Khomotso Manyaka

CAREER

Khomotso Manyaka is a South African actress who achieved international acclaim as a child star for her powerful debut performance in the 2010 drama film Life, Above All. Born in 1996 in Elandsdoorn, South Africa, she was discovered by talent scouts while singing in a church choir and cast at age 12 with no prior acting experience. She portrayed Chanda in Life, Above All, a young girl fighting the stigma, secrets, and grief of an HIV/AIDS outbreak within her community. Her performance earned a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. TIME Magazine named her one of the Top 10 Movie Performances of 2011. She won Best Actress at the Durban International Film Festival and the prestigious South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for Best Actress in a Feature Film. She also appeared in the film Shepherds and Butchers (2016), the television drama series Ikhaya, and the action series Professionals (2020).

Beyond her acting career, she is the founder of Legendary Creatives Pty (Ltd). Through this initiative, she has worked to establish inclusive sports and arts facilities in the Vaal Triangle (Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng) to provide affordable film, music, and sports development programs for South African youth.