlala. “‘Mabusi speaks her mind more’ – Umkhokha’s Hope Mbhele on her character’s growth in the new season”. Drum.
- Ditiro Masuku. “Hope Mbhele celebrates success while embracing Zulu culture – ‘I never want to forget where I come from’”. TrueLOVE.
- Emmanuel Tjiya. “Hope Mbhele has had a winning year”. SowetanLIVE.
