Bio
Lerato Makhetha (also credited as Lerato Mofokeng) is a South African actor and musician best known for his recurring role as Ntando Sibeko on the SABC3 soapie Isidingo.
Lerato is the son of actor Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha. Born in Soweto, at the age of one his family moved to New York, USA where his father was awarded a scholarship to study at Columbia University.
They returned to South Africa four years later and he attended Sacred Heart College. His journey in the arts began at the age of 10 when he auditioned for a spot in the Drakensberg Boys' Choir School, where he was classically trained as a pianist and vocalist.
After graduating he extended and completed his studies in popular music at the National School of the Arts (NSA), where he played lead roles in two musicals in 2001 and 2002. He received a National Senior Certificate in Popular, Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Lerato is a seasoned pianist and vocalist who has worked as a session musician for artists such as Tuks Senganga, JR, Unathi Msengana and Kabomo. In 2015 he formed a duo called Throwback which was signed by recording label Universal Music.
He has featured in a number of made-for-TV movies including Vacancy, Umhlaba Uyahlaba and Surprise (all part of the "Lokshin Bioskop" strand on Mzansi Magic); and episodes of the e.tv anthology series eKasi: Our Stories entitled Chicken Murder (Season 4, Episode 9) and Holes in Our Souls (Season 5, Episode 23), also known as Ithemba Alilahlwa.
Lerato has had guest roles in the SABC1 soapie Generations: The Legacy, the e.tv drama series Umlilo and the feature film Baby Mamas, starring Thembisa Mdoda.
In 2017 he placed fourth out of the male contestants on the acting reality competition series The Final Cut on SABC3. His time on the show afforded him the opportunity to work with directors from soaps and dramas on the SABC platform, including Isidingo.
The following year he landed his biggest role to date, reprising the role of Ntando Sibeko on Isidingo originally played by Loyiso MacDonald. He made his first appearance on the show on 25 June, 2018.