HE was once the golden boy of South African entertainment, a household name who graced TV screens and represented brands like Coca-Cola and OMO.
But multi-talented presenter, musician and actor, Nkanyiso Bhengu has been fighting a silent battle for the past 10 years that nearly broke him.
Now, the 50-year-old Umlazi-born star is ready to tell his story.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Bhengu opened up about the dark decade that saw doors slam shut on him, the collapse of his marriage and phone calls to industry gatekeepers that went unanswered.
“It’s been 10 years of struggle and pain,” said the former Popstars contestant.
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“I’ve been behind the scenes in my home, praying and phoning people to ask for work and they ignored me. It’s been very hard.”
Bhengu’s fall from grace began in 2016 when the work suddenly dried up. The man who once had his pick of presenting gigs, acting roles and brand ambassadorships found himself jobless.
“This entertainment industry is difficult. It has ups and downs. If you don’t have people around you, a team, manager, agents looking for jobs, it’s difficult to survive on TV.”
While he occasionally landed small roles, it wasn’t enough to sustain him or his family.
“I had a wife and she left me. I had to support my family with no income. It has been very hard,” he said.
Asked about his current projects, Nkanyiso said he is working behind the scenes and is also working on his own production, but he could not divulge more.
