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Was there a time Kgomotso Christopher was not relevant? The answer is simple — not in the past two decades.
Petite but powerful, she melts hearts and lights up every room she enters, first with her beaming smile and then her star power.
She has crushed very TV role she has played — Katlego Sibeko (Isidingo), Yvonne “YV” Thebe (Scandal!), Dineo Price (Legacy), Keabetswe Moloi (Generations: The Legacy), and Nandi Mahlati (Fatal Seduction). Her acting career, paced with fearless choices, is what has made her the greatest and most versatile TV icon of our generation.
“I’ve played a drug addict, housewife, gambling hustler, investigative policewoman, lecturer. In theatre I’ve done everything from Shakespeare to Molière and Chekhov. There’s nothing I’ve not done and there’s nothing that I can’t do and can’t wait to play,” she says.
When I challenge her to offer me a guide to her professional life in three-act structure, she doesn’t hesitate. “First Act: The struggle … the rejection. Second Act: A chance meeting. A chance given … serendipity. Third Act: ‘Patience is a virtue’,” Christopher quips.
No matter the act, Christopher’s greatest power in the industry is that she will always be the “why” kind of performer. “Why are you an artist? Why do you choose, still, to be an artist in a very unstable industry, in a country that’s battling economically? Why?” she asks.
“It’s in the moments when you don’t have work, when you want to give up, when you don’t know what your future looks like, especially financially in this industry because it impacts your family and children. The challenge is to find a way to remind yourself why you still choose the path and journey.”
On 15 August, Christopher reprises her role as Nandi in the anticipated second season of Fatal Seduction on Netflix. The last time I spoke to her was six years ago, on the eve of her winning her first South African Film and Television Award (Safta) for playing feisty YV in 2019. A year later, she notched her second win for the same character.
She got the nod once again last year for playing Nandi, losing out to Shannon Esra for Lioness. Christopher notes a common thread between playing Nandi and YV — both characters demanded that she immerse herself in linguistic nuance to drive a stellar performance.
“Katlego Sibeko on Isidingo introduced me to a wider audience who had not necessarily known my work. It made me a household name,” she says. “My creative gods weren’t done, as I was then gifted a role that I’d initially turned down, YV on Scandal!.
I’d always been in primarily English-medium shows and delighted in having a role that allowed me to perform in Sesotho, although I’m not a Mosotho. I had to work daily on the language aspect, but audiences were also able to see me in a comedic light. With Nandi, I again worked in a language that’s not my home language, IsiZulu. I love our languages and, if necessary for a character, I will do my best to honour that.”
Christopher made her first acting mark in Backstage at age 20. Before long she packed her bags and jetted off to New York to obtain her master’s degree in acting at Columbia University. Returning home after six years, in 2008, she became a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand’s drama department. Her lead role in drama series 4Play: Sex Tips for Girls in 2010 cemented her comeback.
“I didn’t come from a family that took international trips — the first time I was on a plane to Durban, I was 14 … My circumstances didn’t deter me. I always told myself that my parents took me as far as they could and the rest was on me. I had big dreams to study and to have the same chance as my mother, who had studied internationally and graduated from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania — an Ivy League institution,” she says.
“So to arrive from Tembisa at Columbia University, also an Ivy League university, and to read for my master’s degree was a dream realised and fulfilled, not only for myself but also for my family. To return to South Africa and apply the skills and experience was another dream come true. I’d always been interested in being part of academia, and having the opportunity to impart my knowledge and impact a new generation of artists was life changing. Many of my former Wits students are South Africa’s most sought-after actors today.”
Now in her 40s, Christopher says that after a certain age women are underrepresented and there are not enough acting roles. “I feel there is an ageism at a certain point in one’s career. Male actors are still alpha males, aging gracefully on our screens without worrying about their changing looks.
The strategy is to pair an older male actor with a much younger female co-actor in order to bring youth to that screen presence and male co-actor,” she observes. “I’ve been portraying characters that are 40-plus since my early 30s; now that I’m in my 40s, I’m vying for roles that a veteran actress should be getting. Mathematically it doesn’t compute; there should be strong, rich, interesting characters across the board, regardless of age or gender.”
She is married to Calvin Christopher, with whom she has two kids, Larona Lehakwe and Lesika Leatile. “I’ve always tried to make sure my children don’t grow up in the shadow of a ‘famous’ mom and ensured that my partner’s career isn’t infringed upon, especially given that he’s a lawyer.
He has allowed me to thrive in my chosen path, given me the space and support to follow my dreams. As a family we’ve chosen to raise our children in different countries — the UK, South Africa, US, Dubai and who knows what’s next?” she says. “I’ve done my best to keep my family life outside of social media. I was nursing my youngest child when I got my first lead role and would take my toddler to set at the time. My son was two when I became the ‘person people ask for pictures’ and now he’s 16, my daughter 18. I’m glad I gave them the space to define their identity outside of my career and my life in the spotlight.”
Issued on SowetabLIVE by Emmanuel Tjiya | https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/s-mag/fashion-beauty/2025-08-08-kgomotso-christopher-the-perfect-icon/
