American actors in South Africa

By Tebele Karabo

American actor Idris Elba  in South Africa to play Nelson Mandela Long walk to freedom

Idris Elba to perform long walk to freedom

South Africa got the talent whereby we have the variety of actors and actress who can play any content of a story based on a true story on someone vital or an event.

But since the introduction of american actors and actress in the world especially in African countries, they are taking each and every movie in our countries which were suppossed to be played  by our local artists.

Lets go back a little bit, Hotel Rwanda movie that was based most on ethnic instability in Rwanda was characterised by the american actor Don Cheadle instead of the local actors in Rwanda because they have all round understanding of the ethnic war between the tutsi and the hutus.

Or maybe is because  Africa  don't have the relevant broadcasting companies or resources that will cast all events that took place in Africa over  the decades or we just let the west to overtake what was supposed to be done by our local artists?


Now in South Africa the very same problem is rising again when "daddy little girls"famous actor Idris Elba  is going to act the movie of our first black president Nelson Mandela's role in  the movie Long walk to freedom.

 In South Africa we have the relevant actors who have the understanding of the icon's history on long walk to freedom better than american actors. And we have better well-known actors like John Khani and many more who can also play the part of our first president movie Long walk to freedom.

Okay is it because our content is not capable of creating such movies whereby they are letting American actors to take over or what? I don't know because it seems that way to me though...
All Im saying in this opinion piece in my blog is that don't we have relevant and well-known actors in South Afrca who can play our local movies based on true stories of local heroes, events or novels rather than letting other actors to perform the roles in our country?