Presley Chweneyagae, the South African actor best known to American audiences for starring in the Academy Award-winning film Tsotsi, has passed away.
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Chweneyagae’s death was confirmed on Tuesday by his talent agency, MLA.
“His passion for empowering the next generation of artists will remain integral to his legacy,” MLA CEO Nina Morris Lee said in a statement, per ABC News. She did not disclose any details regarding the cause of death.
“The nation mourns the loss of a gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts,” the South African government wrote on X. “Your legacy will live on through the powerful stories you told.”
Chweneyagae was 40.
Chweneyagae was born on October 19, 1984, in Mafikeng, South Africa. He started acting at a young age, beginning acting classes when he was just 10 years old.
His breakout role was playing David, also known as Tsotsi, in Gavin Hood’s 2005 crime drama Tsotsi. Set in a Johannesburg township, the film follows Chweneyagae as a small-time criminal who steals a car and discovers a baby in the back seat, which leads him to change his life.
Tsotsi was a critical success, especially for Chweneyagae’s performance. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, making it the first South African movie to win an Oscar.
Presley Chweneyagae Found a Wider Audience on TV
Chweneyagae also found great success on South African television, particularly for his leading role in the popular telenovela The River.
Set in Pretoria’s diamond mining industry, Chweneyagae played the scheming and charismatic Thuso ‘Cobra’ Mokoena, a character who quickly became a fan favorite. His popularity also led to a spin-off series called Cobrizi.
The River, which aired from 2018 to 2024, earned Chweneyagae a South African Film and Television Award in 2019. The show also made him a streaming star across Africa.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Chweneyagae was also active in theater, with notable roles in Shakespeare productions. He also wrote and directed plays, co-authoring Relativity with Paul Grootboom and directing the award-winning CELL NO 4.