Shoki Mokgapa
Born(1984-08-17)17 August 1984
Johannesburg, South Africa
Died26 September 2018(2018-09-26) (aged 34)
Johannesburg, South Africa
OccupationActress
Years active2008–2018

Shoki Mokgapa (17 August 1984 – 26 September 2018) was a South African actress.[1] She was best known for her role as Rachel in the film Sink.[2][3]

Early life

Mokgapa was born in Johannesburg. She had a brother Tshepiso and a stepsister Ntsako Mokadikwa. She spent her early childhood in Soweto before her family moved to Johannesburg's northern suburbs. Fluent in English and SeSotho, Mokgapa attended Michael Mount Waldorf School and took A Levels at the British International College. She pursued a Bachelor of Communications before going on to train at the Johannesburg campus of AFDA, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts.[4][5]

Career

In 2008, Mokgapa made her television debut in the second season of the SABC3 drama series The Lab.[6] In the series, she played the role of Tumi, the Pearl Lusipho's personal assistant, for three seasons.

Mokgapa was "instrumental" in helping to co-found the POPArt Theatre at the Maboneng Precinct, which opened its doors in 2011.[4]

On British television, Mokgapa appeared in the ITV series Wild at Heart in 2008 and then in the BBC drama Silent Witness in 2010. Meanwhile, she appeared in Hollywood films such as Retribution (2011) and Dredd (2012). In 2013, she appeared in the second season of the SABC1 drama Intersexions as Gadima.[7] That same year, she made a minor role in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

In 2015, she gained prominence through her role as Disebo in the second season of the e.tv soap opera Ashes to Ashes. In 2016, she appeared in the Sri Lankan feature film A Love Like This directed by Chandran Rutnam which was shot in the Seychelles.[8][9]

In 2017, Mokgapa played Rachel Nyaga in the Afrikaans-language film Sink.[6] For her performance, she won Best Actress in a Feature Film category at the 11th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs).[10] Then in 2018, she won the Best Actress Award at the kykNET Silwerskermfees Festival for the same role, becoming the first non-Afrikaans speaking actress to win the award.[11][12] In mid 2018, she appeared in the Amazon Prime Video miniseries The Looming Tower.[13] She made her final film appearance in Jahmil X.T. Qubeka's Sew the Winter to My Skin, South Africa's 2019 submission in the Oscars' foreign film category.[14]

Death

Mokgapa suffered from clinical depression and anxiety for a long time.[15][16][17] She committed suicide on 25 September 2018 in Johannesburg at the age of 34.[12][18][19]

A memorial event was held on 2 October 2018 at the Market Theatre.[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2006 Perana Short film
2007 Brothers in Arms: 1978 Angolan Woman
2010 The First Grader Teacher Elizabeth
2011 Retribution Thembi Maphosa
2012 Dredd Woman with Child
2013 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Lady in Nightclub
2013 Nothing for Mahala Pule
2015 Sink Rachel Nyaga
2016 The Chemo Club Ruby
2016 A Love Like This
2017 Bypass Sister Mmaya
2017 Reality Mage Short film
2018 Sew the Winter to My Skin

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Life Is Wild Shoki
2008 Wild at Heart Susie
2008 The Lab Tumi
2010 Silent Witness Kudzai Marechera
2011 Sokhulu & Partners Reporter
2013 Intersexions Gadima
2015 Those Who Can't Lindiwe
2015 Ashes to Ashes Disebo
2017 Swartwater Boitumelo
2018 The Docket Guest role
2018 The Looming Tower Secretary Miniseries

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2017 South African Film and Television Awards Best Actress in a Film Sink Won
Silwerskerm Film Festival Best Actress Won

References

  1. ↑ "Mzansi pays tribute to Shoki Mokgapa". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "'She was always a ball of energy,' Mandisa Nduna' heartfelt tribute to Shoki Mokgapa". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "Shoki Mokgapa". afternoonexpress.co.za. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. 1 2 Sassen, Robyn (30 October 2018). "Shoki Mokgapa: Never a dull moment". My View. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Mahopo, Zoë (10 January 2014). "Shoki on showbiz, short hair, and love for kung fu". Sowetan. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Here's why Shoki Mokgapa scored a Safta". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  7. ↑ "Intersexions actress Shoki Mokgapa has died". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  8. ↑ "A Love Like This" in Seychelles Archived 20 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Colombo Gazette, July 21, 2016.
  9. ↑ Harija Amia & Sharon Uranie, Telling African stories in paradise – Seychelles film industry gets big boost with Africa Film Factory Archived 15 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Seychelles News Agency, July 8, 2014.
  10. ↑ Ndlangisa, Amanda. "McCafé Honours Best Actress and Best Actor in a Feature Film at SAFTAs11". Truelove. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "Shoki Mokgapa accolades". IMDb. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 "Shoki Mokgapa took her own life after a battle with clinical depression". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "South African Actress Shoki Mokgapa Has Passed Away". OkayAfrica. 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Shoki Mokgapa had her sights on an international career". The Mail & Guardian. 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  15. ↑ "Clinical Depression Drove Actress Shoki Mokgapa To Suicide". Youth Village. 27 September 2018. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  16. ↑ "SA actress Shoki Mokgapa's cause of death confirmed". uk.news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  17. ↑ Pule, Gaone. "Shoki Mokgapa's cause of death revealed". Truelove. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  18. ↑ "Actress Shoki Mokgapa took her own life". SowetanLIVE. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "Shoki Mokgapa's tragic cause of death revealed". All4Women. 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
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