Gloria Mudau

Gloria Mampye Mudau (née Nkomo) (17 January 1927 – 5 September 2011) was a South African actress and educator, best remembered for her comedic television roles on SABC shows such as S'gudi S'naysi ('It's Good It's Nice') and Khululeka ('Be Free').^[1]

She began her acting career later in life, after working as a teacher, and became one of the beloved faces of early democratic South African television. She was better known as Louise.^[2]

Mudau has been a school teacher since the 1950s. In 1986, she began her acting career in the long-running SABC Zulu comedy series S'gudi S'naysi working for Roberta Durrant, a film director and owner of Penguin Films. She gained national fame for her role as Sis' Louise in the comedy series, where she portrayed a character that became part of South Africa's daily household TV culture.^[3]

In 1994, she starred in the comedy-drama Khululeka, a series created to educate first-time voters during South Africa’s transition to democracy. She played the role of Sis Pretty, the wife of Hamilton (played by Corney Mabaso), in the show’s sixth season in 2004.^[4]

Mudau was praised for her ability to bring warmth and subtle humour to her roles, despite being a reserved person off-screen. She stopped acting around 2008, only a few years before her death.^[1]

Gloria Mudau was a mother to five children - four daughters and a son - and had eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild at the time of her passing. She died at her daughter’s Muofhe Mudau's home in Alberton, Gauteng on 5 September 2011, after a long illness, reported a heart problem. She was 84 years old.^[1]

• Gloria Mudau at IMDb (hypothetical)