CELESTE NTULI
Empangeni native Celeste Ntuli’s acting journey began in 2013 with her debut in the Mzansi Magic telenovela “isiBaya”,where she portrayed Siphokasi Zungu. Prior to that, she showcased her comedic talent at the Blacks Only comedy showcase in 2010 and performed at the South African Comic’s Choice Awards in 2012. In 2011, she also took the stage in the first Stand Up Zulu comedy show at the Durban Playhouse.
Celeste’s talent was recognized with a Golden Horn Award for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Soap at The South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) in 2015. In 2019, she achieved further success by winning a Flying Solo Award and a Comedy G Award at the Savanna Comic’s Choice Awards.
In 2019, Celeste both starred in and produced the film “Looking for Love,” available on Showmax, and featured in “Lockdown” season 3. She co-hosted the widely popular Sunday night television show “Our Perfect Wedding,” leading to her hosting a spin-off titled “Gift of Love.” She also hosted DStv’s proposal show, “Will He Say Yes?”
In August 2023 Celeste kicked off her Brenda Fassie-inspired live comedy show, “Celeste & The Big Dudes” which saw her host several of South Africa’s top comedians including Isaac Gampu, Tats Nkonzo, Toni Modimola, Chris Mapane, and Felix Hlophe. Celeste is featured in “LOL: Last One Laughing South Africa” (2023), alongside Trevor Noah.
A brand darling, Celeste has collaborated with Rain cellular network, as the voice of all their TV, radio and digital ads); she has hosted Albany’s game show, “Live iFresh Life” and hosted Pick N Pay’s first ever in-app live shopping game show on the ASAP! app. She helped launch Savanna’s whiskey-flavoured cider, Savanna Neat, and served as the face of Santam’s Manifesto campaign.
She also worked with Playtex and Miladys, and in 2024, Celeste participated in The Masked Singer, and earned three nominations at the 2024 Comedy Choice Awards: Comedian of the Year, Headliner of the Year, and Best Solo Show. In 2024, she also appeared in campaigns for Jacobs Coffee, Eskort, and FedHealth.