GoXtra News: Why you'll never last in the South African Entertainment Industry!

When a "Friend" of mine said "Please write an article about me too, I need the spotlight". I just knew how to reply.

"Well, that's where you are wrong the need for 'Spotlight' - this is why we have many celebrities failing and losing their jobs, because they went into it for the mere word 'Spotlight'. I said in a bid to correct someone who did not comprehend the basis of my basic argument and continued to say "there's nothing wrong about being famous". I immediately got out of that supposedly debate when I picked up the above.

Working for the biggest tabloid paper in the country I have interviewed a lot of celebrities locally and two from Nigeria, and I always ask them the recipe to at least last in the industry.

One important interview this year was with Nthati Moshesh who plays Morongwe on Etv's Scandal about her recent role on SABC 2's new Drama Series Thola that plays every Tuesday at 9:30pm. I must say, I can no longer wonder why she has maintain her presence in the industry for so many years but think about the words 'humility and respect'. What a joyful and humble human being she is! She deserves to be where she is and I know more is coming her way.

She told me that one mistake young talent tend to do is, they come to the industry thinking about all glamour, glitz and fame and forgetting all the hard- word ahead. "Always respect who you meet in the industry because you might never know what they can do for you," I recall those words from her and it seemed like it is one of her biggest weapons to success.

Nthati being the humble person she is, and not about being famous but hard work, I then continued with my interview, I asked her how did she get the role of Dibuseng Makwarela on Thola? She told me that she was called and offered the role and she immediately fell in love with it. Now, if she didn't have talent, respect and humility who was going to call her for that role?

It is important to respect people when you want to succeed in everything you do. People connect like spider webs, they link everyday, you will never know that you are being disrespectful next to your future 'boss' who've already made great plans about you future.

I won't say know the right places to show your respect and humility, just show it with a bright smile wherever you are my dear future somebody.

All the actors, musicians, news anchors, including television journalist I have interviewed echo the same words:

- Have humility,

- Respect yourself,

-Do not try to fit in by changing who you are,

- Know that you are at work so work very hard,

- Do not do it for fame, glitz and glamour,

- Don't be desperate, know your worth,

- Do it with passion although you need the money but do not let it come first,

- Always PRAY to God and wait for your own time or rather a break,

- Do not get intimidated at the auditions but believe that you can do it too,

You will never last in the industry if, well, the above are a joke to you.

These are the words of most South African celebrities, even those not so humble they know how to be humble when it comes to advising the what to and not to when it comes to the industry.

Nthati's career:

Character

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Dr. Thabile Nkabinde