Actor Siv Ngesi is SA’s very own Superman

This proud Gugulethu-born Xhosa man embodies his traditions and culture with ease.


Charismatic, daring and charming ladies’ man Sivuyile Ngesi, 31, has it all.

From his chiselled abs, which sync perfectly with a muscularly defined chest, to an outspoken yet delicate personality.

This proud Gugulethu-born Xhosa man embodies his traditions and culture with ease.

Having made a name as a comedian and actor in 1997, Ngesi has managed to retain a humility and hunger for success, which is refreshing to experience.

What separates him from the rest is a catalogue of international film and TV series he has featured in, including the movie, Invictus.

Ngesi is one of the celebrities who took part in SABC 3’s Tropika Island of Treasure, where he is paired up with 27-year-old Khabonina Shabangu from Durban.

Together, the pair had to endure 13 weeks competing against other teams in the Seychelles. Here are his thoughts.

How was your experience on the island?

I am a very competitive individual and everything I do in life, I want to be the best. I want to be number one.

Mentally I was ready and physically I look “fleek”. I had trained for about two and a half months. If I’m going to take off my top in front of the country, I must look amazing.

How did you feel about being paired up with a woman?

 I got paired up with the most incredible woman in the world. Her energy was amazing and going our separate ways at the airport was emotional.

We went from almost winning to almost losing challenges and what I couldn’t get mentally, she would.

I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. She is as competitive as I am and it would be a totally different story if she was not. She is a beast.

How did you find the Seychelles and did you find yourself wondering around the
island?

I didn’t care about how beautiful the island was, I was there to win and that was all I thought about. Also, I travel for a living, so I have seen it before.

Who did you see mostly as a threat to you?

There is this guy I saw every day. I saw this guy when I was brushing my teeth and I saw him in the mirror when I was sitting in make-up.

He was the one person I feared and that guy was me.

However, I did almost make it a point that I stayed ahead of Maurice Paige. As you know, he is coloured and from the Cape so I knew there were levels to his toughness.

Just how much preparation did you have to do before the island?

What people don’t know about me is I often don’t train hard. I choose to rather train smart.

But when I do train, I go all in.

With regards to the show, I trained like a professional sportsman.

I needed to be both fast and strong in order to be competitive in all the challenges.

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