THE FUSE

South African actress Siphesihle “CeeCee” Ndaba is celebrating a proud career moment after the film Lil_ith, which she both starred in and produced, premiered at the Joburg Film Festival.

The talented actress shared the exciting news with her followers on Instagram, expressing her joy about the film being showcased at one of the country’s biggest film events.

She wrote, “Joburg Film Festival’26; where silver screens dance.

A tapestry of voices and visions, Lil_ith, our film, shines among the selected, An expression of dreams, resilience, and artistry. A moment where stories come alive.”

The premiere marks an important milestone for Ndaba, who is not only the lead actress in Lil_ith but also a producer on the project. For the star, the moment felt even more special because the film was being celebrated in the city where its story was born.

In another heartfelt post, she shared how meaningful it was for the film to debut on African soil. She wrote, “From home soil, finally home

So proud to announce the African premiere of Lil_ith at the Joburg Film Festival, taking place this week.

There’s something powerful about this story landing where it was born, in the city that shaped it, challenged it, and gave it its edge. Grateful to be sharing this moment with a home audience before the world. Joburg first. Always. Lil_ith keeps moving.”

Ndaba, who rose to fame for her role in the popular South African TV drama Gomora, recently opened up about her journey into producing. In an interview with Nounouche Online, she explained that her experience after the show pushed her to explore a deeper level of creativity in the film industry.

“After Gomora, I just felt like I wanted to have more of a creative voice,” she says. That feeling led her to start exploring what lies behind the camera, a pivot that is now bearing real fruit in the form of Lil_ith, a short film in which she stars and makes her debut as a co-producer.

The project started through a connection she made while working on a commercial shoot with director Robin. Their creative energies clicked instantly, and about a year later he sent her the script. When Ndaba read it, she immediately connected with the story.

“This is not even a question,” she remembers thinking. “She is so cool. This character, Lilith, is so cool.”

The film follows the story of Lilith, a cam girl living in post-apartheid Johannesburg. Through the character, the film explores complex topics such as identity, sexuality and self-expression in modern South Africa. Ndaba describes Lilith as a deeply human character who is flawed but authentic.

“She is not a saint,” Ndaba says plainly. “She is not the innocent girl who every woman should be like. Absolutely not. She has flaws. But the film is meant to be a conversation starter.”

Before its African premiere, Lil_ith had already been screened at international Oscar-qualifying and BAFTA-qualifying film festivals, showing that the project is gaining global attention.

Taking on the role of both actress and producer also taught Ndaba an important lesson about balancing creativity and practicality.

“The actor is the creative. She has got all these ideas and dreams,” she explains. “But the producer has to snip the wings a little bit. OK, we don’t have the budget for that, but we can do this instead.”