Actress Maumela Mahuwa says acting was never part of her dream, but music has always been.


Mahuwa, who is popular for playing Susan in SABC2's soapie Muvhango, said her passion for music got her the acting role and it was saddening that she had neglected it for a while.

"When I got the role on Muvhango, I was auditioning for Lion King and Duma Ndlovu invited me to come to Joburg," she said.


Mahuwa 37, said she has been on the soapie for 15 years and was not going anywhere unless she gets fired "because Muvhango is my home now".


She told Sunday World that when she started, she had to be taught everything about acting.


"I moved from a point where people said I was a bad actor to a point where they now say I am good," she said.


She said growing up she always dreamt of being a singer but that dream suffered when she got into acting by chance.


She, however, still managed to make inroads into music when she teamed up with music legends Chicco Twala and Maria Le Maria in 2002.


"I did two songs under Chicco's supervision. The songs were featured on his album Jimamaji which was released in 2007. The songs were Ndiyarira and Otuwa.


"With Maria Le Maria, I was their back-up singer in 2003," she said.


In 2014 she started giving her music more attention and started working on her debut gospel album Maumela 1 which she released a year ago.


Mahuwa recently released a single titled African Thing which she said is everything about Africa.


"The song features all sounds that represent Africa and it speaks about the pride of the continent," she said.


She said music gives her liberation, makes her happy and that she wants to make music that will be enjoyed for centuries to come.


"I want to make music that documents the African continent. I would like to see my music being a point of reference of our history and for the younger generation to learn from."