Bio
Mandla Jwara (formerly known as Mandla Shongwe) is a South African actor, presenter and radio DJ best known for his starring role as Johannes in the Mzansi Magic soapie Isithembiso.
Originally from Soweto, he attended Tikwana Comprehensive School and went on to study acting at the Fuba School of Drama and Visual Arts in Johannesburg.
He has been in the radio business for many years and has worked in a number of radio formats including community, in-house, online, music and talk radio.
Some of the stations he has worked with include The Voice of Soweto, SA Stream, Talk Radio 702, Kaya FM and SAfm.
Mandla has also worked as a television presenter on shows such as Telly Fun Quiz, Your Own Business and Beyond the Classroom.
He has acted in numerous television series in guest, recurring and starring roles, beginning with the SABC drama Molo Fish.
He went on to act in dramas like Soul City, Mfolozi Street, Final Verdict, Gaz'lam, The Alliance, Lockdown and Impilo: The Scam; and in the sitcom My Perfect Family.
He has acted in a number of soapies and telenovelas as well, including Muvhango, Generations, The Wild, The Road, Greed and Desire, High Rollers, Scandal!, Isibaya and Isithembiso.
Mandla has also appeared in several feature films including Dead Easy, Against the Wild 2: Survive the Serengeti, Mandela's Gun, Child of Soweto and The Tokoloshe.
In addition, he has acted in numerous corporate shows and was a volunteer teacher in Orange Farm teaching matriculants about the radio business and broadcasting with an organisation called R.I.Z.E. Mzansi.
He has also apepared in several television commercials, for clients including Telkom and eBucks.
Mandla is multilingual, speaking Zulu, seTswana, seSotho and English. He resides in Johannesburg.