Mafela was brought up in Johannesburg and began acting in the early 1960s, when he joined the South African film company SA Films. Over the following twenty years he worked as a producer and director as well as a film actor, managing the dance troupe Mzumba and the group Sangoma. With the advent of television in South Africa in 1976, Mafela worked almost continuously, and in 1986 he was cast as the unemployed lodger S'dumo in the Zulu language comedy series 'Sgudi 'Snaysi.
The success of 'Sgudi 'Snaysi - which ran to 78 episodes on SABC - led to roles in other series, often produced by Mafela's own production company Penguin Films. It also encouraged Mafela to enter the advertising industry, working as Creative Director of Black Communications at BBDO South Africa and, since 1992, as a director of Sharrer Advertising in Johannesburg. Since 1995 Mafela has recorded and released a number of albums of Zulu-language songs.
Awards
In 2004 Mafela was awarded a special Duku Duku award for his services to the South African television industry.[1] In 2005 he was awarded a Theatre Management of South Africa Lifetime Achievement award at the Naledi Theatre Awards [2].
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