But now that she’s a mom, will we see a softer side to her?
Kagiso Rakosa lets us in on a few secrets . . .
Not too long ago she was Mashaba Woman’s feisty no-nonsense editor chasing exclusive covers and running the magazine with an iron albeit well-manicured hand.
These days she’s changing nappies and working out a feeding schedule – or rather she should be, except that new mom Sharon is finding it hard to adjust . . .
Unlike most new mothers who love nothing more than spending time with their baby. Sharon couldn’t be bothered. She’s already back at work while daddy Samuel (Thabiso Mokhethi) looks after little Sammy.
Even when she is at home Sharon can’t muster the tiniest enthusiasm for the adorable tot.
In Generations’ new storyline, Sharon suffers from post-natal depression, a serious condition that affects one in 10 new mothers and is characterised by feelings of sadness, emptiness, guilt and irritability as well as a lack of energy and a marked disinterest in their new baby.
“Most of us black people are very ignorant when it comes to these things,” says Kagiso Rakosa, the actress who plays Sharon.
“We’re clueless. When someone is experiencing post-natal depression or any kind of mental illness everyone always keeps on saying, ‘it’s going to be fine’.
“No one takes it seriously because they think it’s something that will pass but unlike ‘baby blues,’ when a new mom gets a bit tired and moody in the days after the birth, post-natal depression needs urgent treatment.”
It’s Human Rights Day and we’ve managed to steal Kagiso for a few hours from her busy filming schedule to talk about her character’s storyline at the gorgeous Le Chatelat guest-house in Sandton.
The staff at the exclusive guest house are excited to meet the pretty actress, but they’re much more interested in scolding her than grabbing the opportunity for a picture or an autograph.
“What are you doing to the baby, wena?” one of the housekeepers demands. Kagiso is able to take it in her stride and while reaching for a bottle of water from the refreshments table, she coolly responds, “See, I’m getting water for my baby,” which has the ladies in stitches.
Kagiso says she’s grown used to the extra attention she’s been getting. “It was a bit scary at first because my co-stars had actually warned me that fans could become verbally and even physically abusive after seeing how Sharon treats her baby. But phew! Luckily nothing major has happened.”
The petite actress is happy to be tackling important issues.
“I’m really glad we’re doing this because it will help educate people about the disorder.
“Did you know that teenagers are the most affected by post-natal depression? They’re still children and can’t cope with the changes in their life that a baby brings and that’s why you get so many cases of young women dumping their newborn babies.”
Kagiso has been starring in Generations for the past five years and while she still enjoys playing sassy Sharon, she’s quick to add that they have nothing in common.
“The thing about Sharon is that she’s very goal-driven. She is also very bossy and likes to think she’s the man of the house. She doesn’t have boundaries and she can be very harsh; I’m the exact opposite.”
She says playing a pregnant Sharon tugged at her womb.
“I loved it when Sharon was pregnant. It made me realise that I want to have kids more than anything,” she admits.
“I’m 28 and my biological clock is ticking but it has to be at the right time, you know, the way batho ba gale (people in the olden days) used to do it.”
Kagiso also gets goodly-eyed during the shoot when she spots a former co-star’s Drum cover with her baby.
“That baby is so cute! When you see such a beautiful baby it makes you want to have a child as well. Carrying a baby must be the greatest experience ever. I can’t even begin to imagine the joy you feel when you know you’re bringing someone into this world.”
It’s been just over three years since our last cover with Kagiso (Finally I’m a star, 5 February 2008) and she haven’t changed a bit! She’s still the humble girl from the East Rand who can’t quite believe that she’s on South Africa’s most popular show.
In fact, she’s wearing the same worn-out pink slippers she had on during the last shoot when our driver fetches her from the studio.
“I can’t believe you guys still remember that!” She laughs. “They’re perfect for when we shoot for hours at a time. In fact, I have two pairs now. This is actually the same pair but they’re much cleaner this time round, don’t you think?”
Kagiso started her career at Generations as an extra at Mashaba Media with no lines, and had no intention of becoming an actress. She’d “stumbled” onto Generations when she was told she was too short to be a model.
“It’s funny how life works out; the one thing you didn’t plan is the one thing that actually works out in the end. I’m still like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this is real.”
She says her new career took some getting used to.
“I wasn’t even convincing when I delivered my lines. It wasn’t until someone pointed out that I wasn’t making full use of the opportunity I’d been given that I decided to take it seriously. I stood in front of the mirror and practised my lines every day until it finally worked!”
Kagiso is one of the few celebrities who manage to keep their nose clean, so to speak, and is never in the Sunday tabloids for the wrong reasons. Well, except for that whole “Shona thing”, she says with a dismissive wave.
Last year an e-mail went around accusing Kagiso of having an affair with Connie Ferguson’s husband, Shona, and also carrying his child. “When you know something isn’t true, you don’t take it seriously,” she says.
“Only if it’s true will you get angry and lash out at people, and because it wasn’t true, I just took it as one of the hazards of being in the industry but I was worried how my family would take it, especially my mother, Alleta, who’s an educator.
“Fortunately her family also saw through it and were able to laugh about it. However, the rumours got everyone wondering about her personal life. Was she seeing someone and would she ever settle down?
Kagiso is still with her long-time boyfriend, whom she refuses to name. Judging by how broody she is, married life can’t be far away. “We’ve been talking about marriage but feel that we need to do it at the right time when we’re both comfortable with the idea,” she says.
“But I want a big traditional wedding!”
Work on Generations keeps her pretty busy but when she does get time off, she likes nothing more than to spend it with her family and boyfriend, going to the movies or visiting Gold Reef City.
“Eish, people will say I’m marketing them, but I love Gold Reef City,” she says, chuckling.
“As you can see I don’t go out much. I’ve been an indoor girl from a young age and only go out when I really have to.”
She says that when she’s out on the town with her man overzealous fans accuse her of cheating on Samuel.
“They actually ask me: where’s Samuel? I still find that hilarious and so does my boyfriend. Thankfully he’s used to that by now.”
So what’s next for troubled Sharon?
“There’s serious drama coming up,” she says. “Sharon will discover something and it will be a while before she realises something’s wrong with her because her focus is elsewhere.
“But there’s no need to worry about Sharon – she’s one tough cookie!” – DRUM.