She is introduced on 5 January 2011 as a new receptionist at the fictional Mill Health Centre as a replacement for Ruth Pearce (Selina Chilton).
Mrs Tembe's storylines throughout her time on the soap included experiencing racism, being bullied by Anthony Harker (Adam Astill), contracting a sexually transmitted infection and her relationship with Gordon Clement (Steven Elder).
Mrs Tembe's exit storyline sees her move away with Gordon to Newcastle after accepting a new job working as a manager for a children's charity.
She impresses Julia Parsons (Diane Keen) at her interview and instantly gets the job as receptionist at the Mill Health Centre.
She returns recovered from her racial attacks, and is welcomed back by the staff, who are pleased to see her, except for temporary receptionist Lauren Porter (Alexis Peterman), who is now out of a job.
Mrs Tembe begins a friendship with the vicar of her parish church, Gordon Clement (Steven Elder), which blossoms into a romance.
They subsequently shunned Thomas and he was forced from the town, prompting a heartbroken Mrs Tembe's emigration to the United Kingdom.
Mrs Tembe is asked by Daniel Granger (Matthew Chambers), Jimmi Clay (Adrian Lewis Morgan) and Heston to run the surgery due to Howard's death.
Anthony continues to bully Mrs Tembe and it reaches a climax when he persuades her to accept a new job and she leaves the Mill.
She survives and wakes up in a ward at the hospital with Zara Carmichael (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh) by her side, and asks how Heston is.
As she returns to work, Mrs Tembe struggles with her grief and becomes short-tempered with her colleagues, who see she has become a different person and is not coping with Heston's death.
Mrs Tembe is angry at God for taking Heston instead of her, and feels like she should have died instead of him, something she admits to his wife, Ruhma Carter (Bharti Patel).
Whilst everybody is at the wake, Mrs Tembe enters the church alone and speaks to God, lecturing him and telling him that it should have been her, not Heston who had a family who loved him.
After reverend Viv Marchant (Martine Brown) is hospitalised with pleurisy, Mrs Tembe's ex-lover Gordon returns to take over the church.
After deciding to train to become a vicar, Mrs Tembe gets engaged to Gordon and leaves Letherbridge with him after realising she is finally happy.
Mrs Tembe receives a job offer with a charity working with children in Newcastle, where Gordon would be stationed at, and they ask her to start immediately.
After making an emotional speech about her eight years at the Mill and missing Howard and Heston, Mrs Tembe prepares to leave.
[2] Speaking to Inside Soap, Laidlaw said: "I'm so excited someone has the hots for Mrs Tembe, I told the producers I wanted her to fall in love with someone, and now it's happening.
Discussing where things are heading next, she added: "Mrs Tembe is going to go speed-dating - now she's broken that romance barrier with Gordon, there'll be more adventures to come!
[4] Laidlaw was keen to portray the story since her research had found that a lot of middle-aged people were finding themselves diagnosed with STIs.