Parkhurst High returns with a rocky start between Puleng and Fikile following the revelation of the two characters’ possible connection. The drama tests old alliances and forges new and unlikely friendships. A new school therapist joins the staff, and a new hunk, Sam, joins the Parkhurst gang, with both bringing a few secrets of their own… One thing that we can all be sure of is that nothing is ever as it seems and nobody will be left unscathed by the truth.
This season of the Netflix suspenseful teen drama zooms in a lot closer on the individual and intersecting stories of the characters who make up its world. A deeper dive that gives us as the audience a chance to understand each character better through their development and reflections.
With all this said, it only made sense to profile the beloved actors who will be bringing the characters and their stories to life in season of Blood & Water. Hope you enjoy meeting the cast!
Ama Qamata as Puleng Khumalo
Dubbed Mzansi’s new “it girl”, Ama Qamata, the 23-year-old Eastern Cape-born star, is no stranger to our screens. Also known for her role in Gomora, Qamata returns to our screens as Blood & Water’s protagonist, Puleng Khumalo.
Although her rise to fame came quite quickly, Ama had been performing since the age of 10, playing Snow White in a school play before beginning her professional acting career at the age of 16 in SABC’s My Perfect Family.
Khosi Ngema as Fikile Bhele
“I’m generally an introverted homebody and always have been kind of a wallflower growing up. But, I find that portraying a character requires you to look within, mainly to ‘find’ that character in you,” Ngema says about the differences between herself and the character she plays on Blood & Water: Fikile Bhele.
The Gen Z actress, model and social media star born on 2 November 2000 made her TV debut with Season 1 of the Netflix series in 2020. The young actress, who has a love for Italian cuisine, is also an incredibly talented singer.
Thabang Molaba as Karabo “KB” Molapo
Although acting and theatre were always a part of Molaba’s life while growing up, the Bethlehem-born model turned actor’s path to acting took a detour with him first obtaining a diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the Tshwane University of Technology.
A force to be reckoned with, Thabang is also known across the country for his role in South African telenovela The Queen as Gift Mabuza.
Dillon Windvogel as Wade Daniels
Born November 1st 1999, Dillion Windvogel’s role on Netflix’s Blood & Water is the young actor’s biggest role. Born in Cape Town, Windvogel is also a talented dancer and quite the private person if his social media is anything to go by – he posts only about things related to his work and career.
Not a lot of people know this but Dillon also auditioned for a role in Noem My Skollie.
Natasha Thahane as Wendy Dlamini
Natasha Thahane is no stranger to South African screens as she has appeared in Isono, The Queen and Saints and Sinners. The beautiful actress made her on screen debut on etv’s eKasi Stories, making her big break on SABC 1’s popular drama soap Skeem Saam.
Now, she impresses us all with her strong portrayal of Parkhurst High’s most vocal activist. The role of the activist is one well suited for Thahane as she is granddaughter to anti-apartheid and human rights activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu. At 16, the Soweto-born actress moved in with her grandfather to attend Middleton High School.
Cindy Mahlangu as Zama Bolton
Cindy Mahlangu has featured on several movies and TV shows such as The Queen and Kings of Joburg. But she is best known for her portrayal of Violetta Mamba in the etv soapie drama Scandal! While we love her for her lively portrayal of Zama in Blood & Water, Mahlangu first rose to fame when she landed a role on Mzanzi Magic’s supernatural drama series The Herd.
With the variations in these roles, she’s proven herself a versatile and talented actress. Before making her mark on Netflix, Mahlangu graced the cover of Essay magazine in 2018.
Arno Greeff as Chris Ackerman
While it appears on screen that KB is the only musical genius at Parkhurst High, when it comes to the actors portraying the students, quite the opposite is true. Apart from acting, Arno is also talented musically with a great singing voice and impressive guitar skills.
Arno got his first taste of performing on stage acting in theatre productions. He recalls, “Nothing beats the feeling of a live performance”. Arno’s love for acting started in his teen years, when he was introduced to acting classes. His first role was in 2012 with an appearance in Verraaiers.
Mekaila Mathys as Tahira Kahn
This talented star is a jack of many trades. Her career strengths range from acting to modelling and dance. As she is multilingual, Mekaila has been featured playing roles in both English and Afrikaans. Like Arno, Mekaila began her acting journey featuring in theatre productions before making her way to appear on our screens.
Before being cast in the international hit Blood & Water she featured in many international modelling campaigns for well-known brands, but ultimately got her big acting break in a supernatural drama TV series Dominion in 2015, going on to act in movies such as Bring It On and The Rainmaker.
Greteli Fincham as Reece van Rensburg
At only 20 years old, Greteli has already achieved many things as a performer. Recognised for her role in the kykNET drama series Alles Malan, the actress, like Mekaila, is known for modelling as well. Greteli showed passion and excellence in performance in high school, receiving multiple school awards for theatre and drama.
After matric, Greteli went on to attend acting workshops to hone her craft. Since the actress played her break out role in another kykNET drama series, Dwaalster, she has been excelling in national television roles. This experience shows as Greteli brings a nuanced performance in her portrayal of Reece.
And, lastly, the newest addition to the Parkhurst High Inner circle:
Leroy Siyafa as Sam Nkosana
When Leroy made his entrance at Parkhurst High presenting a cool demeanour, it was easy to assume that he was a seasoned actor. However, Blood & Water marks the acting debut for the 21 year old. Leroy previously modelled and performed in school theatre productions. As is the case with Khosi Ngeme, we are lucky to witness Leroy’s rise to fame through being cast in this Netflix Original.
Speaking about his experience as a first time actor he shared, “I think for me as a first-timer and newcomer, it took me some time to get familiar with everything. Kind of like my character Sam, coming to the Parkhurst scene as a new kid, I also felt like a new kid coming onto the scene. The cast members already knowing each other and having shared experiences from Season 1. So, I definitely had to find my ground but everyone was very welcoming and warm and that definitely helped me to just feel comfortable to express myself.”
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