Noko Mashilo
For Johanna Molotsi, affectionately known as Buddy J, acting began as a way of avoiding sport at school. It has since become a career spanning three seasons on Skeem Saam.
Growing up in Mentz ka Badimong, Ga-Mamabolo, Limpopo, Molotsi never imagined acting would become her calling. Her childhood dream was to become a lawyer, but life had other plans.
At 15, weighing around 100kg and struggling to find a school tunic that fitted her, Molotsi did everything she could to avoid sport. Then came the day that changed everything.
“I decided to go and hide myself there because I was afraid of sports,” she recalls with a laugh. “Little did I know that I would fall in love with acting.”
That hiding place was the drama group at Makgoka High School, where she discovered a talent she had never considered turning into a career.
Under the guidance of her English teacher and drama coach, Mr Letsoalo, affectionately known as Master Lets, Molotsi quickly gained confidence. Makgoka was a strong competitor in drama competitions across Limpopo, regularly finishing first or second.
Master Lets recognised something special in his young performer.
“He used to ask me to be in charge of rehearsals whenever he was not available, and that gave me more confidence in acting,” she told The News Desk.
By Grade 11, the teenager who had once wanted to become a lawyer was beginning to see acting differently. She realised it could be more than an after-school activity. It could be her profession.
After matric, she enrolled at the Federated Union for Black Artists (FUBA), where she obtained a three-year diploma in Dramatic Arts.
The qualification opened the door to a career she had begun discovering almost by accident.
Landing a role on Skeem Saam was, for Molotsi, both a dream and a frightening reality.
“That was one of the greatest moments in my life and unbelievable at the same time. A dream come true to become Salamina,” she said.
So overwhelmed was she by the opportunity that she kept the news largely to herself.
“I was so happy and scared at the same time. I couldn’t even share the news with anyone, including my own Mom, because I didn’t want her to share the news before the time came, until I was almost about to appear on screen.”
She made her debut as Salamina in 2023, and three seasons later, the character has evolved dramatically. Salamina is no longer simply a housewife. She has become a university graduate, a woman determined to better herself and her family despite life’s obstacles.
For Molotsi, that growth is one of the reasons audiences have embraced the character.
“Salamina is a very strong woman, supportive wife and a loving mom who understands that Thuto ga ena bogolo,” she explained.
Her decision to return to education later in life, she said, reflects the reality of many women who continue supporting their families while pursuing their own dreams.
“She inspires many women who are really holding their families together and ‘ba tshwere thipa ka bogaleng’ like her.”
Salamina’s relationship with her husband also provides a window into some of the dynamics found in many households. Molotsi describes him as a “very typical Pedi man”, talkative, proud and sometimes driven by his ego.
She points to the storyline in which he insists on sending their children to an expensive school despite knowing the family cannot afford it, placing additional financial pressure on his wife.
“But I have learned that as a woman sometimes you must understand and have a way to deal with your man and know which buttons to press to make him softer,” she said, laughing.
One of the most demanding storylines for Molotsi was the drug storyline. She had never smoked before, yet she had to convincingly portray the effects of substance abuse while also understanding how those effects might differ between a young person and an older woman.
“The drug one was the most challenging storyline because I have never smoked before,” she said.
But the storyline also gave her an opportunity to participate in a conversation that extends beyond television.
“I was very proud of the opportunity to tell such a story because that’s exactly what is happening in our daily lives. Drugs are the pandemic not only in South Africa but in the whole world.”
For her, the storyline carried an important warning: communities must confront the scourge of drugs without taking the law into their own hands.
“It was an eye-opener to the community that we need to be more careful and that taking the law into our own hands is not the solution because it can end up killing innocent people.”
Interestingly, while audiences watched Salamina battling these challenges on screen, Molotsi herself was going through one of the most difficult periods of her life.
She credits her years of acting experience for helping her separate the character from the person behind it.
“To be honest, during that storyline I was going through the most in my life. Thank God to the experience and skill that I have in acting, of knowing that when I get to work I become Salamina and leave Johanna at home,” she said with another laugh.
If the drug storyline tested her acting ability, the university storyline touched her heart. Molotsi said she was particularly proud of watching Salamina continue with her education despite the challenges of studying later in life.
Then came a moment that convinced her the character had moved beyond television.
“One day while walking on a small street in Johannesburg, one woman jumped on me and hugged me and said, ‘Thank you so much for inspiring me to go back to school at my age.’”
The woman held onto the embrace as though they had known each other for years.
“That was the moment I realised Salamina is alive,” Molotsi said emotionally.
It was a clear confirmation that the character had become more than a role. Salamina had become a source of inspiration.
While Salamina is serious, resilient and often burdened by life’s challenges, Molotsi describes herself very differently.
“They are both very strong women, but Salamina is too serious about life. I guess it’s because life hasn’t been easy on her,” she said.
“Johanna is a very happy person, bubbly, ever-smiling, very open, talkative and loves people. I am also a very strong believer and a preacher,” she added, laughing.
Away from the television set, Molotsi is also known as Mama Tebogo, a preacher of the Word of God, MC, motivational speaker and drama coach.
She is the director of Buddy J Media and founder of Tumo Ya Bapo Arts (NPC), continuing to use her experience to nurture and inspire others.
Despite building a career she takes seriously, Molotsi is yet to receive an acting award. She is, however, not discouraged.
“I haven’t received any award yet. I’m still looking forward to getting one soon, by the grace of God,” she said with characteristic humour.
For her, acting is far more than a hobby.
“It means everything to me because it’s not just a hobby but a career that I take so seriously. That’s why I went to study for it.”
Her journey, she believes, is proof that rejection does not necessarily mean failure.
“It has always been my dream to get a role at Skeem Saam because Sepedi is my first language. So you can imagine how exciting it was to land there.”
Her message to aspiring actors is simple: keep knocking.
“When you keep on auditioning and not getting any role, it doesn’t mean you are not good enough. It simply means you are just not what they are looking for at the moment.”
After years of acting, Molotsi said Salamina has taught her lessons that go beyond scripts and cameras.
“I have learned that you can be whoever you want to be. Understand that people are not the same. ‘Malapa ga a lekane’ and you can do whatever you want as long as you believe in yourself.”
Her advice is equally direct.
“Don’t compare yourself with anyone. Remain in your lane! You are unique and special in your own way, just like we have different fingerprints.”
And perhaps that philosophy explains why the woman who once hid from sport ended up finding herself on stage and, eventually, on television.
For Molotsi, the journey is far from over.
“Everything is possible. It doesn’t matter how long it can take, and delay is not denial. Don’t give up in life and keep believing in yourself.”
She hopes to remain with Skeem Saam “until God permits” and dreams of continuing to grow within the arts.