A reluctant activist

Siv Ngesi does not like to be called an activist. He prefers to simply be known as someone who speaks out against injustices. This down-to-earth actor-comedian chats to Tyler Setzer about his journey in the industry, how he deals with social media, and the difficult balance between confidence and humility.

At the young age of 9, Siv Ngesi was traveling the world. Not for fun though. For work. He played the role of Gavrosh in the show, Les Misérables. If this isn’t impressive enough, just a year later he was invited to sing a piece from the musical at Nelson Mandela’s birthday party in 1996. Performing, whether it be on stage or in front of a camera, has always been what Siv wanted to do; he has never had a backup plan.*“My mother taught me that the only Plan B is to enforce Plan A. As a kid, I didn’t want to invest in anything apart from the performing arts. There’s nothing else I wanted to do and it’s the only thing I’ll ever do. I want to die doing this,” he says.

High school was an important part of shaping his career, but it wasn’t easy. Siv suffered from bad acne as a teenager, which meant a break from television and a shift to focusing more on theatre. He credits this theatre training as the reason for his success as an actor.

“I was a child star, performing for Nelson Mandela and traveling the world, and then the acne hit, and it really slowed me down. It was a difficult, but quite an important part of my career. It shaped me into who I am today,” he says.

Siv was never chasing the big breaks. In fact, he doesn’t believe in them. He references his high school sporting career, saying that just as it takes a whole team to score a try, it takes years of working to perfect your craft and to be recognised. He warns that social media makes success look like an overnight thing. To really make it in the industry, you need to work at it. He compares it to winning the lottery and how people who do, often end up losing it all.

“It’s about consistency, consistency, consistency and trying to do it for the right reasons. Don’t chase the break, but work like it’s around the corner – continuously.”

It seems this consistency and dedication has paid off for Siv, who has launched three projects this year: one local M-Net television series called Still Breathing, along with two more films: Knuckle City and Bhai’s Café. He brushes the attention off, saying that he doesn’t like watching himself on screen. He always feels like he can do better.

“That being said, if I’m honest, Knuckle City and Still Breathing are two projects I think I am happiest with my performance,” he adds.

Now that this work has aired, Siv is moving on. He just finished filming an Afrikaans movie the day before this interview and has recently started a new television series. On top of this, two additional films have also been booked.

“I just want to create and carry on. I don’t want to ever sit and think about my work for too long,” he says.

Social media

Siv has quite a social media following, with over 140 000 combined followers on Instagram and Twitter. It’s no secret that Siv is outspoken, from poking fun at veganism, to standing up for women’s rights – and he is characteristically unafraid to share his views.

When asked if he ever gets into trouble, he quickly replies: “Oh, all the time.” Smirking, he adds: “It’s definitely easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Siv says he will continue to share his views on social media. If it affects his career negatively, then those people aren’t right for him.

“I will speak my mind and I refuse to hold back. Any brand that associates with me needs to understand that,” he says.

Siv’s outspokenness has seen him being compared to Kanye West. But he only wants to be compared to Siv Ngesi.

“Kanye West just looks for attention. I honestly believe everything I say, I don’t say it for a reaction,” he adds.

However, Siv admits that his views do change, and when they do, he’s not afraid to acknowledge it and apologize if in the wrong. Instead of seeing it as something to be ashamed of, he uses it as an opportunity to learn and grow as an individual.

Nevertheless, Siv believes that negative attention is inevitable when you’re a public figure.

“When you are successful, people will always have an opinion about you and what you are doing,” he says. “Remember – dogs only bark at moving cars, never at parked ones,” he adds.  

Activism

Siv’s large following gives him the platform to show support for the marginalised and vulnerable groups of South African society. It is because of this that Siv is often described as an ‘activist’, but the actor-comedian says he’s not a fan of the term.

“It’s like stopping at a zebra crossing and people thanking you – I’m not stopping here because I want to, I’m stopping because I have to. I believe that I’m just a normal South African, who hates seeing injustice and I have the platform. So I speak out. But I think every single person, even if you don’t have a platform, should speak out against the injustices of the world and of this country,” he says.

One thing Siv is passionate about is women’s rights. It’s a cause that lies close to his heart, as he has two nieces and a mom whom he is very close with. Siv often hosts drives to collect sanitary products for disadvantaged communities.

“I think it is an injustice, having young women miss school or having to pick between a loaf of bread and [sanitary products],” he says.

Although having done other charity work, Siv says that being able to protect human dignity and help keep girls in school makes him proud.

Two ladies are walking down the street. He points at them: “They say you can judge a society by how tightly a woman holds her bag – see that woman over there? She’s holding her backpack casually across her shoulder, where the other one is holding it tightly to her side – that’s interesting,” he says, before regaining his focus.

Confidence and humility: a difficult balance

Although often criticised for it, Siv’s confidence comes from knowing what he has to offer, believing that any project is lucky to have him on board.

“If they don’t pick me, it’s their mistake and I’ll continue to create work,” he says.

But behind this bravado is a man who admits that rejection can still hurt.

“It’s the same as getting your heart broken. No matter how many times it happens – it never gets easier,” he adds.

Siv turns around and grabs a set of Pyramid balls, fiddling with them as he speaks. He starts talking about how he had to learn to balance confidence and humility. He calls it an “unbelievable challenge” and one that he doesn’t always get right.

Being a naturally confident guy, he is often labelled as cocky. He picks up his phone and starts scrolling.

“There’s a saying that I posted on Instagram; ‘A mistake that makes you humble, is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant,” he says.

“It’s about reaching for the stars, but with your feet firmly grounded,” he adds.

Although confident in his abilities, Siv admits to still feeling nervous and overwhelmed at times. But he’s always determined to finish whatever he starts. He begins speaking about an upcoming project that is pushing him out of his comfort zone, but he is forcing himself to keep at it.

“I’m going to do it. There is no choice. You have to execute; you can’t make excuses.”

People underestimate his determination, he says. But he has always been disciplined and believes it’s what sets him apart.

Working in SA

South Africa is a great place for creating content, he says. “When you are a developing country, there are many stories that haven’t been told.”

He starts talking about his recent TV-series, Still Breathing, and how they wanted to appeal to South African audiences with the series by giving them something they can relate to.“People are loving it and South Africans are saying that they have never seen anything like this before, so there is still great opportunity here.”

Siv plans to spend more time overseas in the future, specifically in the United States, and he might even consider moving there in the future. But his heart remains proudly South African.

“I feel like it will be more of a back and forth thing. I won’t be staying there permanently – I still have a lot I want to do here,” he says.

*Please note: This interview was conducted before the nationwide lockdown regulations were implemented.