Celebrated actor Zenande Mfenyana is still coming to terms with taking home her very first South African Film and TV Award (Safta) honours after a career spanning nearly two decades. Mfenyana took home her first Golden Horn in the Best Supporting Actress in a Telenovela for her character as Thumeka Mabandla in Mzansi Magic’s (DStv 161) Inimba when the glittering award ceremony was held at Gallagher Convention Centre on Saturday evening.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” she told reporters. “You receive the nomination, and you just go ‘Thank you’ to the industry for the nod, and you know that you’re in the right direction because it’s been 19 years in the industry and it’s the 19th Saftas.”
Safta Winners 2026
Other big winners of the night included Gail Mabalane in the Best Actress in a TV Drama category, Bonko Khoza for Best Actor in a Telenovela, Aubrey Poo for Best Actor in a TV Soap and Anele Matoti for Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela. Much-loved telenovela Inimba also won big when it scooped two awards in the Best Achievement in Scriptwriting and Most Popular TV Soap or Telenovela (public vote) categories.
Full List of Winners
- Most Popular TV Soap or Telenovela (public vote) – Inimba
- Best TV Presenter (public vote) – Fezile Mkhize
- Best Feature Film – Death of a Whistleblower
- Best Actress in a Telenovela – Nelisiwe Sibiya
- Best Actress in a TV Soap – Londeka Sishi
- Best Actress in a TV Drama – Gail Mabalane
- Best Actress in a TV Comedy – Desire Gardner
- Best Actor in a Telenovela – Bonko Khoza
- Best Actor in a TV Drama – Frank Opperman
- Best Actor in a TV Comedy – Hannes van Wyk
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Magic Hlatswayo
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Bobby Heaney
- Best Supporting Actress in a Telenovela – Zenande Mfenyana
- Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela – Anele Matoti
For more information on the Safta awards, visit the South African Film and Television Awards Wikipedia page.</p)
