He is the ultimate high school charmer boy.
Olifantsfontein grounds is where he is the ultimate player, with his extraordinary football skills.
Despite barely passing his grades, he is in a relationship with the most sought-after girl at the boarding school.
Toka Mtabane plays Khaya Jali, a troublesome IT boy on Showmax’s Youngins - the first teen drama from Tshedza productions. We were first introduced to Toka Mtabane on the film in 2016, when he was just a teenager.
Now he faces being a natural athlete who’s dismal when it comes to academics and has a tumultuous family life which was on full blast in the latest episodes.
The 22-year-old explains what he likes about his character.
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“Khaya is not the sharpest tool in the shed but what I like about him is that he follows his gut. He’s an impulsive guy: Khaya throws himself in the deep end and he just swims out. He’s that guy.”
But he acknowledges some similarities he shares with this character.
“I was like Khaya in high school, popular with everyone, talented in football and the arts as well. The only difference is that I was actually a smart kid – I had good grades. Otherwise, we’re quite similar in many ways.”
His relationship with his girlfriend is quite an admirable one. Although he now has his eyes on the new Grade 10 student, he commends the chemistry he has with Buhle who is played by Kealeboga Masango.
“Kealeboga and I get along very well. We met at the chemistry test and, in between auditions, we’d talk about general stuff, which I think made us get along even more. So, when we finally started working together on Youngins, our chemistry just flowed. I think it’s also because we discussed a few things in terms of how far we’d push it. It was something that was done almost effortlessly.”
The drama series boasts a star-studded cast which he has been looking up to and now that he works with them, the set has become a classroom where he learns a lot from them.
He had been following their work and wishing to work with some of them including Thabiso Ramotshela who plays Mahlatse Maleka on the drama and Kea.
“Thabiso and Kea, I’ve been watching them on TV. I was like, ‘Oh, okay. These are very talented people and I’d like to work with them.’ So, when I saw them, I said, ‘Oh yeah, my people! It’s finally happening.’”
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From Loyiso MacDonald, who plays the school principal in particular, he says he preaches: “Always greet the crew. Always greet the crew.”
“The other advice we received from the older actors was that we shouldn't be difficult people to work with - it’s a long run and you want to build a career that you want to be able to sustain. But in the same breath, you don't want to turn yourself into a doormat and have people walk all over you. That’s what they always preach, and I think it's very useful advice; it's something I always keep at the back of my head. We read stories about people who come and go, so you try your best not to go that direction.”
The takeaway from the story, he says, is the acknowledgement that people make mistakes and the most important thing in that situation is not the mistakes but rather the comeback.
“It’s not about what you did; it’s about how you move on from it. I mean, it’s a Youngins show. Most people have taken decisions in their youth that they’re stuck with now. So, it’s going to shed some light into that in terms of talking to the kids.”
