Joe "Sdumo" Mafela (25 June 1942 – 18 March 2017)[1] was a South African actor, writer, producer, director, singer, and businessman.
Mafela was born in Sibasa, Transvaal, South Africa, and brought up in Kliptown and White City Jabavu, in Soweto, near Johannesburg, and then his family remained until 1990 in the Tshiawelo Township that had been set aside for Venda people under Apartheid.
He also managed the multi-ethnic dance troupes Mzumba, Sangoma, and the Gold Reef Dancers, which performed in feature films, theaters, and hotels and appeared on four continents.
He worked with director Peter R. Hunt (famed for the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service) in the 1976 film Shout at the Devil.
The success of 'Sgudi 'Snaysi ("Is Good, Is Nice") – which ran to 78 episodes on SABC – led to roles in other series, often produced by Mafela's own production company Penguin Films.