‘Adulting’ to Villainy: Nhlanhla Kunene’s Chilling New Role on ‘Skeem Saam’
For viewers who fell in love with Nhlanhla Kunene’s heartfelt, struggling-to-make-it performance in the coming-of-age drama Adulting, his latest role will come as a stunning – and deeply unsettling – shock.
The acclaimed actor has joined the cast of Skeem Saam as Amandla Dubazane, a character so controlled, so quietly menacing, that it marks a complete 180 from the vulnerable young men Kunene has become known for playing.
Adulting
Where Adulting saw Kunene portray a character grappling with life’s messy, emotional chaos – the unpaid bills, the broken relationships, the desperate search for identity – Amandla Dubazane is chaos’s antithesis. He is precision in a tailored suit. He is danger wrapped in politeness.
“The character of Amandla is very controlled and sure of himself,” Kunene said in a statement. “He’s not loud or over the top, but his presence is always felt. There’s a quiet intensity about him that keeps you watching, and I really enjoyed bringing those layers to life.”
That quiet intensity is a far cry from the raw, often frantic energy of his Adulting days. On that show, Kunene mastered the art of vulnerability – the flinching, the second-guessing, the emotional spills. On Skeem Saam, he has traded all of that for a steely, unnerving composure.
New role
Amandla looks like he belongs in boardrooms and corner offices. Impeccably dressed and carrying himself with quiet confidence, he exudes success and charm. But appearances, as the show warns, are dangerously misleading.
Behind the polished exterior is a man who is calculated, composed and deeply unsettling. He isn’t driven by chaos or emotion. He is precise. Intentional. And disarmingly polite.
“Amandla is the kind of character who changes the temperature of every scene he walks into,” said Yvonne Siphuka, Publicity Manager for Skeem Saam. “Viewers should expect tension, suspense and a storyline that will keep them on edge.”
For Kunene, the role is a deliberate departure – a chance to show his range by stepping into the shoes of a man who doesn’t flinch, doesn’t raise his voice, but quietly shifts the balance of power in every room he enters. As Amandla begins to intersect with familiar faces in Turfloop, it becomes clear that his intentions are not only serious, they are dangerous.
One thing is certain: the man who once made audiences root for the underdog on Adulting has now become the villain you won’t see coming.
Skeem Saam airs weekdays on SABC1. Amandla Dubazane makes his first appearance this April.
