Season 1
Top Actor SA (renamed Top Actor Africa for Season 2) is a South African reality competition series produced by Urban Brew Studios in partnership with Samad Davis, in which 12 up-and-coming actors compete in weekly challenges to win a career-launching prize package and the title of "Top Actor SA".
BET handpicked 12 actors in the country to battle it out on camera in front of big industry names from Hollywood and South Africa. At stake? The chance to win the title "Top Actor SA" and a prize package that includes R100,000, international management representation and a professional role in an upcoming South Africa television/movie production.
The contestants will have to show guts and determination to get through a series of themed challenges as the judges test their acting skills in key acting disciplines from Romance to Horror, Comedy, Soap, Action, Theatre and more.
Living under one roof, there will be drama in the house and on the screen as the contestants compete against each other in grueling acting challenges, all while facing the grim prospect of elimination every week.
The executive producer of the series is Samad Davis, with series producer Camilla Andersen. The series director was Justin Pavlova-Hawkes.
Winner
Altovise Lawrence
Trivia
This was the first original production to air on BET Africa when the channel launched on 2 April, 2015.
Season 1 Finalists
Tshepiso Percival Moeketsi
Age: 26
From: Brits, North West Province
Aspiring actor/student; currently studying Musical Theatre at Tshwane University of Technology.
Altovise Lawrence
Age: 23
From: Boksburg, Johannesburg
Aspiring actor just graduated with honours from the University of Witwatersrand with a Bachelor's degree in Dramatic Arts. She had a minor role on the SABC3 soapie Isidingo.
Lauren Jenae Vankeirsbilck
Age: 23
From: Johannesburg
Aspiring Actor/Studied at Rhodes University; majoring in TV Journalism, Media Studies and Dramatic Arts. She then went on to study her honours in Screen Acting at the Motion Picture and Film school, known as AFDA.
Joe Kazadi
Age: 24
From: Democratic Republic of Congo
South African citizen originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Aspiring actor with no formal training. He has had guest starring roles on the SABC1 drama series Intersexions and Sticks and Stones.
Ayanda Sibisi
Age: 28
From: Durban
Studied Theatre and Music. Aspiring actor.
Nkokheli "Oros" Mampofu
Age: 24
From: Johannesburg
Graduated from ADFA in 2014 with a degree in acting. Aspiring actor who has appeared in a recurring role on the SABC1 soapie Skeem Saam and in a guest role on the SABC1 drama series Kowethu.
Busi Edith
Age: 27
From: Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Studied at the University of WITS for her BADA degree. Musician/songwriter and aspiring actor.
Lethabo "Paris" Kalamula
Age: 24
From: Cosmo City, Johannesburg
IMM Graduate School of Marketing and an aspiring actor whose claim to fame is that he was one of the six "Chambermates" who spent two weeks in the Big Brother Mzansi 3 house in 2014.
Lesego Pooe
Age: 24
From: Caltonville, Gauteng
Aspiring actor. No formal training.
Mbali Nkosi
Age: 26
From: Soweto
No formal training. Aspiring actress who has had several roles in television, including the recurring roles of Cindy on the Mzansi Magic drama series Rockville (Seasons 2 and 3) and HR lady Brenda on the Mzansi Magic soap opera Zabalaza. She also played a NSA dancer on the now-defunct GO channel's first original series Angel's Song.
Francois Jacobs
Age: 25
From: Nelspruit, Mpumalanga
Completed his BA in (Drama) with a degree from the University of Stellenbosch. Full time actor who played a guest role in the kykNET comedy-drama series Sterlopers and had a starring role in the award-winning kykNET period drama series Donkerland.
Sipho Nicholas Nkuna
Age: 26
From: Nelspruit, Mpumalanga
Studied Musical Theatre at TUT Pretoria, then specially selected to continue honing his craft at the USA's prestigious Ballstate University, Indiana. He played the recurring role of Sakhile on the third season of the SABC1 soap opera Skeem Saam, in 2015.