Thando Thabethe says she couldn't be more excited about the release of her new film "Love Lives Here" in September this year.
In the rom-com, Thando stars as Zinhle Malinga, a young novelist looking for love who is caught in the clash between modern and traditional ideas of romance.
"She's a girl trying to navigate love and ends up finding it in the one place she least expected to find it. The film is a true reflection of the struggles women in South Africa face‚ a battle between what their heart wants and what society, or tradition, thinks is right. It is all about that conflict between what people say and what they want for themselves," she says.
Behind the scenes, Thando also plays the role of executive producer.
"I'm excited about the movie, because the character that I play is very different to those I've played before. Also, [being] the executive producer is really exciting. I love it," Thando admits.
She tells HuffPost she's also looking forward to the debut of her new talk show, "Thando Bears All", on TLC in April.
"If you're a fan of TLC as well as all its out-of-the-box and sometimes strange shows, you're going to love this show – we sit down and talk to the South African equivalent of the people who make those shows, and hear their stories as people who live their lives in an unorthodox way," she says
Thando also features in "Johnny Just Come", a pan-African comedy that features South African and Nigerian actors.
"Although my role in the movie is quite small, I had so much fun shooting – I can't wait for people to see it," she says.
Speaking of her passion for women's rights, Thando said her feminism is something she grew into.
"As a woman, it came organically. It makes me so glad to see women, young and old, breaking norms across all industries – starting businesses and just making names for themselves in entertainment. It feels really good."
For the girl child, Thando hopes: "Find your purpose. It's a feeling you get when you're doing what you love and once you've found that, be relentless in the pursuit of where your dreams take you. Also, just start, get it going and don't let anybody tell you that you can't," she says.
Thando will soon marry longtime partner Frans Mashao, and plans are underway for the big day.
She tells HuffPost that she was not ready for how demanding the process is.
"Every girl dreams of her wedding day, and thinks that's the one thing they cannot wait for. However, it's much more work than I ever imagined, and to have to juggle [planning] with my actual jobs is proving very difficult – but also very exciting at the same time."