Sivuyile Ngesi

Did you know?!

1. First role

   Ngesi started out as a child actor, taking the role of Gavroche in a touring production of Les Miserables in Asia. He also gave a performance from the musical for Nelson Mandela.

2. About the name

   In 2021 Ngesi started performing as the drag persona Sivanna, a name formed by combining the Xhosa word Siyavana with the cider drink Savanna. That December he hosted the Cape Town Drag Brunch.

3. Beyond film

   Ngesi's one-man comedy show DeKaf played the National Arts Festival for three years and took the Golden Ovation Award for Best Comedy there in 2010. He then toured the show nationally.

4. Early training

   Ngesi trained at the Waterfront Theatre School and Jazzart Dance Theatre, and during the #FeesMustFall movement he explained that he could not afford university.

5. Behind the camera

   Ngesi produced 14 shows at the 2017 National Arts Festival, where he earned a Spirit of the Fringe award for what he contributed that year. Siv-ilised was one of his shows.

6. Behind the camera

   Ngesi, Rob van Vuuren and Danielle Bischoff were the creators of the Florence & Watson children's book series, and they also made the stage show that went with it.