The inspiring journey of James Kgaugelo Sithole (full biography)

James Sithole (born September 17, 1991) is a South African actor, producer, stage manager and Entrepreneur. He is best known for his debut television role as Mdala on TV Scandal! And, in this article, we will look into his life, career, ambitions, and personal life.

Biography Profile of James Sithole

A picture of James Kgaugelo Sithole who plays Mdala on etv's Scandal
A picture of James Kgaugelo Sithole, who plays Mdala on TV’s Scandal
  • Full name: James Kgaogelo Sithole
  • Gender: Male
  • Date of birth: September 17, 1991 (33 years old)
  • Place of birth: KwaMhlanga, South
  • Occupation: Actor, Producer, Stage Manager, Entrepreneur
  • Education: Mmametlhake High School
  • TV Shows: Scandal
  • Known for: Mdala/Mdalican on Scandal !
  • Languages: English, Ndebele, other
  • Height: 172cm
  • Nationality: South African

Early life of James Sithole

James Kgaogelo Sithole was born and raised in the small town of KwaMhlanga in the north-west of Mpumalanga Province in South Africa. He was born on the 17th of September in 1991. So, as of 2023, James Sithole is 32 years old.

James grew up in a trilingual family; he is half Tsonga and half Vhenda. However, Sithole grew up speaking Sepedi instead and has even gone on to master other languages like Ndebele, Zulu, Tsonga, English, and a bit of French. Other languages he’s currently learning include sign language and Swahili.

Image of James Kgaogelo Sithole who portrays Mdala on Scandal or Tokollo from Scandal!
Image of James Kgaogelo Sithole, who portrays Mdala on Scandal or Tokollo from Scandal!

According to sources, Sithole developed his acting passion while in school. However, initially, he had wanted to be a police officer or a soldier. But because his passion for the arts kept growing, he discarded those ambitions.

After completing his basic education at Mmametlhake High School, he relocated to Mamelodi Zone 12 in Pretoria to sharpen his acting skills. And it has worked out thus far, though his journey was long.

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Education of James Sithole

He attended Elukhanyisweni High School in 2010 and Musa Secondary School. In 2012, he enrolled to study at the University of South Africa and completed his studies in 2014.

Concurrently, in 2012, he also enrolled to study communication arts and films at the Youth In Trust State Theatre. Furthermore, he studied Language Practice at the Tshwane University of Technology. This was because he wanted to be a translator.

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Other careers of James Sithole

Sithole has worked as a producer, line producer, actor, and stage manager. He began his career in 2013 and has participated in stage productions to date.

Mdala from Scandal is a Theatre trained actor
Mdala from Scandal is a theatre-trained actor

He’s also stated in the theatre production The Tragedy Of Samuel Omunye, written by the iconic writer, poet, artist, and performer Masai Sepuru. The show was performed at the Breytenbach Theatre and left quite an impression.

On August 7, 2021, he made his debut on South African television etv drama Scandal! Here he starred as Mdala or Tokollo, from Scandal alongside Matthews Rantsuma (Nhlamulo) and Nomvelo Makhanya (Lindiwe).

Playing Mdala on Scandal TV

James Sithole who currently plays Mdala on etv's Scandal
James Sithole who currently plays Mdala on TV’s Scandal,

The character of Mdala that he portrays on Scandal is his first television break. And its quite certain more doors are going to open in James’s life.

On Scandal, he portrays a villainous young man by the name of Tokollo or Mdala who used to partner with Nhlamulo in criminal activities.

James Sithole is also an Entrepreneur and producer
James Sithole is also an Entrepreneur and producer

When Mdala first appeared, he brought havoc in Nhlamulo’s life, who had reformed from being a criminal. His ultimate aim was to bring Nhlamulo back to crime.

“Nhlamulo is a darling of audiences and since I’m here to take him back to his old lifestyle, the audience won’t understand that, yet they’ll stay glued to see how he (Nhlaks) overcomes my storm,” said James to TimesLive.

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personal life of James Kgaogelo Sithole

Image of James Sithole who portrays Mdala on Scandal in real life.
Image of James Sithole, who portrays Mdala on Scandal in real life.

James is a multilingual speaker. He can speak English, Ndebele and other languages he is studying for in order to be versatile in the acting industry.

According to recent sources, the actor is not married. However, he does have a girlfriend who has been very supportive of his career. Moreover, he is currently living in Pretoria, in Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Social media

The Scandal star is on Facebook, and his friend list is full since he has reached the 5,000-friend limit. He is also on Instagram. His Instagram has about 22.6k followers at the time of this publication. So, you can follow him on Instagram at @jamessitholemp.

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