Cynthia Philisiwe Shange (27 July 1949 – 20 April 2026) was a South African model and actress. She is best known for being the first Black South African to represent the country at the Miss World 1972 pageant in 1972 and for her long-running role as MaNkosi in the SABC 2 soap opera Muvhango.[1][2][3][4]
Cynthia Shange | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 27 July 1949 Lamontville, Durban, South Africa |
| Died | 20 April 2026 (aged 76) KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Occupations | Model, actress |
| Years active | 1970–2026 |
| Children | 4 (including Nonhle Thema) |
Early life and education
editShange was born on 27 July 1949[5] in the township of Lamontville, near Durban, Kwazulu-Natal province of South Africa. She began her career in the early 1970s as a model, participating in local beauty pageants despite the restrictions of the Apartheid era.[6]
Career
editPageantry
editIn 1972, Shange won the "Miss Africa South" title (a separate competition for Black South Africans during apartheid). This victory allowed her to compete in the Miss World 1972 pageant held in London, making her the first Black woman to represent South Africa on an international stage.[7]
Acting
editShange transitioned to acting in the mid-1970s. She gained significant fame for her role in South Africa's first Black feature film, uDeliwe (1975),[5] starring alongside Joe Mafela.[8] She later became a household name for her role as MaNkosi, in the popular Venda-language soap opera Muvhango, a role she played for over two decades. Shange also appeared on Shaka iLembe.
Personal life and death
editShange was the mother of four children. Her daughter, Nonhle Thema, is a well-known South African television presenter and actress.[9]
Shange died after a short illness at a hospital in Kwazulu-Natal, on 20 April 2026, at the age of 76.[10]
References
edit- ↑ Makhoba, Ntombizodwa (11 August 2017). "Cynthia Shange: The queen of our screens". Drum. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ "The Inkatha Freedom Party Mourns the Passing of Arts Icon Cynthia Shange". Inkatha Freedom Party. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ "Trailblazing beauty queen, actor Cynthia Shange has died at 76". Sowetan. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ Nossiter, Adam (13 May 2026). "Cynthia Shange, Who Defied Apartheid at a Beauty Pageant, Dies at 76" – via NYTimes.com.
- 1 2 "Cynthia Shange: Black beauty queen who represented South Africa at Miss World during apartheid dies". www.bbc.com. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "Cynthia Shange". TVSA. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ Bodley, Anne (2005). South African Glamour: The History of Pageantry. Heritage Press. p. 88.
- ↑ "Reflecting on the legacy of uDeliwe". SABC News. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ Ngcobo, Kanyisile (22 May 2018). "Like mother, like daughter: Cynthia Shange and Nonhle Thema". The Sowetan.
- ↑ lethunxumalo (20 April 2026). "Veteran actress Cynthia Shange dies in KZN hospital". The Witness. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
