Alphi Sipho Mkhwanazi, a TikTok star known for his hilarious videos, has taken his first big step into acting, and he’s loving every moment of it. Speaking to DRUM, Alphi shared his excitement about playing a role in Netflix’s Umjolo, a four-part series where he brings his unique blend of humor and insight to life on screen. “This role is the best of my ability,” he said, adding that his well-loved character, Mam’ Sbosh, also makes an appearance.
“Alphi adds the much-needed comic relief through his witty narration alongside his alter ego Mam’ Sbosh, who shows up at the most random times to take people through the journey,” he told DRUM. Fans of Mam’ Sbosh on social media will recognize her quick wit and love for being “in everyone’s business,” traits that shine through in Umjolo as well.
As a narrator, Alphi brings a fresh style to storytelling, which isn’t common in the film world. “Globally, there aren’t many productions that have a narrator,” he explained to DRUM. “It isn’t the most ideal way to tell a story in the film industry. But with Mam’ Sbosh’s help, I pulled it off.”
The character of Mam’ Sbosh, Alphi reveals, is inspired by his mother. To him, bringing her to life in a respectful way is essential. “There were a few boundaries that I had to draw when it came to the character of Mam’ Sbosh,” he shared. “It’s important that I portray what I consider as ‘my mother’ respectfully on each platform.” After crafting Mam’ Sbosh’s look and personality, he said it was “smooth sailing from there.”
Alphi also shared with DRUM how much this role means to him. “Everything I do is driven by my dream to impress my mom and make her proud of the son she raised,” he said, glowing with pride. He often receives voice notes from her cheering him on, which only motivates him to reach greater heights.
The transition from TikTok to Netflix wasn’t without its challenges. Shooting Umjolo required many retakes and a big production team—very different from his usual quick, unscripted TikTok videos. “The production quality is on another level,” he said. “Each scene can take up to 50 people to shoot. My TikTok videos are straightforward and unscripted, but here, we had so many retakes. It blew me away.”
Filming in Durban also turned out to be a special experience for him. “Spending time in Durban was the most amazing highlight,” he shared. Despite facing a personal loss during the shoot, he felt his grandmother’s pride and support as he followed his dreams by the ocean.
Acting might be new for Alphi, but he’s open to more roles if they come his way. “Acting has never been on the cards for us because we consider it such a nuanced and highly specialized craft. But if the opportunity is right, I think we might just have a home in that arena.”
Reflecting on his journey, Alphi couldn’t help but feel emotional. “I left a corporate job during the peak of COVID with the aim to make people smile,” he said. “For people to embrace me in this manner is truly remarkable.”
For now, Alphi is still busy with Umjolo, promising fans that the upcoming episodes will be explosive. “Things escalate pretty quickly. The plot thickens way more, and you’ll be introduced to more characters and watch them grow. There’s more backstabbing, more tears, but there are quite a few silver linings that’ll get everyone really emotional,” he teased.
