It's always interesting when art imitates life, especially when your acting role is very much close to home.

Veteran actress Nandi Nyembe, who played a sangoma called Gogo Mkhithi in Isibaya, revealed an interesting fact about herself during an interview with Drum.

Nandi, who currently plays the role of Ma Mazibuko on etv’s Ashes to Ashes, revealed that she actually is a sangoma in real life and that she had her sangoma initiation when she was 17.

“I was so sick that my mother had to take me to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. At some point, doctors had to test my urine and surprisingly it came out with soil but there was nothing wrong with me,” she said.

Nyembe also revealed that her daughter is a sangoma and had to go through a similar ritual after she suffered a serious illness that involved her connecting with spirits of people who died on the road.

According to Drum, Nyembe admitted that she does not practice as a sangoma anymore, but regularly assists her daughter with healing duties.

The actress also opened up about the rape which lead to the birth of her son.

“He became a different person from the day I told him about how I became pregnant. He became an alcohol addict and eventually died in 2011,” Mam’Nandi said.

Although the actress has gone through a number of trials and tribulations, they have not stopped her passion and impressive acting catalogue since her early acting years in shows like Soul City.

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