Zikhona Bali
- Actress
Zikhona Bali is a gifted actress, born in Humansdorp and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She gained widespread recognition for her outstanding portrayal of Londiwe in the acclaimed series Isi'thunzi, directed by Amanda Lane. This role earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama at the 2019 Golden Horn Awards.
Before her breakthrough, Zikhona appeared in several TV commercials for major brands such as Coca-Cola and Nescafé. She completed her Media Practice studies in 2010, briefly exploring careers in Public Relations and Real Estate. In 2014, she took a leap into professional acting, training at Indigo View Advanced Actors Academy, where she worked with esteemed instructors like Christa Schamberger, Sylvaine Strike, Pamela Nomvete, and Steven Feinstein.
Zikhona's recent work includes Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, an adaptation that explores an African civil war from a child's perspective. Her portrayal of Sarah was praised by the Hollywood Reporter, describing her performance as "impressive, with a subtle resistance to white rule that the character cannot always express openly." Zikhona made her international debut in The Forgiven, a biopic set during apartheid South Africa, where she starred alongside Forest Whitaker as Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The film premiered to great acclaim at the BFI London Film Festival in 2017.
She also played Qawe, a lead journalist, in the 24-episode series Ambition. In 2022, Zikhona delivered a powerful performance in the film Thando, which earned her nominations for Best Actress at the HAPAWARDS in Hollywood and the IDYLLWILD Film Festival, as well as winning Best Actress at the BRICS Film Festival.
Her other notable achievement includes starring in the NAACP Image Award-winning and Oscar-shortlisted film Lakutshon' Ilanga (When The Sun Sets).
Before her breakthrough, Zikhona appeared in several TV commercials for major brands such as Coca-Cola and Nescafé. She completed her Media Practice studies in 2010, briefly exploring careers in Public Relations and Real Estate. In 2014, she took a leap into professional acting, training at Indigo View Advanced Actors Academy, where she worked with esteemed instructors like Christa Schamberger, Sylvaine Strike, Pamela Nomvete, and Steven Feinstein.
Zikhona's recent work includes Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, an adaptation that explores an African civil war from a child's perspective. Her portrayal of Sarah was praised by the Hollywood Reporter, describing her performance as "impressive, with a subtle resistance to white rule that the character cannot always express openly." Zikhona made her international debut in The Forgiven, a biopic set during apartheid South Africa, where she starred alongside Forest Whitaker as Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The film premiered to great acclaim at the BFI London Film Festival in 2017.
She also played Qawe, a lead journalist, in the 24-episode series Ambition. In 2022, Zikhona delivered a powerful performance in the film Thando, which earned her nominations for Best Actress at the HAPAWARDS in Hollywood and the IDYLLWILD Film Festival, as well as winning Best Actress at the BRICS Film Festival.
Her other notable achievement includes starring in the NAACP Image Award-winning and Oscar-shortlisted film Lakutshon' Ilanga (When The Sun Sets).
