Zandile-Izandi Madliwa Is an internationally acclaimed actress for stage and film, a vocalist, and writer. Born and bred KwaLanga township in Cape Town, she started professionally in entertainment from the tender age of 12 where she was a presenter for SABC 2’s ‘Just Chill’. After studying Theatre and Performance and majoring in acting at UCT, she landed her first professional acting job playing the lead character for a local series on SABC1 called 'When We Were Black’ season 2. Soon after that she landed her first professional theatre job at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg in a musical piece called Songs From Jazztown- directed by James Ngcobo. Later she featured on an MNet Movie called ‘On the Ropes’ and also in a local Afrikaans series on KykNet called 'Die Boekklup'. Her first international role was in 'Black Mirror' where she played a supporting role and was later cast for her first international musical tour based on the life of Miriam Makeba, where she played Miriam’s daughter Bongi Makeba. Her latest international feature includes critically acclaimed and pop sensation teen movie on Netflix movie called
‘The Kissing Booth 1&2&3’ where she plays the supporting role of Gwyneth Gardner. Zandile's third theatre production is in the outstanding and politically dynamic play' called 'The Fall', she joined the cast for the Edinburgh Theatre Festival where she initially played the lead role of Qhawekazi. After the play's highly successful run in Scottland, she later rejoined the cast to play the supporting role of Chwaita at the Royal Court in London, at St Anne's Warehouse in New York, The Galway International Arts Festival in Ireland, Bordeaux Arts Festival in France and The Studio Theatre in Washington D.C.
This production has won two prestigious awards - a Fringe First for writing and a Stage Award for acting. In 2017 Zandile was honoured with an 'Artist Of The Year' award for her works at The Baxter Theatre. The following year marked as her final year touring with a musical production called 'Aunty Merle The Musical’ which has had four successful runs at The Baxter. Her most courageous venture has been entering the Stand Up Comedy scene where she got to the incredible opportunity to open for renowned South African comedian, Shimmy Isaacs. Zandile also had the honour to play the lead role for an up and coming series called '1960' and played a supporting role for 'Flushed Hearts' a collaborative project between a South African writer and a Canadian producer. Her latest feature includes a supporting role on a ShowMax local series called 'Woke In Progress', where she plays an African American young woman who goes by Yaasa Asantawa, and she had the recent honor of being a performer/ reader for author and novelist Colin Barrett at the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative 2020. Zandile's latest and new venture has been a collaborative lockdown project called 'Life Begins' where she not only starred in it but also became a first time producer.
Zandile-Izandi Madliwa Is an internationally acclaimed actress for stage and film, a vocalist, and writer. Born and bred KwaLanga township in Cape Town, she started professionally in entertainment from the tender age of 12 where she was a presenter for SABC 2’s ‘Just Chill’. After studying Theatre and Performance and majoring in acting at UCT, she landed her first professional acting job playing the lead character for a local series on SABC1 called 'When We Were Black’ season 2. Soon after that she landed her first professional theatre job at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg in a musical piece called Songs From Jazztown- directed by James Ngcobo. Later she featured on an MNet Movie called ‘On the Ropes’ and also in a local Afrikaans series on KykNet called 'Die Boekklup'. Her first international role was in 'Black Mirror' where she played a supporting role and was later cast for her first international musical tour based on the life of Miriam Makeba, where she played Miriam’s daughter Bongi Makeba. Her latest international feature includes critically acclaimed and pop sensation teen movie on Netflix movie called
‘The Kissing Booth 1&2&3’ where she plays the supporting role of Gwyneth Gardner. Zandile's third theatre production is in the outstanding and politically dynamic play' called 'The Fall', she joined the cast for the Edinburgh Theatre Festival where she initially played the lead role of Qhawekazi. After the play's highly successful run in Scottland, she later rejoined the cast to play the supporting role of Chwaita at the Royal Court in London, at St Anne's Warehouse in New York, The Galway International Arts Festival in Ireland, Bordeaux Arts Festival in France and The Studio Theatre in Washington D.C.
This production has won two prestigious awards - a Fringe First for writing and a Stage Award for acting. In 2017 Zandile was honoured with an 'Artist Of The Year' award for her works at The Baxter Theatre. The following year marked as her final year touring with a musical production called 'Aunty Merle The Musical’ which has had four successful runs at The Baxter. Her most courageous venture has been entering the Stand Up Comedy scene where she got to the incredible opportunity to open for renowned South African comedian, Shimmy Isaacs. Zandile also had the honour to play the lead role for an up and coming series called '1960' and played a supporting role for 'Flushed Hearts' a collaborative project between a South African writer and a Canadian producer. Her latest feature includes a supporting role on a ShowMax local series called 'Woke In Progress', where she plays an African American young woman who goes by Yaasa Asantawa, and she had the recent honor of being a performer/ reader for author and novelist Colin Barrett at the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative 2020. Zandile's latest and new venture has been a collaborative lockdown project called 'Life Begins' where she not only starred in it but also became a first time producer.
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