Tendaiishe Chitima

Chitima described herself as shy growing up in Zimbabwe, and did not consider acting as a career. She attended the University of Cape Town, studying media and journalism. Chitima took a drama course and loved it, deciding to become a professional actress. She did not tell her parents about her plan until after she graduated. Chitima later earned a master's degree in business.[1] During and after her studies, she acted in short films, including Jayson's Hope (2013), which was a Top 10 finalist for the Afrinolly Short Film Competition.[2]

At the beginning of her career, Chitima's roles were on South African television where she played maids and victims of human trafficking, exposing the plight of some migrant women.[3] In 2016, she played Blessing in the second season of the TV series Mutual Friends. She portrayed Adelaide, an orphan involved in human trafficking, in the TV series Isidingo in 2016.[2] In 2017, Chitima was cast as Anesu, a single mother who did not attend university, in the romantic comedy Cook Off. Her character has a passion for cooking, which is realized when her son and grandmother sign her up for a television cooking contest.[3] The film was made for a budget of about $8000, and she chose the role because she liked the social dynamics of the script. It was her first feature film and became a hit on Netflix, with Chitima describing it as a love letter to Zimbabwe.[1] She received the Best Actress award at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival, and Cook Off was named best film.[4] In 2018, she starred in the play Bloom Flame Bloom.[5]

• 2013: Jayson’s Hope (short film)
• 2014: Evelyn and Tapiwa (short film)
• 2016: Mutual Friends (TV series, as Blessing)
• 2016: Isidingo (TV series, as Adelaide)
• 2017: Cook Off (as Anesu)
• 2018: Guilt (TV series, as Consolation Dube)
• 2019: Into Infinity (short film, as Angela Tariro)
• 2020: Gonarezhou: The Movie (as Thulo)

• Tendaiishe Chitima at the Internet Movie Database