Bio
Vele Manenje is a South African actress and television presenter best known for her starring role as Sonto, a 20-something single girl making all the wrong moves in the world of relationships, in the SABC1 sitcom Single Galz.
She is also known for her role as Shandu on the Mzansi Magic telenovela Ring of Lies, which earned her a 2019 SAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress in a Telenovela.
Hailing from Venda and Limpopo, Vele was raised in Johannesburg and had a desire to pursue the arts from a young age. Her talents include singing, dancing and acting and she enjoys making candles and jewellery in her spare time.
Vele is a passionate thespian who went to the National School of the Arts and furthered her studies in Communication Sciences at UNISA.
She has had roles in eKasi: Our Stories (e.tv), Silent Witness (M-Net), A Place Called Home (SABC1) and Single Guys (SABC1) - the prequel series to Single Galz.
She has also been a presenter on SABC2's Rivoningo and SABC1's Siyakholwa. In 2016 she received a SAFTA nomination for Best TV Presenter for Siyakholwa.
Vele has also had roles in the theatre productions of How I Learned to Drive, Black Bling, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors and Hotel Paradise.
Between 2015 and 2017 she played the recurring role of Mrs "Bat" Batshweneng on the SABC2 drama series Mamello.
In 2016 she had a recurring role as Shandu on the Mzansi Magic boxing telenovela Ring of Lies and was promoted to starring cast for Season 2.
In 2018 and 2019 she hosted Seasons 8 and 9 of Mzansi Magic's reality show Our Perfect Wedding.
In early 2021 she joined the SABC1 soapie Skeem Saam in the role of Evelyn, an intelligent former school teacher who makes a sudden delivery as Charles' (Masilo Magoro) shop. She debuts on 27 April.