Bio
Bathabile Mashigo is a South African actress best known for her role as Grace Medupe on the e.tv soapie Scandal!, from 2015-2021.
After matriculating she studied for a B. Tech (Drama) at Technikon Pretoria, graduating in 2001.
After graduating she worked as an au pair in New York as part of a cultural exchange program. Years later she would return to New York to teach African storytelling at French Woods Arts Camp.
Her first television role came when she was cast as HIV-positive Magda on the SABC1 soapie Generations, appearing in the role from July 2005 to October 2006.
In July 2008 she had guest starring roles in two miniseries: Noah's Ark on SABC2 and Death of a Queen on SABC1, which was adapted from Macbeth as part of the SABC1 "Shakespeare in Mzansi" strand.
Later that year she had a recurring role in the second season of the M-Net drama series Jacob's Cross.
The following year she played parliament secretary Fikile in the second season of the SABC2 legal drama series 90 Plein Street and also played the role of Petunia in the SABC1 drama series Society.
After a hiatus of several years Bathabile returned to television in August 2014 with a small role on the e.tv soapie Rhythm City.
In October 2005 she landed the role of Grace Medupe on Scandal!, which she continued to play until her last appearance on 6 September, 2021.
She also played the role of Cynthia Nyathi on StarSat's first original soapie, Maseko Ties, which premiered on 5 September, 2016.
In 2021 she turned up on the Mzansi Magic soapie The Queen in the recurring role of Gertrude, making her first appearance in the role on 26 February, 2021 (Season 5, Episode 155).
The following year she was cast in the starring role of Bridget in the Mzansi Magic drama series Umbuso.
Her character in the show is Tiny's (Makhaola Ndebele) fierce wife, the family matriarch and the power behind the throne who is capable of absolutely anything and utterly ruthless.
She might or might not like Tiny, but she does love the doors that her marriage to Tiny opens for her, and the hidden power that marriage allows her to wield.
Umbuso premiered on Mzansi Magic on Sunday 3 April, 2022.