Shoki Mokgapa

Shoki Mokgapa (17 August 1984 – 26 September 2018) was a South African actress. She was best known for her role as Rachel in the film Sink.

Early life Mokgapa was born in Johannesburg. She had a brother Tshepiso and a stepsister Ntsako Mokadikwa. She spent her early childhood in Soweto before her family moved to Johannesburg's northern suburbs. Fluent in English and SeSotho, Mokgapa attended Michael Mount Waldorf School and took A Levels at the British International College. She pursued a Bachelor of Communications before going on to train at the Johannesburg campus of AFDA, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts.

Career In 2008, Mokgapa made her television debut in the second season of the SABC3 drama series The Lab. In the series, she played the role of Tumi, the Pearl Lusipho's personal assistant, for three seasons.

Mokgapa was "instrumental" in helping to co-found the POPArt Theatre at the Maboneng Precinct, which opened its doors in 2011.

On British television, Mokgapa appeared in the ITV series Wild at Heart in 2008 and then in the BBC drama Silent Witness in 2010. Meanwhile, she appeared in Hollywood films such as Retribution (2011) and Dredd (2012). In 2013, she appeared in the second season of the SABC1 drama Intersexions as Gadima. That same year, she made a minor role in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

In 2015, she gained prominence through her role as Disebo in the second season of the e.tv soap opera Ashes to Ashes. In 2016, she appeared in the Sri Lankan feature film A Love Like This directed by Chandran Rutnam which was shot in the Seychelles.

In 2017, Mokgapa played Rachel Nyaga in the Afrikaans-language film Sink. Then in 2018, she won the Best Actress Award at the kykNET Silwerskermfees Festival for the same role, becoming the first non-Afrikaans speaking actress to win the award. She made her final film appearance in Jahmil X.T. Qubeka's Sew the Winter to My Skin, South Africa's 2019 submission in the Oscars' foreign film category.

Death Mokgapa suffered from clinical depression and anxiety for a long time. She committed suicide on 25 September 2018 in Johannesburg at the age of 34.

A memorial event was held on 2 October 2018 at the Market Theatre.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2006 Perana Short film 2007 Brothers in Arms: 1978 Angolan Woman 2010 The First Grader Teacher Elizabeth 2011 Retribution Thembi Maphosa 2012 Dredd Woman with Child 2013 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Lady in Nightclub 2013 Nothing for Mahala Pule 2015 Sink Rachel Nyaga 2016 The Chemo Club Ruby 2016 A Love Like This 2017 Bypass Sister Mmaya 2017 Reality Mage Short film 2018 Sew the Winter to My Skin

Television Year Title Role Notes 2007 Life Is Wild Shoki 2008 Wild at Heart Susie 2008 The Lab Tumi 2010 Silent Witness Kudzai Marechera 2011 Sokhulu & Partners Reporter 2013 Intersexions Gadima 2015 Those Who Can't Lindiwe 2015 Ashes to Ashes Disebo 2017 Swartwater Boitumelo 2018 The Docket Guest role 2018 The Looming Tower Secretary Miniseries

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref 2017 South African Film and Television Awards Best Actress in a Film Sink Silwerskerm Film Festival Best Actress