Thuso Mbedu

Thuso Nokwanda Mbedu (born 8 July 1991) is a South African actress. She rose to prominence for her performance in the South African teen drama series Is'Thunzi for which she was nominated consecutively for an International Emmy in 2017 and 2018. Mbedu later appeared on the 2018 Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list. In 2021, she starred in the Amazon Video limited series The Underground Railroad making her the first South African actress to lead an American television series, which earned her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series. In 2022, Mbedu appeared on the big screen in Gina Prince-Bythewood's historical epic The Woman King in the role of Nawi. Her other notable roles include Kitso Medupe in the soap opera Scandal!, Nosisa in Isibaya, and Boni Khumalo in the television series Saints and Sinners.