Sophie Lichaba (formerly Ndaba, born 29 June 1973), is a South African actress. She played Queen Moroka in the soap Generations.
In 2016, she was guest judge in the final Miss South Africa 2016 beauty pageant.
Education
She completed high school in Zimbabwe, after which she pursued her modeling career.
Her mother sent her to an orphanage in Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe so she could get a better education than what was available in apartheid South Africa.
Personal life
Lichaba’s father, Solly Mphasane, died in 2016. She suffers from diabetes.
With her former husband, Themba Ndaba, she has two children, Rudo and Lwandle.
She adopted her niece, Shallon Ndaba, following the death of her sister, Tiny Mphasane. She married Max Lichaba in 2017.
In late 2018, Lichaba was the victim of a rumour, which claimed that she had died.
Awards
• Duku Duku Award for “Best Soap Actress” in 2003
• Golden Horn Award for “Best Comic Actor” in 2009
• Woman Of Inspiration Award
Sophie Ndaba talks about her depression, weight loss and love for acting
“I always wondered what happened to the spirit of Ubuntu. Not a lot of people will understand what you go through or the fight you’re fighting but just knowing that people are in your corner always means a lot,” Ndaba said.
“I went through a lot these past years. I was 85kg and lost almost half of that… all I needed to hear at the time, especially from people closest to me, was ‘You’re going to be alright’.
“Yes, there were those who cheered me up but the ones I expected more from were the ones who said the worst things to me.
“This is why I am glad to be talking on the mental health topic because I learnt how to deal with navigating people’s opinions about me.
“I was told I would never be loved by anyone based on how I look right now. I feel I will be able to help enlighten others on how I chose not to allow anyone’s opinion about me to affect me anymore.”
“I am proudly black, there was no way I was going to say ‘no’ to being a part of a cast that discusses topics around black culture and our pure existence.
“Such conversations are needed in our lives because we tend to be so caught up doing other things that we end up forgetting who we truly are,” said Ndaba.
“As parents, it’s very important to remind our kids where their history comes from and who they are, and where they are going. This will help them make good decisions in life and become strong minded.”
Ndaba added that it was important to realise Gen Z is misguided by international trends seen on social media or anything that makes them forget what makes them truly African.
“My journey from being a young mother in my teens, I had to fight different fights. I couldn’t go to varsity because I couldn’t afford it.
“I had to choose an industry that seemed easy for me, so I went for modelling, I then realised how boring that was. I then decided to shadow a casting director as a trainee, this is where I got access to all the auditions – that’s how my career on television started,” she said
“Since I grew up in Zimbabwe, although I was born in Soweto, I couldn’t speak other languages besides English. So, when I came back to SA it was difficult for me to articulate myself in another language.”
“I then went for an audition and a white director was casting me. Luckily, I secured the role of Queen and the rest is history.
“Young as I was, what was pivotal for me was getting my foot through the door in the industry and I worked on learning Setswana, IsiZulu and other languages.
“I can safely say I enjoyed my journey in the television industry. I would like to be remembered as someone who loved life and who loved people regardless of who and how they are.”
