[1] Considered as one of South Africa's most celebrated artists, Thembi is notable for the roles in the several popular television serials including Sgudi 'Snaysi, Stokvel, Silent Witness and Imbewu.
[2] Apart from acting, she is also a renowned singer, playwright and Associate Teaching Artist at Global Arts Corps in Kosovo as well as a trainer in Cambodia.
She was born on 7 November in Sabhoza, a village near Ulundi, Durban, South Africa.
With the contribution to the field of art, she was made an Honorary Citizen of Louisville by the Mayor and received a vote of thanks by the Kentucky Senate.
Later she went USA for uplift her musical career where she met popular musicians Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba.
She later made a radio version of the play for BBC 4, and won Sony Gold Award in 2002.
[5] In 2002, she was nominated in the category of African Excellence in Entertainment & Arts at Tribute Achievers Awards Ceremony.
[4] In 2006, Thembi joined with the international production Truth In Translation directed by an American director Michael Lessac.
The play was opened in Rwanda and has later performed in the US, Europe and Africa as well as at Baxter Theatre Centre in 2007.
[2][3] In November 2019, Thembi was honored with The Living Legend Award at National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina, USA to distinguish her service to South African cinema.