About

Known credits:
14
Birthday:
1984-10-19
Place of birth:
Soweto, Transvaal, South Africa
Website:
N/A

Presley Chweneyagae

Overview

Presley Chweneyagae (October 19, 1984 — May 27, 2025) was a South African actor best known for his breakthrough lead role in Tsotsi (2005).

Chweneyagae went into acting at an early age, taking acting classes from the age of 10. His first major role proved to be a history-making one, securing the part of David, aka Tsotsi, in Gavin Hood’s searing 2005 crime drama Tsotsi. In the film, set in a Johannesburg township, Chweneyagae plays a small-time hoodlum who steals a car, only to discover a baby in the back seat that causes him to change his ways.

Tsotsi was a huge hit with critics, with praise especially for Chweneyagae’s performance. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for best foreign language film, becoming the first South African film to win an Oscar. The success of Tsotsi secured Chweneyagae's place as one of the best known South African actors.

As well as features, Chweneyagae’s found great success on domestic television, and was arguably better known in South Africa for his lead role in the popular telenovela The River (2028–24). In the Pretoria-set show, which takes place in the diamond mining industry, Chweneyagae’s scheming, villainous and charismatic Thuso ‘Cobra’ Mokoena became a fan favorite, and he received his own spin-off series, Cobrizi. The River won Chweneyagae a South African Film and Television Award in 2019, and helped Chweneyagae become a streaming star outside South Africa as the series became popular in other parts of Africa.

As well as film and TV, Chweneyagae was deeply involved in theater, boasting extensive credits and starring in several Shakespeare productions. Chweneyagae also wrote and directed plays. He co-wrote, with Paul Grootboom, the acclaimed stage play Relativity and directed the award-winning production CELL NO 4.

Chweneyagae died from natural causes on May 27, 2025, at the age of 40.

Known for

Acting

2023 iNumber Number: Jozi Gold Actor 58
Average
2018 The River Actor Thuso "Cobra" Mokoena 69
Fair
2017 The Number Actor China Boy N/A
N/A
2013 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Actor Militant Prisoner 63
Fair
2013 iNumber Number Actor Shoes 58
Average
2012 Zama Zama Actor Joseph Phiri N/A
N/A
2011 The Gentleman Actor Sipho 58
Average
2010 Africa United Actor Egg 58
Average
2010 State of Violence Actor Boy-Boy 59
Average
2009 Menda City Actor Don P N/A
N/A
2007 More Than Just a Game Actor Mark Shimmers 58
Average
2005 Tsotsi Actor Tsotsi 63
Fair

Directing

2009 Menda City Directing Director N/A
N/A

Production

2009 Menda City Production Producer N/A
N/A