Lights, Camera, Chris! Weekly viewers can anticipate the zestful welcome of a familiar face every Thursday night as they sit down to indulge in an evening filled with ‘the best of the good life.’

Christopher Jaftha (33) is the name to the face of the Westbury raised, Top Billing host on SABC 3.

The theatre, film, television and entertainment aficionado has performed and worked for over 16 years within the South African entertainment industry.

Jaftha has played numerous leading roles, starring in various national and international theatre productions, including his latest venture, West Side Story that completed its successful season at the beginning of March.

Amongst others, Jaftha previously featured in the SABC 3 Afrikaans TV drama, Roer Jou Voete, which was broadcast in 2015.

His on-stage talents also include, dancing, singing, modelling and emceeing. Jaftha is most popularly known for his presenting work on popular lifestyle show, Top Billing.

Jaftha originates from old Sophiatown with roots in Westbury, Eldorado Park, and Ennerdale.

The entertainer was born and lived in Westbury for a few years “It was quite hectic,” says Jaftha.

He has great memories of township life and enjoyed his childhood growing up in Westbury, but the community experienced a lot of gang violence.

“My folks tried to pull us out of that because they know that as kids you’re impressionable and it’s very easy for you to just follow a path that you’re not supposed to be on, especially when you’re hanging around with the wrong crowds,” says Jaftha.

At age 3 Jaftha moved to Eldorado Park with his parents, where he attended Parkdale Primary School for 2 years. He later attended Calvary Christian College, one of the first multiracial Christian schools, in the heart of Apartheid.

The family resided in Extension 6 before relocating to Extension 7 and thereafter, Extension 9.

“Eldorado Park is when things started going better for us as a family. My folks started working really hard. Things started getting a lot better,” says Jaftha.

He explains that the “rough” environment made him streetwise at a young age.

“You know what to look for, you know how to handle yourself in certain situations, so it’s not all bad, but I think we were pulled out in the nick of time.”

His family then relocated to Ennerdale for almost 2 years, when his father had moved there to begin a church

“Ek weet van swaarkry,” says Jaftha, remembering how his family had lost everything. “We went through a very tough time, we lost all our cars, our home.

Around that time was a big struggle for my family,” says Jaftha. During that time his brother had also been diagnosed with a severe syndrome that resulted in the loss of his speech and hearing. Times were tough, but the family managed to stay bonded through the adversity.

Jaftha acknowledges his parents for the contributions they made and the hardships they endured to help maintain and support their family through the difficulties.
“They just kept on pushing, kept on working,” says Jaftha.

“Those kinds of experiences just make you grateful for where you come from and makes me appreciate what my folks have done for us.

“I think parents don’t get enough credit because if you look at what they did for us in hindsight, they were just trying to do the best they could,” says Jaftha.

Despite the hardship, Jaftha remembers more of the good than the bad and remains appreciative of the experiences he’s lived through and the determined character he’s developed as a result of adversity.

“A lot of people know that I’m from Westbury, that’s not an issue for me, I have no shame, I love where I come from, I’m proud of where I come from.”

Jaftha also referred to the unsung heroes of the Westbury community, “There’s a lot of great people that come from there and there’s a lot of greatness in Westbury if they get the chance. There’s a lot of greatness in other townships if they get the chance.”

He believes that you experience hardships so that you can help those who may be in the same situation as you.

“That’s why you need to go through the hardships, everyone who’s in the townships, has huge potential, they’ve got gold, the hardships that they are sitting on is gold because one day when they reach a certain point they’ll be able to dig deep and say I’ve been through this before, I know what this feels like. Besides them helping themselves they’ll be able to help someone else,” says Jaftha.

Jaftha likes to think of himself as a humanitarian/philanthropist and is a brand ambassador for numerous goodwill organisations, including the SANBS (South African National Blood Service), JAM International and The Field Band Foundation.

A programme that uses music and musical instruments to provide children with an extracurricular activity while teaching them important life skills.

Jaftha intends to give back to his community.

He may be a part of the Steven Pienaar Community Cup Tournament, taking place in Westbury on 10 June.

“The end goal for me is about giving back. I work as hard as I do so that I can give back. Whenever I can, or whenever I have time, I would want to give back to where I come from. So whether it be my services or whether they need someone to just coordinate or whatever, if I can I’ll do that,” he says.

At the end of the day, Chris believes that regardless of your circumstances it’s about what you make out of the hand you’re dealt.

Making the decision to put in the hard work and giving your all to achieve the accomplishments you desire all play a part in realising the life you want and in overcoming the challenges you may encounter.

“Circumstances are real, emotions are real, feelings are real. They’re real things, but you can’t blame your circumstances,” says Jaftha.

“The words that always come to me when it seems impossible is just like, just keep going, never give up, just keep going.”

Jaftha has developed an outlook and attitude aligned with the principle that hard work trumps talent.

“I wasn’t always the most talented, but I was probably the hardest worker every single time and I think that’s what gets you really far,” says Jaftha.

He asserts that you need to adopt the right attitude with the right focus and the right determination to become successful and most importantly, never give up.

Jaftha’s booming career and hard-earned accomplishments have proven that a willing, disciplined, determined, persevering and giving character can project you into the life you deserve, regardless of the life you’re currently living or the life you think you have to live.

Jaftha still aims to positively change and impact the lives of others.

“I think my story is only successful if there have been lives that have been changed positively, regardless of whether or not I know about it.”

For now, you can catch Jaftha every Thursday night at 8:30 pm on SABC 3’s Top Billing.

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