Brenda Ngxoli is an International Emmy Award nominated actress and many consider her to be one of (if not, The) most talented and versatile actresses that the African continent has ever produced. After hearing that Brenda Ngxoli was to present Mzansi Wethu’s show, Our Perfect Wedding Zalebs could not afford to pass on the opportunity to talk to one of the country’s most beloved and well known actresses. 

Hi Brenda, welcome to Zalebs. First and foremost, congratulations! That’s another gig in the bag, Our Perfect Wedding as a single lady what would you consider as your ideal wedding day? 

First of all thank you very much for the congratulations ZAlebs ndyabulela (I thank you!) In terms of an ideal wedding day, I was telling someone the other day that I’m a  village girl. I may not have grown there much but I’m quite the village-at-heart-girl. My original home is in the Eastern Cape.  So I think that my ideal wedding day is a village wedding. As a young Xhosa girl I always envisioned myself as umakoti (bride) wearing traditional attire and inviting people as far as the eye could see and feasting on a very traditional meal.

So would you say traditional wedding would cost less than a white wedding and what’s your take on weddings  and people who emulate cultures that are not their own (i.e having a Paris themed wedding)?

I think every celebration costs money, it’s just a matter of asking yourself who do you see yourself celebrating with and how.  I’ve travelled quite a bit, experienced different cultures and have been exposed to different religions and I just feel that there is nothing better than just being who you are.  Be proud of your tradition, that is the gift that the universe has blessed you with so It really baffles me when we try to emulate and run after other nation’s cultures. And also this thing of us as Africans trying to emulate Europe is a bit twisted in the head. 

You’re not the first to echo such sentiments; what issues do you have with us as Africans trying to “Be European, or American,” ?

We’re trying to do things that aren’t African; we’re busy bleaching our skins, I have absolutely no problem with playing around with your body because as African women we’re very beautiful people and we can do what ever we want with our bodies, especially with our hair.  But at the end of the day you must ask yourself why are you trying so hard to emulate someone you will never be or even look like and in the bigger picture those people were the same one’s who less than 20 years ago would’ve made sure that right now all of us as people of color are imprisoned in Robben Island.  So even you right now calling me without you journalistic skills at your disposal and if there wasn’t change you probably would be ducking and diving bullets in Soweto and  I’d probably be acting in a Zoo because apartheid back then was really rough on the black person!  So its about time that us as black people are proud of who we are and just celebrate our unique cultures.

A couple of years ago we remember you being the guest presenter on Yo.tv’s Wildroom and we must say you were just hilarious in front of that camera, have you ever been approached to do comedy.

[Laughs] I actually don’t even find myself funny; I’m actually a very serious girl really.  I’m deep, I write poems but I really like laughing and just talking, I really enjoy talking.

[End of Part 1]

Look out for part 2 of our exclusive interview with Brenda Ngxoli which we will be releasing tomorrow!