Presley Chweneyagae, star of South African Oscar winner ‘Tsotsi,’ dies at 40

Presley Chweneyagae, the South African actor who earned international acclaim for his role in the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi, the first South African movie to win an Oscar, has died. He was 40.

Chweneyagae’s longtime agency, MLA, confirmed his death on Wednesday. No cause of death was disclosed.

“Presley was a longtime and cherished member of the MLA family — more than a client, he was a friend, a mentor to many, a beacon of creativity and perseverance,” CEO Nina Morris Lee said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “His passion for empowering the next generation of artists will remain an integral part of his legacy.”

Amid an outpouring of love for the late actor, the South African government paid tribute to him on its official X account. “Rest in Peace, Presley Chweneyagae,” the post began. “The nation mourns the loss of a gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts. Your legacy will live on through the powerful stories you told.”

Born on Oct. 19, 1984, in Mahikeng, South Africa, Chweneyagae had a career in television, film, and theater that spanned three decades. After starting in community theater, the young actor was launched into international stardom at just 21 after he landed his breakthrough role in Gavin Hood’s 2005 crime drama, Tsotsi.

The movie stars Chweneyagae as the eponymous criminal, who lives by a code of violence and prowls the streets with his gang until he steals a car and discovers a baby in the backseat. As he begins caring for the infant, the hardened malefactor regains his humanity.

An adaptation of Athol Fugard’s 1961 novel of the same name, the film was widely acclaimed, earning a Golden Globe nomination and the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, making it the first South African film to win the award.

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After earning acclaim for his performance in the film, Chweneyagae went on to star in a number of projects, including Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, More Than Just a Game, State of Violence, and Africa United. He also co-wrote the internationally acclaimed stage play Relativity with Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom.

Just last year, Chweneyagae won a South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for his role in the popular South African telenovela series The River. It marked his second time winning the award after taking it home in 2019.