From Port Elizabeth to New York and back, actress Nambitha Ben-Mazwi, 29, returned to her home town on Wednesday to inspire women at the Chosen to Speak Girlfriends’ evening at Word of Faith Christian Centre, her childhood church.
The former Collegiate Girls’ High School pupil, who relocated to Cape Town in 2007 after matric to study business science marketing at the University of Cape Town (UCT), has placed women empowerment at the centre of her craft since becoming an influential actress and radio and television personality.
Speaking at the night of inspiration and worship, Ben-Mazwi encouraged women – and a handful of men – to find their purpose in life and fully dedicate themselves to it.
“I really want to encourage each and everyone of you to find your purpose and live for it,” she said. “We each have our own unique DNA and purpose, and there’s no one who can live someone else’s purpose.”
The actress made her on-screen debut with a hair products commercial as a teenager and was an MC for MTN during the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
She has since bagged a role in the Netflix hit remake of Black Mirror and the international BET production of Madiba.
Ben-Mazwi moved to New York after obtaining her honours at UCT. The arts bug then bit while she was pursuing a corporate career, which saw her quit and follow her passion.
Upon returning to SA in 2013, she went from one TV show to the next including e.tv’s Broken Vows, Mzansi Magic drama Doubt and SABC 3 breakfast show The Weekend Edition.
Revisiting her journey from a corporate life to the arts, she advised guests to take calculated risks but to keep in mind that things might not always work out as planned.
The actress, who grew, up in New Brighton and later moved to Rowallan Park, said her love for the arts had been birthed at the church.