There’s a particular kind of electricity that follows someone who was born for the spotlight. It’s not loud. It’s not boastful. It’s a quiet, undeniable charge – the kind that shifts a room before he even speaks. At just 23, Thandolwethu “Olly” Zondo walks with that charge. You feel it in the way he talks about his craft with the calm confidence of someone twice his age, and in the way 2025 has bent toward him like a year that simply decided, Yes – this is your moment.
“the best piece of advice that I’ve gotten from a co-star is, don’t think about it too much. It’s been the best piece of advice I’ve gotten so far because once you start thinking about it too much, then you lose the creativity that comes with the art side of it.”
Interview & Article by Njabulo Madlala | Styled by Thaio Abraham | Directed & Photographed by Gugu Ngwena | Makeup: Mokgadi (Mac Cosmetics), Johannesburg.
KwaZulu-Natal has long been a cradle of giants, a province that keeps gifting the nation actors who ignite the screen – Thembinkosi Mthembu, Wiseman Mncube, the list goes on. But this year, a new name thundered into that lineage with the kind of momentum you can’t manufacture: Thandolwethu Zondo, the rising force whose debut in Netflix’s GO cracked open the industry door… only for him to kick it all the way down.
Since then, he has refused to slow down.
A supporting role in the epic Shaka iLembe Season 2, a fan-favorite turn as Mthunzi in Outlaws, a National Film & Television Award for Best New Act – the kind of résumé people build in a decade, he’s packed into a single blistering year. Add to that his work opposite Ntobeko Sishi in Love & Wine, his theatre roots beside Mandla Goduka in My Children, My Africa, and his unexpected but effortless move into sports presenting – and you begin to understand why the industry is whispering that something rare is happening.
The South African entertainment landscape is evolving quickly. What excites you most about being an artist in this era?
“ What excites me is definitely the use of social media as part of the art which can be good and bad, but it is mostly positive at times. One of the main benefits of this is that your work can be seen by a lot of people, you know, even outside of South Africa.”
Outside of acting and presenting, what hobbies or passions keep you creatively inspired?
“I’m a sportsman and I think sports really helps, you know, It has definitely helped with my creativity. When you are on the sports field, you have to be creative. I have to think on the spot what to do next and what not to do, which requires a lot of mind power. I also think being a gamer has assisted. Look, gaming people can tell you, when you’re a gamer you need to take it seriously, and be able to think on the spot. I also produce a lot of video content on platforms such as TikTok. It keeps my mind going, about the content and the message I want to put out.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from a mentor or co-star that has stayed with you?
“So the best piece of advice that I’ve gotten from a co-star is, don’t think about it too much. It’s been the best piece of advice I’ve gotten so far because once you start thinking about it too much, then you lose the creativity that comes with the art side of it. That is why when you step into character, then you let your body and mind decide what the character would do. But if you’re thinking about it too much, you’re not allowing the character to do what they want to do. You’re not allowing the script to guide you.”
What can viewers expect from ‘Love & Wine’ and how was it like working with such esteemed co-stars who have been in the industry for a number of years?
“Yeah. So what can you guys expect from Love and Wine Man? Just. Just pure comedy and romance. Yeah. I think it is a beautiful movie directed by the most beautiful person, Amanda Lin, who worked with the most beautiful people onset. Doshi, who was leading us with Sali Bada, who’s doing huge things. She has plenty of experience in the industry and is a great leader. With Desmond Dube, you know, those guys have been incredible. So yeah, I think it was just a beautiful, beautiful movie, wonderfully made.”
Lastly, as the cover star of this issue, what message would you like to leave
“You know, I think. It’s been a long year and we know this, this time isn’t, you know, the safest. But make sure you are safe and respect yourself, and the people around you. You have all the fun that you can have. But just remember that there’s next year too. This season is now time to rest, to recuperate, rejuvenate and have fun so that when the new year starts you can hit it from the ground running.”
What keeps Thandolwethu grounded isn’t the hype, the headlines, or the heat of a breakout year that could’ve swallowed a lesser newcomer whole. It’s faith. Gratitude. The discipline of a sportsman and the restless imagination of a gamer. And at the center of it all, an artist’s instinct – raw, unpolished, and unwilling to overthink the magic.
“Don’t think about it too much,” he tells me – a simple note from a co-star that’s quietly become his entire compass. It’s the mantra that loosens his shoulders before a scene, that lets the character move through him instead of the other way around. It’s the thing that keeps Olly human in an industry that so often asks stars to sand down their edges and shine on command.
And now, as he steps into a new season of his life – juggling film sets, presenting gigs, global streaming numbers, and the not-so-light weight of being South Africa’s newest golden boy – you can feel the shift happening. There’s something in the way he talks about the future, something in the way the room seems to tilt toward him.
Thandolwethu Zondo isn’t just on the rise; he’s standing at the edge of something bigger than stardom. He’s standing at the edge of legacy.
