CAPE TOWN, South Africa – South Africa-based software developer-cum-actor Leroy Siyafa hopes his emphatic debut appearance on the second season of Netflix’s hit teen drama series Blood and Water will inspire other Zimbabwean youths to pursue their dreams and despite the odds stacked against them.
“My sole ambition as an actor has always been to inspire young people from Zimbabwe much like myself, to rise against the odds and pursue their passions, hopes and dreams,” Siyafa told ZimLive.
“I want them to be inspired by what God has been able to do in my life and to believe that they can achieve much more than I have been able to, provided they remain focused on their goals and disciplined through a consistent effort of hard work.
“I believe the sky is not the limit, if there are footprints on the moon.”
Born in Budiriro in Harare, Siyafa partially attended his primary school in the country before relocating in 2008 with his family to South Africa where he furthered his studies.
Siyafa completed his secondary education at Elkanah House High School in Cape Town where he got a lead role for a high school musical called District Six the Musical.
Although Siyafa dreamed of being an actor, lack of acting opportunities forced him to temporarily abandon his dream, and enroll for a degree programme in software development at Cape Peninsula University of Technology last year.
When Siyafa got a shot to audition for the character Sam in Blood and Water earlier this year, courtesy of his modelling career, he dropped out of varsity an threw everything at his dream.
He remembers: “When I was called for the Blood and Water auditions for the character Sam, I seized the moment without doubts, because I believe our only limit as human beings is our imagination and what we can think.
“My advice to youths in Zimbabwe pursuing their dreams in various careers and professions is that we human beings are the only species on planet earth with the ability to transform our dreams into physical reality.
“That being said, I wouldn’t urge anyone to make a specific decision but to follow their heart and take risks that will get them close to their dreams, because the only limitation in life is the mind, and anything is possible if you believe it to be possible.
“This is something that has proved to be true in my life and is an irrefutable fact. Now I am reaping the benefits of taking a bold step pursuing my passion for acting.”
Siyafa portrays Sam, a new kid in town, a biker dare-devil that becomes romantically linked with the feisty Fikile (Khosi Ngema) a self-proclaimed perfectionist with unexpected impulses that always land her in trouble.
Sam is a witty go-getter living on the edge, who resorts to unorthodox methods to catch the attention of Fikile, which inevitably makes him clash with the richest kid at Parkhurst, Chris (Arno Greeff).
Blood and Water Season 2 is a cocktail of mystery, suspense and love stories with unpredictable twists and turns that will keep fans glued to the screen as Puleng (Ama Qamata) and Fikile try to unravel secrets that prove to have serious repercussions.
