Award-winning actress, director, and entrepreneur Sthandiwe Kgoroge has a career spanning more than 25 years and has firmly established herself as one of South Africa’s most respected and versatile performers.
Throughout her illustrious career, she has stepped into different roles, from a twin, a doctor, an activist, a grandmother, and now an editor-in-chief.
In her latest role, Kgoroge stars as Drum Magazine’s Editor in Chief, Melody MM Makaringe, in the new film “Dear Sis Dolly”.
“For me, it’s always the beauty of acting is that you step into various shoes. Here I am stepping into the shoes of an editor, a black female editor who’s just so powerful.”
Kgoroge acknowledged the important role that journalism has played in her life as a creative and shared her love of magazines.
Drum magazine has a rich editorial history, with its editors reflecting a fascinating timeline of shifting cultural and political landscapes and the magazine being a huge part of South African culture.
“I direct a lot for True Love, my fashion shoots, and different fashion editorials. I’ve been observing these people.
“To finally just have the opportunity for me to be in this role, research was easy, because I’ve been watching these people. I just had to literally tap into, go down that rabbit hole of all these women that I’ve admired, all the way back to Liz Khumalo, for instance”.
With the character of Melody, viewers get to see a black woman in success and in a leadership role, a journey that is not without challenges. Viewers want to see women displayed as strong leaders with their team, even if they are tough on staff.
Kgoroge was conscious of the fact that women in leadership are normally seen as villains, compared to their male counterparts.
“I think for me, I needed to really be careful of that line, but it needed to register and to read that she’s tough, because she’s trying to bring out the best in these young people who are coming in and competing for the dear sis Dolly column.
“I needed to just show that she’s got a beautiful soft side, and just because she’s this person of excellence doesn’t mean she’s any less of a soft-hearted, beautiful person.”
In preparation for her portrayal of the character, Kgoroge built her up beyond the pages of the script, creating her own character bible.
“The casting director, the producers, the directors can only give you so much. They’ll give you the age group. a bit of background acting. Then the rest, which is so beautiful, you break it down for yourself. Because you’ve been walking in the footsteps of that person.
“The moment you’re done, you wash the makeup off, you take the costume off, you leave. Say thank you for the opportunity to play you and represent you. I hope I did my best and you walk away, on to the next one.”
“Dear Sis Dolly” premieres on the big screen at Ster Kinekor and Nu Metro cinemas across South Africa from July 3, 2026. The film debuts on the big screen, as opposed to a mainstream TV channel or streaming platform, and calls people back to the cinema.
Kgoroge shared that people should go to the cinema to keep the culture alive before it becomes a distant memory.
“There are people who are busy writing amazing work, and it’s showing only at cinemas.”
IOL
