She is all about being true to herself. Her face is easily recognisable and she's a household name in South Africa's acting industry, but when she's home, she's just Sibulele Gcilitshana.
She's not about the celebrity status of her job.
Sibulele has been in the industry for 21 years and she says in that time, she has seen it all.
“Our industry can be very toxic but what makes me able to keep forging ahead is having a solid foundation. I am me first before I am an actor. I am a whole person. So, even when things happen in the industry, I am able to retreat and find myself and I am not defined by status,” she says.
Because she is not fazed by fame, she intentionally keeps her private life out of the spotlight.
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“I get to set, do my job and leave. I don’t really even use the transport that is available. I prefer to drive myself and I also use that drive home to get out of character and be myself. I have over the years been intentional about keeping my private life just that, private. I do not want to overshadow my work with my personal life. I remove everything else and let it be my work that comes to mind when my name is mentioned,” she says.
Acting is her first love, and she relishes being in an imaginary world with each character.
“The world of acting is a wonderful world of imagination. With each character, I embody the character and I take the viewers on a journey with me. When people are watching me, I want them to forget that it is 8pm in their homes or in a theatre, I want them to believe that it is 5am in a village and they are seeing the struggles of a woman they can identify with or whatever the case may be for the story I am telling at that time," she says.
“Just like when children play house, they get into character immediately. If their role is to be a teacher, they start teaching. If they are the mother, they start giving the kids chores to do. As soon as I get dressed in my costume, I get into character. When I am standing and waiting for my cue, even my breathing changes because I am getting ready. It is almost like my body is preparing itself and does its own kind of prayer. I have also been told that I pace when I am waiting. And after all these years, I still get butterflies,” she laughs.
Catch #thestation this evening on @mzansimagic at 8pm @Missgcilitshana pic.twitter.com/K0VH7Td2ZB
— HelemProductions (@HelemPro) April 12, 2021
Sibulele grew up impersonating church people and teachers and singing.
At university she majored in singing, acting and dancing. When she looks back at her career, she says Beth may be her favourite character. Beth was a lesbian schoolteacher in the SABC 1 show, Society.
“Playing Beth was wonderful. There was so much at stake, there was so much to be learnt, I dared myself. Both Beth and I learnt a lot in that time. My other favorite was Funeka on Grassroots. I think I liked her because she was the opposite of me. I am an active person who does yoga and runs almost every day. She was heavily medicated and often very tired because of being ill, so having to portray that was challenging.”
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In real life, Sibulele was a teenage mother and she was determined to not allow that to define her.
“I was 16 when I had her and people wrote us off. [They said] that we were not going to amount to anything. Look at us now, my daughter is my pride and joy.”
Her eldest daughter Sibabalwe Gcilitshana was the first openly queer contestant in the history of Miss SA in 2019.
“You guys were only introduced to her on Miss SA. What you saw is not even a drop in the ocean of who she is. She is amazing,” the proud mom says.
Sibulele's youngest daughter is seven years old.
The actress currently plays Sli on The Station, which airs on Mzansi Magic on Mondays at 8pm.
"Sli is a hardworking woman who will do anything to provide for her child. She is a young mother who is very dedicated but has a bit of internal fragility."
