Veteran actress Thoko Ntshinga paid a heartfelt tribute to her late colleague and friend, Nandi Nyembe.

She has described Nyembe as a multi-talented thespian who she met back in the 1970s while she was job hunting.

Nyembe passed on a week ago at the age of 75 after battling a long illness.

She acted in popular SABC 1 telenovelas such as Yizo Yizo, Soul City, Zone 14 and went on to join Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya and Adulting.

Speaking at Nyembe’s funeral service in Randburg, Johannesburg, Ntshinga urged artists to confront industry challenges as a collective.

“I don’t want to be talking to the government. We’ve spoken to the government, we have complained. We have asked. We have cried. I want to speak to the artists. When do we take ourselves seriously? If you feel you are going to be underpaid, don’t take the job. Our industry is a job like any other job. But why is it that we allow ourselves to be ill-treated. We need to get together. If we are in the same job and we want to do something about it as ama-artist, do it as a collective,” says Ntshinga.

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LIVE | Family, friends and industry colleagues gather at Walter Sisulu Hall in Randburg in Johannesburg for the funeral of veteran actress Nandi Nyembe, who passed away last week at the age of 75. pic.twitter.com/KMghbcutNN

— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 30, 2025

Mzwakhe Mbuli performed a poem to honour Nyembe:

[WATCH] Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli pays tribute to veteran actress Nandi Nyembe, saying, “If shovels could speak, they would say they are tired of digging graves.” pic.twitter.com/wN5hDMFqtd

— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 30, 2025

Nyembe will be laid to rest at the Westpark Cemetery in Randburg on Saturday afternoon.

LIVE | Veteran Actress, Nandi Nyembe funeral service: