Hlubi Mboya

Full/Real Name: Hlubikazi Mboya
Known As: Hlubi Mboya
Birth Date: Thursday, March 02, 1978
Gender: Female

Actor Biography
Hlubi Mboya is a South African actress and AIDS ambassador best known for her role as Nandipha Sithole on the SABC3 soapie Isidingo, since late 2000.

She was one of the celebrity contestants on the fifth season of the SABC2 reality dance competition Strictly Come Dancing, from September to November, 2008. Her professional dance partner was Khutso Khunou.

Her role as Nandipha - who is HIV-positive - enabled Hlubi to travel throughout Africa to places such as Tanzania and Zambia as an HIV/AIDS ambassador.

She graduated from Rustenburg Girls' High School in Cape Town. In late 2000 she took over the role of Nandipha Sithole on Isidingo from Manaka Ranaka, who was fired after seven months in the role when she informed producers she was pregnant.

Hlubi has graced the covers of a number of South African magazines including True Love and Elle. She is the proudest of her Elle cover, as she was the first black woman (non-model) to appear on its front page.

She has also been ranked in five editions of FHM magazine's 100 Sexiest Woman In The World.

Aside from her longstanding role in Isidingo, Hlubi also presented the second season of the SABC2 "mind makeover" television series It's For Life, which aired at midday on Sundays in mid-2005.

She made her film acting debut in the 2006 South African short film Shogun Khumalo Is Dying!, written and directed by Daron Chatz and Jahmil X.T. Qubeka.

On 26 September, 2007 she and her sister, tabloid journalist and television presenter Kuli Roberts, were the subject of the fourth episode of the e.tv documentary series Behind the Name, which showcased some of South Africa's biggest showbiz personalities, chronicling their rise to fame.

Strictly Come Dancing
Hlubi was one of the 10 celebrity contestants in the fifth season of SABC2's Strictly Come Dancing reality competition, in 2008. Her coach and partner was Khutso Khunou.

The first two weeks of the competition were non-elimination rounds, with the judges scoring dances by the male celebrities in Week 1 and the female celebrities in Week 2.

In Episode 3 - the first elimination episode - Hlubi admitted to being disappointed and nervous after failing to impress during the first two episodes, but once again her spirited performance left the judges lukewarm.

After her Rumba to Celine Dion's "My heart will go on", Dave Campbell thought that although she was "sultry, sexy and silky", her footwork was largely unsuccessful. Tyrone Watkins thought the couple went down with the Titanic.

The couple scored 25/40 from the judges, placing them fourth. Combined with viewer voting they were safe from the dance-off that week.

In Episode 4 they performed the Tango. Lilian Phororo thought that the dance suited Hlubi well, but noted that the passion should be evident in every movement, as opposed to just in the temperament.

Salome Sechele remarked that Hlubi's head was obviously in the right place, after her somewhat unsatisfying first performances. The couple were clearly starting to get into the groove.

They went one better than the previous week, scoring 26/40, which was only good enough for 5th place as the competition got tougher.

Once again they were safe from the dance-off when viewer votes were added.

In the fifth episode Hlubi and Khutso shone with an inspired shot at the Paso Doble. Dressed in a fiery orange and red gown, the petite actress was dramatically thrown around with skirt flying - ideal moves to "become" the cape she is supposed to embody.

Salome reminded her that the female dancer is supposed to use her arms to frame her man in this style. Tyrone applauded the beautiful body shapes.

It was their best score of the series, with 29/40 placing them in joint second place with Cindy Nell and Johnathan Broadway, one point behind leaders Tessa van Duuren and Grant Esterhuizen.

The following week - in Episode 6 - disaster struck.
Dazzling in a yellow mini dress, Hlubi - all smiles and with fabulous glittery make-up - presented a competent routine with Khutso.

Tyrone complimented their choice of music, but found all the shaking a bit much. He thought their performance lacked quality and that her spine didn't work at all.

For all Dave cared, Hlubi could have "shaken herself into a coma". He noticed small technical faults and was delighted with the freshness she brings to the stage.

Lilian enjoyed her good arms and suggested work "on taking her lines right through her body".

Despite the generally positive feedback Hlubi and Khutso only scored 26/40, which placed them in second-last place.

In a shock, dramatic moment of SCD history, racing driver Gugu Zulu - who scored the least points that week and had looked a dead certainty to end up in the Bottom 2 - was saved by viewer voting, bumping Tessa and Grant down into the Bottom 2 with Hlubi and Khutso.

The infuriated judges were forced to choose between Tessa and Hlubi, and although Salome voted to keep Hlubi, the other three judges all voted to keep Tessa.

Hlubi and Khutso thus became the fourth couple voted out of the competition, on 6 November, 2008.

TELEVISION ROLES
Character / Show
Nandipha Sithole: Isidingo - Season 1
Celebrity Dancer - Herself: Strictly Come Dancing - Season 5

Source:
www.tvsa.co.za/actorprofile.asp?actorid=2750