South African actress Tinah Mnumzana has opened up about the financial realities actors face, arguing that entertainers can lose a significant portion of their earnings to taxes and agent fees while dealing with an industry where work is often unpredictable.
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Speaking at the ME Time Women Empowerment Event at Sun City, Mnumzana said actors should be recognised and treated as workers rather than simply being celebrated when they appear on television.
“The government must recognise us as workers, and we must benefit like any other worker in South Africa,” Mnumzana said.
Not everything is what it seems
Mnumzana said the public often associates television actors with glamorous lifestyles without seeing the financial pressures they experience behind the scenes.
According to Daily Sun, she highlighted the instability of acting work, where productions can suddenly end, and actors can be left without income while their financial commitments continue.
For actors, the challenge is not necessarily how much they earn, but how much of that income remains after deductions and professional expenses.
Mnumzana used an example of an actor earning R40 000 to illustrate her concerns.
She said an agent could take between 12% and 15%, while around 25% could go towards tax. Combined, she argued, that could mean close to 40% of the actor’s earnings disappearing before they can use the money for their personal needs.
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Acting is not always a steady income
Her comments have renewed discussion of the financial challenges faced by South African entertainers, particularly those without continuous employment.
It is important to note, however, that the exact tax an individual actor pays depends on their circumstances and taxable income. SARS states that individuals who earn taxable income through salaries, commissions and fees are generally liable for income tax, subject to applicable exemptions, rebates and deductions.
Unlike workers with predictable monthly salaries, many actors rely on contracts and individual productions. When production ends, there may be no immediate replacement job.
Mnumzana’s comments therefore highlight a broader issue in the entertainment industry: earning a substantial amount on one project does not necessarily mean an actor has a stable annual income.
For an industry often associated with fame and glamour, Mnumzana’s remarks offer a reminder that life behind the camera can look very different from what audiences see on screen.
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