Old Mutual On The Money
Old Mutual On The Money
Actor Ernest Msibi Talks About The Impact of His Divorce And Financial Lessons
In this powerful episode of On the Money, celebrated South African actor and thespian Ernest Msibi sits down with Old Mutual’s Group Head of Financial Education, John Manyike, to talk about the financial impact of his divorce.
From navigating the media scrutiny to rethinking his financial future, Ernest shares how the experience challenged and reshaped his relationship with money.
Whether you’re going through a separation, supporting someone who is, or simply want to understand how major life events can affect your finances – this is a must-watch.
On the Money is Old Mutual’s financial education podcast, where public figures and everyday people share their real stories about money – the good, the bad, and the unexpected.
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John Manyike 00:04
Welcome to Old Mutual’s On The Money show. Today as usual we’re bringing you a human-interest story from a money perspective. We’re joined by someone that you know, someone that is going to tell you about their life journey and all the financial lessons they’ve learned over time. So, we’re joined by Ernest Vumela aka ‘Chester’. How are you?
Ernest Msibi 00:35
I’m well thank you.
John Manyike 00:38
You know I’m used to that haircut, but now you always shave your head?
Ernest Msibi 00:42
Yes, the cut had to go when I started shooting for ‘Hostela’, so they told us to shave our heads.
John Manyike 01:11
So, aren’t these hairstyles found at the hostels?
Ernest Msibi 01:14
They existed but it was just a normal haircut, those sexy cuts.
John Manyike 01:27
So, do you still have hair?
Ernest Msibi 01:31
Yes, I do.
John Manyike 01:34
Because as you get older, the hair stops growing as well.
Ernest Msibi 01:35
I still have hair; it’s still growing slowly.
John Manyike 01:41
But I’m sure they give you a discount now?
Ernest Msibi 01:44
When I go for a haircut? No, I cut my own hair. I don’t want those boys to see the top of my head. I cut my own hair.
John Manyike 01:52
Let's talk about your names, I mean how many names do you have?
Ernest Msibi 01:55
Which one do you want? The real, real one?
John Manyike 01:57
All of them!
Ernest Msibi 01:58
You want all of them! Ok, what shocks me quite a bit is, my mother ended up calling me Chester. I’m Ntokozo Vumela Ernest Msibi. Then there was Chester, then there was Vovo.
John Manyike 02:18
Vovo?
Ernest Msibi 02:19
Vovo for Zone 14 you, see?
John Manyike 02:22
Oh
Ernest Msibi 02:23
After, there was Amos ‘Ma-Ada’ from ‘Uzalo’, then it became ‘Mohato’, there were a lot of names.
John Manyike 02:32
That’s Gomora?
Ernest Msibi 02:33
Yes, that was Gomora.
John Manyike 02:36
So, you grew up in Zola?
Ernest Msibi 02:36
Yes, I grew up in Zola, I was brought up by my grandmother.
John Manyike 02:45
Your grandmother? Where were your parents?
Ernest Msibi 02:48
My parents lived in Chiawelo, in the flats.
John Manyike 02:53
What had happened for the decision to be taken that you would be brought up by your grandmother?
Ernest Msibi 02:57
I remember that my mother used to live with my father in Dlamini and we had stayed behind in Zola with my grandmother because I was the only boy in the family and my mother was the only one who had children in her family. And it was my aunts and uncles, and I was the only boy besides the other two siblings. They ended up growing at my father’s home. I loved staying at my grandmother’s home until I started being rebellious and stopped listening to my elders. You know in Zola, in order to be seen as street smart, you commit crimes, break into houses etc. This is where my grandmother noticed what I was getting up to and said that I had to go live with my father where I could be set straight again. They knew that my father believed in corporal punishment and so that’s how I returned to Chiawelo. But moving there meant meeting up with different people from different areas that were also up to no good and the life of crime really began here. This is where I got the nickname “Crimzo” meaning criminal - due to the criminal activities in the name of politics that I got involved in. It would start with stealing school chairs that were taken to taverns by others, but those chairs never ended up back at the rightful schools. I attended high school at Bhongo high school, until I supposed to go into exile. At this time, Sarafina was starting and Thulani “Professor” Didi, who plays ‘Spinach’ arrived, and they started an acting group at one of the local schools. I went there with the intention to watch, but then after watching them I realized that I enjoyed what they were doing. That’s how I started acting and was left behind when the others went into exile.
John Manyike 05:42
So when they went into exile you said, no I won’t be going along?
Ernest Msibi 05:44
Yes, I decided not to go to into exile, I remember how the guys teased me for staying and being ‘a Sarafina’. I agreed, because it seemed to be something I loved. That’s how it all began.
John Manyike 05:56
So how did the Yizi-Yizo opportunity come about?
Ernest Msibi 06:00
The Yizo-Yizo gig came around while we were doing a show about jail. It was written by ‘Popeye’ and directed by ‘Spinach’. The group of guys would take this show around to schools to show children what happened in jail and on trial. When we got a run at the Market Theatre with Ronnie Nyakale ‘Papa Action’ the casting was already done for Yizo-Yizo, the production team decided to have a look at our group from Phiri. They arrived and ran auditions. They asked me to audition for the role of ‘Papa Action’, and they kept asking me to return for call backs until it was just Ronnie and I. They asked us to swop roles to see what that would look like if I had played ‘Chester’. That’s how they discovered us in the township. They saw that what they had originally written was very different to what they had expected.
John Manyike 07:15
Outside of acting have you ever worked in a normal job or has acting been your whole life?
Ernest Msibi 07:20
I would have part-time jobs that my aunt got for me during school holidays. I worked for a sweet company which I left. I got my first paycheck and told them that I wouldn’t return. Theres a boiler that makes the sweets and you have to monitor it. The residue from the sweets would get into my eyes whilst the Caucasian boys just painted all day we had to monitor this machine. We were supposed to take turns monitoring this drum and if the inspectors came around and found that it wasn’t clean there would be trouble. So we were expected to bend and clean it, and I said to myself that this wasn’t for me.
John Manyike 08:34
So what you’re telling me is that your entire life was just about acting?
Ernest Msibi 08:38
Yes.
John Manyike 08:40
Due to acting being dependant on gigs, if there’s a job money comes in, if not then you aren’t doing anything, and the income fluctuates. How did you manage?
Ernest Msibi 08:52
There came a time where I realized that this was a challenge, I created a stage play called ‘Mara Why?’ which I did alongside Sifiso Sibiya as a duo for schools. It talked about bullying in schools, drugs etc. The reason for this was due to the aftermath of ‘Yizo-Yizo’ the children started acting out what they saw on the series and went around burning schools etc and this is why we created this play to explain the wrong of their actions. This helped us get an income, being called to schools. The children would pay to watch, and the money was split. We would take a portion; the organizers would take a portion and another portion would be given to the school to provide for whatever necessities were required by the learners. So this way I knew that if I went to four schools I was covered and we’d move around from school to school.
John Manyike 10:18
This was your safety net? If you didn’t have an acting job, you’d balance your income with these skits?
Ernest Msibi 10:23
Yes.
John Manyike 10:25
Ok so the rough life, what got you to realise that this lifestyle wasn’t good?
Ernest Msibi 10:34
The township life? It was acting that made me see that, that life wasn’t good. It was influenced by politics. We had targets that we had to reach but we could see that it wasn’t leading us anywhere. If I hadn’t discovered acting, I might’ve ended up in exile and become a soldier because I loved the Mkhonto WeSizwe cause. A lot of my friends are soldiers, I just chose a different route, but a route that was harsh nonetheless. I saw that being an actor was difficult, it’s a struggle.
John Manyike 11:34
Ok so you started on ‘Sarafina’? Formally?
Ernest Msibi 11:41
Yes, I started acting formally on ‘Sarafina’. One of the actors from ‘Sarafina’ would come to our schools and teach acting skills, that’s where I decided to go and see for myself what it was all about.
John Manyike 11:57
Ok, you started on ‘Sarafina’, you were on ‘Yizo-Yizo’, on ‘Uzalo’, ‘Gomora’ and so on. When I look at all these opportunities, at some point you reached the peak of your career. Which assets can you say you attained from the money you got from acting?
Ernest Msibi 12:28
I remember bought two cars and my aunt had a house, but she had stopped working so she suggested that I go back to her house because they were going to repossess the house, and it was being vandalised. At that point, I was shooting ‘Zone 14’ at the time and had done about 3 seasons, so I took over and fixed what needed fixing in the house and did renovations. That house is in Lawley.
John Manyike 13:11
I know that the issue regarding your partner and your children is sensitive, but I want to educate other men who may be in similar situations. You’ll find that when you separate as a couple, it affects you as a person. So how did this separation affect you financially?
Ernest Msibi 13:41
When it got to the media, it really affected me. When you get married you invited everyone to celebrate with you but when you separate, nobody is there. She spoke to the media. I told the media that I didn’t have much to say on the topic, it was up to her if she had spoken to them and given her side of the story, but it really hurt because I was still going around to schools yet on the other hand there was gossip written about me. The sheriff was meant to serve me with the divorce papers, but they haven’t yet arrived because I left her with the house. I didn’t want the house to be sold. I left so that she could stay there with the children, and I returned to the township. But its dragging with the courts needing to divide the assets and that house is big, we built a big home but now the children could stand to lose the house. That’s want I don’t want. I want her to have the house and everything else. I married her because I loved her it doesn’t mean that we should be running around in court fighting over assets.
John Manyike 15:39
What is your relationship like now with your children? Their father has left the home, work is scarce, how are you managing in terms of helping out where you can?
Ernest Msibi 15:53
My partner had a business selling herbal products. She is from Durban, and we had machinery that manufactured these products. Even when we fought, we kept the company going. I also put money into the company, there were employees, and it brought in an income so I wouldn’t have to stress about the instability of work from acting. The company was run from the house so there wasn’t an issue of rent that needed to be paid, and she could look after the wellbeing of the children with the income of the company. I left the company but it continued running.
John Manyike 17:33
So you were in business together with your partner, from managing finances etc, what did you learn from being in business with your wife?
Ernest Msibi 17:50
I learnt that you must save money. You have to buy stock, the containers for packaging are sourced from Durban.
John Manyike 18:11
In fact, what is this business?
Ernest Msibi 18:13
Isiwasho. It’s traditional herbal products. The brand is Nozimanga. Its available in different retail stores, we distribute to stores in Newtown. I also learnt how to make the products myself. Before running the business from home, we operated from a different location so I would go there with the other employees, my partner would come to pick up orders ready for delivery. It got to a point where we could buy a van, and we would both go deliver the products. The business was hers, but I was there to encourage her and get it to a place where it could sustain us seeing that my acting work wasn’t reliable. The business is still running.
John Manyike 19:24
During the time when you ran the business with your wife, did you every consider opening your own business on the side seeing that you had an idea as to how a business should be run.
Ernest Msibi 19:37
Yes I did. What I realised was, once I had the financial means I could start my own business because I gained the skills required to run one well.
John Manyike 20:10
After the separation, you returned to the family home in Zola. Moving back home requires a lot of mental strength because you have to deal with people gossiping. How did you manage the gossip?
Ernest Msibi 20:35
I just ignore it. I just tell myself that I went and experienced marriage, the people I left there are still there. As a good, respectable man you know that you pay a bride price for a woman. You marry her. So those that gossip about me returning back home don’t know what it’s like to be married. I don’t care about what people say. Someone once said to me “Chester you’re strong, people can even assume that all is going well with you.” And everything is going well because my children have a home, my ex-wife has a home. It would be painful if we were fighting over the house, and the children were in the middle of it all. You can’t satisfy another human, there’s always wrong you will do in their eyes. My niece and nephew are also staying in the family house and there was a spare room. I keep to myself; they have the freedom of living in the family home as well. I’m hardly home, I travel a lot educating children about the acting field and taught theatre within my community. Well known celebrities have taken part in the classes, the likes of ‘Sticks’, ‘Bobo’ and Zola as well. I’m good at teaching people the skill of acting. So I’m hardly home, keeping my mind off things that would lead me to being suicidal. That house was built from the ground up. What has been, has been.
John Manyike 25:27
You featured in ‘Uzalo’ and ‘Gomora’ but thereafter work seemed to cease, what happened?
Ernest Msibi 25:42
Everything just dried up. No calls came through. After doing ‘Gomora’ I was meant to return to ‘Uzalo’ there were talks that my rates were too high, and my role was taken by someone else. (26:20 JM Your character didn’t die?) EM: The actor given my role didn’t execute my lines the way I did. People wanted the character they were used to. They decided to remove the character. The character in the show is in jail and you know how at times they call you back to return to your role, yet they haven’t yet come back to me. Also in this industry, if you aren’t working, the gigs start drying up and you aren’t called for roles. That’s the reason why I have my school routines where I can speak to children and educate them. Especially in outlying areas such as Mpumalanga where theatre isn’t well known. It’s difficult when you aren’t booked especially when people want to see you on screen.
John Manyike 27:53
What I don’t understand is, why are you being sidelined? If the reason is that your rates are high, you could negotiate. What exactly is the problem do you think?
Ernest Msibi 28:03
I believe that the problem is with the agent for an issue that came up on another set. So I don’t know. I remember that there was a misunderstanding with the ‘Gomora’ gig, I am the face but there was a miscommunication with the rates and how much was to go to her and that’s what messed it up. On ‘Durban Gen’ as the agent she said that the role was too small for me and that I should wait for a bigger role, yet the character would’ve featured in all the seasons meaning she had a part to play in the negotiations for the role and I wouldn’t know because I don’t speak to them.
John Manyike 29:35
Can you not do this independently and negotiate directly?
Ernest Msibi 29:40
It’s difficult because you won’t know which roles are shooting at which stage. That’s why there are groups now where all auditions are listed. The production house lets the agents know that actors are required for auditions. The agent then liaises with production on your rates and what your personal requirements are should you get hired that’s why I suspect that my agent had something to do with me losing out on roles.
John Manyike 30:33
So you suspect that she added a higher fee on your rate card?
Ernest Msibi 30:36
Yes. I was taken for a fool. But I’ll be back and I’ve created a comedy, the pilot episode is ready, as well as the script, it's been shot and edited. I want to submit my own thing and see where it will take me. Things will slowly fall into place.
John Manyike 31:22
This has been an eye-opener for you and has pushed you to write your own stories and pitch your own work.
Ernest Msibi 31:30
Working with agents hurts actors. If you disagree on one gig, the next disagreement, you’re now seen to be high maintenance in the acting circles.
John Manyike 31:53
Looking back at your career, with everything that has gone wrong, what do you think you could’ve done better perhaps?
Ernest Msibi 32:07
I’d do away with working with agents, then focus on producing my own work. T.V would have to catch up with me. This way even if there were gatekeepers, they cannot stop what God has put within me. They can’t take away the talent. This is why if I had to fix my past mistakes, I wouldn’t depend on what could be given to me but do my own thing. In the community, we can do our own thing.
John Manyike 33:09
There’s also the age factor. Mileage is high and there is wear and tear on the body.
Ernest Mnisi 33:16
I should be on pension at this point)
John Manyike 33:24
Did you not sign up for the R350 grant?
Ernest Msibi 33:26
I don’t think I’d be approved for it.
John Manyike 33:38
You’re heading towards 52 years, looking at your life and it’s by grace that you’ve reached this age. If you were to talk about the financial lessons that you’ve learnt in your life both good and challenging times, which are the financial lessons that you have learnt?
Ernest Msibi 34:15
I’ve learnt that if you shouldn’t try to live up to the fame. Being famous gets people assuming that you have money which you don’t have and that in turn makes you want to live up to the assumptions. Living a lifestyle, spending money etc. I’ve learnt that you should live according to your means because once the money is gone, you now realise how to live within your means. Learn to focus on yourself and your children. The biggest mistake is trying to live up to peoples’ expectations. Fame is dangerous, ‘Yizo-Yizo’ brought us fame that we never expected, and we tried to live up to those standards.
John Manyike 37:20
52 and you are where you are in life currently. Do you think that should everything work out; would you want to marry again?
Ernest Msibi 37:30
No never. Forget about it. I watched my father marry my mother, he told me that if I wanted to be respected, I would have to get married. He didn’t say get married twice. My first one didn’t work out, I don’t want to get into something that hurts me once and get into it again. If God was to bless me again and I’m able to build a house, I can’t repeat losing it all again and being ridiculed all over again. Not knowing what the future holds but for now, it’s not something I desire.
John Manyike 39:02
As we conclude, because you teach children how to act and the acting field, if you were to give them advice or tips about money knowing what you know now, what would you say to them?
Ernest Msibi 39:25
There was a boy that I shot ‘Gomora’ with who committed suicide. When he arrived, he was a new face on T.V we would run our lines together and I would tell him that you see the fame you are going to experience, the fame and the money you are going to get, stay home. You’re still young. Do what you need to do for your home and get what you need. Don’t be found in the streets. We agreed on that. I told him that where we came from nobody mentored us about handling the fame and the money. My character died in the series and his character continued, the young boy got himself a townhouse and a car, but the series came to an end. He had to come back home, his relationship ended, and he thought that life was bad and he committed suicide. I advise people who experience fame to stay at home. Fix the home you have perhaps get a small car so that should things not work out, you know you’re still home. You find they have 2 iPhones for no reason. We tell children that we understand the pressure of fame as well as having peers who are living a large lifestyle. It’s difficult to live a quiet life. You may get a gig that runs for two years, you start earning money that you’ve never seen before and you know that you will be receiving this money every month, it may seem as though we’re holding you back and you’re still young you deserve a certain standard of life. But with us that have experienced it all we know how quick it can disappear. Also running a business with my ex-wife also taught me how to use money wisely. If it were up to me, I’d run a business, get my children educated, produce my own work and leave T.V. Even if you get booked and you’ve been in the industry for a while, there is no pension, that’s why I feel its painful, we aren’t taken seriously. I sometimes which I could advise children to take a different route but perhaps one day that will all change, and they will see that we need the money.
John Manyike 45:23
I hear you my brother, I hope that people watch this and learn from what you’ve shared with us. Thank you
Ernest Msibi 45:36
I believe that you’ll continue encouraging me until I start that business! Thank you.