By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – For many young people growing up in QwaQwa, opportunities in the creative arts feel distant and out of reach.
For Boitumelo Foka, an aspiring actor born and raised in the area, acting was never part of the plan, until a chance encounter and a leap of faith changed his life.
Foka recently secured a cameo role as a herd boy in season two, episode 16 of the local television series Outlaws.
The appearance may be brief, but for the young man from QwaQwa, it represents a major personal milestone and a powerful symbol of what is possible for youth from marginalized communities.
“In QwaQwa, acting was not in the cards for me,” Foka recalled.
“I don’t know if it was due to my lack of knowledge or access to resources, but I was not exposed to acting in my community.”
It was only after he left QwaQwa to study in Bloemfontein at the Central University of Technology (CUT) that his world began to open up.
There, a friend, Thabang Nkotoane, introduced him to acting through short skits on YouTube. That exposure ignited something within him.
“This is where I realized my love for acting,” Foka said. “I realized that I had a genuine love and passion for acting.”
He later explored voice-over work alongside his friend Bonolo Klaas, which further affirmed his creative abilities.
“This experience showed me the value of my work because I tried to play soccer and even sing, but none of that panned out,” he explained.
It was Nkotoane who encouraged him to attend a casting call for Outlaws. They auditioned together and waited anxiously for feedback.
“It took some time to get a response, but through God’s grace we got a call back,” Foka said. “I was offered a role and I was very excited.”
Sharing the news with his family was emotional. He told his mother and showed her the email confirmation. Although protective at first, she accompanied him to the studio.
“We went to the studio to shoot the episode and she saw me acting, and they supported me,” he said.
Appearing on a national television series was a dream come true.
“I was so very excited because this is a South African series, even if it was just that one episode,” Foka said.
For him, the achievement goes beyond personal success.
“This achievement is not only personal, but I’d like to say it raises the flag for QwaQwa, which is a marginalized community,” he said.
“I’m not the only one from QwaQwa who is representing on local television.”
He credits his journey to purpose, persistence, and the support of those around him.
“My journey has highlighted things like purpose, persistence and community support,” Foka said.
“I’d like to thank my parents for their support and believing in me… and I appreciate all the support that I’ve received from people from my community in QwaQwa and the Free State as a whole.”
From a community with limited access to arts opportunities to a national television screen, Boitumelo Foka’s story is one of hope, courage, and possibility, proof that talent can rise from anywhere when given a chance.
