Tafara Nyatsanza
Tafara Nyatsanza (born 14 June 1996) is a Zimbabwean actor, playwright and theatre practitioner. He has worked in theatre, television and film in Zimbabwe, South Africa and internationally.
Early life and education
Nyatsanza was born on 14 June 1996 at the Seventh Avenue Surgical Unit (SASU) in Mutare, Zimbabwe. He is the son of Pius Nyatsanza, a provincial field officer and Florence Siwellah, a teacher. His parents separated when he was about one and a half years old, and he spent his childhood moving between Mutare and Chipinge.
He attended several primary schools including Mt Selinda Primary, Emerald Primary, Hode Primary, Tiya Primary, and St Georges Muchena Primary School. For secondary education, he went to Chikanga High School and Biriiri High School. After initially failing his O-Level exams, he repeated grades in Cape Town, South Africa, where he was introduced formally to drama subjects. Nyatsanza later earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Theatre & Performance, Theatre-Making from the University of Cape Town.
Theatre career
Nyatsanza's early career included theatre performances in Cape Town. He played Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew at Artscape in 2014. He has performed in productions such as Scott, Zuva Crumbling, Beyond the Wall, Richard III, Nineveh, Heaven Is Not Closed, Murdering Agatha Christie, Lobengula Street, Cattle Drive, Kuromba (writer & director), and Remnants of a Dead Brain (writer & director).
Screen career
Nyatsanza has appeared in both film and television. His notable roles include:
Year |
Title |
Role / Notes |
|---|---|---|
2020 |
Spell |
Young Man at Gas Station |
2021 |
Blood & Water |
Tendai (Lab Technician) in Netflix series |
2021 |
Bulletproof |
Damian (support role) |
2022 |
Banji, a tour guide in survival action film starring Idris Elba |
|
2022 |
Hyperlink |
Support role |
2024 |
The Fix |
Support role |
2024 |
Lootere |
Support role |
2024 |
The Nowhere Man |
Support role |
Awards and recognition
- [https://www.fleurducap.co.za/uncategorized-en/55th-fleur-du-cap-theatre-awards-winners-announced? Fleur du Cap Theatre Award – Best Performer in a Solo Play for Scott].
- [https://weekendspecial.co.za/fleur-du-cap-theatre-awards-2019-2020-nominees/? Nominations for Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards in 2016, 2019, 2020].
- [https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/zim-2023-namas-announce-winners? National Arts Merit Award – Outstanding Artist in the Diaspora (2023)].
Other skills
Nyatsanza is skilled in movement arts, including Butoh dance and choreography. He speaks English, Shona and Ndau, and performs in multiple accents. His physical attributes are listed as height 1.63 m, weight 56 kg, black hair, brown eyes, and shoe size US 7.