Shandalea College director Cornet Mamabolo — best known to TV audiences as Tbose from Skeem Saam — has traded acting for classrooms and construction sites by quietly building an artisan institution to equip young people with certified trade skills.
While his focus is firmly on empowering marginalised communities through education and entrepreneurship, Mamabolo deeply misses acting and is waiting for the right script to make his return to television.
Speaking to Sowetan, Mamabolo reflected on life after TV fame, the reality of building an institution from the ground up, and why he believes young people getting a proper trade certification can change their lives.
How has life been off-screen since stepping away from television?
Mamabolo: It’s been tough. You never know when the next gig is coming, so you constantly want to diversify, reinvest in your businesses and yourself, be innovative and make investments.
You’re always living on the edge because you’ve got employees, you’ve got a family, and you’ve got responsibilities. It’s too much pressure, but it’s fulfilling. Although I stepped away from acting, I still have a passion for it.
So I often pace myself and say, “Even if an acting gig comes today, I’ll only go if I love it”.
Do you miss being on our screens?
Mamabolo: You have no idea how much I do. I posted something three days ago asking if someone could recommend or give me a theatre script to read. Before anything and everything, I’m an actor and love it; I’m obsessed with it, but I just want to do it for the right reasons.
“Before anything and everything, I’m an actor and love it; I’m obsessed with it, but I just want to do it for the right reasons.”
— Cornet Thabiso Mamabolo
However, I want to tell the stories and play the characters I fantasise about — not because I need to survive. Hopefully, I’ll get a project, whether it’s this year or next year. God will provide, and I will come back to acting.
Do people still recognise you in public?
Mamabolo: It’s worse than before. I honestly thought that after three or four years, people would forget me, but they haven’t. The hype is still there…people still call me Tbose when they see me.
What do you miss most about the entertainment industry?
Mamabolo: I miss the action. I miss reading scripts. I miss the countdown before the director calls ‘action’. I miss being on set and watching takes. I miss my colleagues. On set, you’re part of a gang. That’s what I miss.
What’s your impression of Hungani Ndlovu, who took over your previous role?
Mamabolo: I think he’s doing great. He’s an amazing actor. The nice thing about it is that he’s truthful to the character according to his own interpretation and the direction he was given.
He didn’t try to be like the previous actor, and that was the best choice.
What is the Shandalea College trade certification all about?
Mamabolo: For the first two years, I’ve been on a project to build a college. I finished building the project in 2025. The primary focus was to have a living institution where we can produce artisans, especially from villages, the surrounding areas, the townships and the province.
I realised that people with skills are not certified. They are skilled, but they can’t produce a certificate that allows them to declare a house has been wired properly, for example, and many of them have years and years of experience working for companies or independently.
That gap is what I identified through my research, and this was the solution to assist those people.
How can people get involved in the programme?
Mamabolo: They can send their information via WhatsApp or email, and then we will test them for free. The process will start on January 15, and we’re anticipating finishing testing them by March.
Looking ahead to 2026, what are your hopes and plans for the year?
Mamabolo: I want to help build as many people as possible, especially young people from marginalised areas. I also want to focus on myself and do the things I love — things that make me feel like a child again.
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