Biography
Fumani Shilubana is a South African actor renowned for his portrayal of Detective Dabula on the SABC3 soap opera Isidingo.
Earlier in his career, he played Detective Nataniel in the SABC2 drama series Hillside (2006-2008) and Dr. Mokhethi on the SABC1 soap opera Generations (2008-2009).
Born in Shiluvana Village, Tzaneen, Limpopo, Shilubana almost pursued modeling in 2000 but shifted his focus after visiting the South African State Theatre to inquire about drama, where he met Irene Mathe. He earned a Certificate in Speech and Drama from Tshwana Modern Arts Company (TMAC) in 2001.
In 2002, he joined the South African State Theatre's Development Program (52 Seasons), where he met his mentor and friend, playwright/director Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom, who greatly influenced his craft. His first professional stage work was in 2003 with Julius Caesar and Maru, performed as school set works.
Shilubana participated in numerous State Theatre productions, including Hamlet, Cards, Relativity "township stories," Telling Stories, Interracial, and the initial installment of the trilogy Welcome to Rocksburg in 2009.
Several of these plays toured European countries such as Austria, Belgium, Germany, the UK, Poland, Holland, as well as South Africa. In 2006, he received a Naledi Award nomination for Best Supporting Role for Relativity "township stories."
That same year, he appeared in various TV productions including Hillside (SABC2) and Soul City (SABC1). His television credits also include Death of a Queen (a mini-series part of SABC1's Shakespeare in Mzansi), Generations (SABC1), and Muvhango (SABC2).
He featured in commercials for Sun International, Hollard Insurance, and Hyundai. In 2009, he was honored with the Mama Beka Community Award for his contributions to improving his province through his achievements.
Shilubana founded Xitengile Media House, a production company.
In 2010, he appeared in the e.tv drama series eKasi: Our Stories in the episode "Foreign Husband," followed by a role in the 2011 episode "Over My Dead Body."
His first film role came in 2012 with the movie Zama Zama.
In 2013, he starred as Mountain, the accident-prone caretaker at a retirement home, in the SABC3 sitcom Let Heaven Wait. That year, he also had a leading role in the Mzansi Magic miniseries Naledi.
In 2014, he played Rudzani Makwarela, a successful building contractor whose corrupt activities threaten his family’s survival while he lies in a coma, in the SABC2 thriller series Thola.
Shilubana appeared as the leading man in four Mzansi Magic Lokshin Bioskop films: Regrets (2014), Cursed (2015), Love Specialist (2015), and Battle Of The House (2015). He also held a supporting role in the 2014 miniseries Naledi.
In 2015, he produced and directed his first film, Khomelela, which features 80% dialogue in Tsonga. The project aimed to create a lasting legacy in Tsonga-language cinema.
That same year, he guest-starred in the third and final season of the Mzansi Magic soapie Zabalaza and appeared in the comedy series The Mayor, created by Kagiso Lediga.
