Muvhango actress Maumela Mahuwa proclaims pride in her glowing dark complexion and she would not have it any other way.

Mahuwa, who plays Susan Mukwevho on the SABC2 soapie, insists that she would not look as beautiful if she were light skinned. She says the growing trend of skin-bleaching has never appealed to her as she is comfortable in her skin.


"I wouldn't look good light-skinned. I know that for sure. I stand in front of the mirror and I go: 'this face will look horrible light-skinned'. I'm an African and I love my skin. I come from Limpopo. It's the hottest place there is. This skin helped me to exist where I'm supposed to exist. I love that I'm dark. I'm unique and beautiful.

"I love when people go 'remember Maumela, the dark one?' I love that my skin colour speaks of my culture. In essence it stands me apart from a lot of people. You see me and you can't take me for granted. I work with what I have, I don't have to 'redress' it. We have had instances where I went for a photoshoot and people don't know how to do my make-up because I'm dark-skinned. Then you are not a make-up artist," she said.

For the past 12 years, Mahuwa had become a household name. She plays Susan, one of Chief Azwindini Mukwevho's (Gabriel Temudzani) wives on the multilingual soapie.

As far as her own personal stance on polygamy is concerned, she strongly holds a view that marriage is a union between two people. "To me polygamous marriages are a no-no; they create unnecessary emotional upheaval for the women. So they live their lives trying to prove themselves and out-prove the other wife. At the same time, as men why would you want to burden yourself with too many women?

"Traditionally where I come from it's allowed. With a polygamous marriage you can end up having up to 13 kids. Will they eat right? Will they all get a good education? Let marriage be between two people," she said.

Mahuwa is not just a talented actress, she's a motivational speaker, singer and preacher.

In October, she'll drop a 14-track gospel album titled Maumela 1. She is busy shooting, as a presenter, for a motivational TV show called Think Like a Boss set to premiere later in the year.