Bio
Tshepo Nzimande is a South African gospel music producer and former actor who first rose to fame with a role in the television drama series Hlala Kwabafileyo, in 1990, before later switching careers to become a producer.
Born in 1967 at Baragwanath hospital, Nzimande grew up in Soweto. Raised in a close-knit family where his late mother, a moTswana descendant, was the second wife of his Zulu father.
Barely able to make ends meet with his father being a waiter at a restaurant in Braamfontein and his mother being employed as a "tea girl", Tshepo and his four siblings learned humility and got to appreciate life and the little it had to offer at that stage.
In 1975, Tshepo started his schooling at Ekuthuleni Lower Primary School in Diepkloof, Soweto and was later forced to move to Thembelihle Primary because of the political unrest in the township.
In 1981 his family sent him to a Roman Catholic school in Orlando East to do his higher primary learning. This school, according to his parents, was very strict and demanding of respect and discipline from its learners.
In 1984, while attending school at Bona High School, Tshepo could not escape politics and became active in the student riots. During that time he was held in police custody overnight and released the following day after the charges were dropped.
Obsessed with muscle and fitness, he traded the streets for a much healthier lifestyle, when he joined a bodybuilding physical training club at YMCA.
In 1987, when he did a monologue play in a guidance class, he wowed his teachers and classmates alike with an outstanding performance. Shortly afterwards, a teacher approached him and encouraged him to explore a career in acting.
He did not take this lying down as he did some research about the industry. Eventually he joined a casting agency called Gapper, and landed his first audition for Ohlssons Lager. It was a turn in his life path, as he then shifted his focus on to the entertainment industry.
Because of his work overload and a newly found financial independence, he could no longer continue with his studies as he became a provider for his family. It was for that reason that he could not go beyond Standard 9.
In 1987 he got a role in a youth television drama series Zikhethele and later got a break in an international movie, Rage To Kill, as an extra.
1989 saw him doing numerous commercials including Castle Lager, Lion Lager, Shield For Sports Men, Sprite, Panasonic, Lemon Lite, Compral, Ford and many others.
His big break came in 1990, when he earned himself a leading role in a TV drama series Hlala Kwabafileyo. His role gained him great publicity and attention from big players in the entertainment industry.
The show was a success and subsequently Tshepo became part of the second season in 1992. Amidst all this, his physical training paid off, when he entered and became a runner up in the Mr. Carlton Competition.
He was inspired by a speech Nelson Mandela made after his release about the South African youth being flexible and taking advantage of opportunities at their disposal, in 1993. By this time he was a father of a two year old daughter, Tumelo, who was followed by two sons, S'bonele and Osama.
Tshepo further landed a role on another youth drama series Teens On A Tight Rope. In his free time he would be a driver for the now gospel sensation Rebecca Malope, an opportunity for him to tour the country and the continent. It was through this experience that he gained insight into artist management and the music industry.
Because of his profile at this stage and also his friendship with key people in the music industry, he recorded and released his debut and only album Mpompoloza, which was released with CCP/EMI Records, under Peter Tladi's Management.
Together with a friend, they jointly established KK productions, which produced and released Kau (Kwaito) and Kholeka (Gospel) in 1995. The record company was doing well and Tshepo progressed to be a sought after talent scout for his company. It was through this journey that he discovered the now gospel sensation Lundi Tyamara in 1997.
Because of irresolvable differences between him and his partner at KK Records, Tshepo made yet again another career move by joining Bula Music in 1998. This move was guided by the impressive track record the company held.
It was also in this year that he produced Lundi's multi-platinum selling debut album Mphefumlo Wam, released under Bula Music. Following this success Tshepo produced more artists still under the record company, meanwhile assuming the role of a manager for Lundi.
In 2001 he again made a discovery of a young gospel songster S'fiso Ncwane, who was 24 years old. This time Tshepo had started his own production company called Zuz'muzi Music and S'fiso's Makandunyiswe was the first project to come out of the label, and was released under Bula Music on a licensing deal.
At this stage Tshepo was a seasoned songwriter, arranger, producer and a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
In 2003 Tshepo's hard work and perserverance were rewarded when he was appointed to the Board of Directors of Bula Music.
In 2008 he was a guest judge on an episode of the SABC2 reality competition series I Want to Sing Gospel, appearing in Season 1, Episode 8 (which aired on 21 September, 2008).
In 2014 he was a permanent judge on the third season of I Want to Sing Gospel.