Bio
Mari Molefe van Heerden is a South African actress and presenter best known for her role as rebellious Lerato Jackson in the kykNET soapie Villa Rosa, from 2010-2013.
She is also known for her role as Tumi Sithole in the SABC2 soapie 7de Laan, from 2015-2016.
Born and raised in Port Elizabeth, she graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2009, where she was a DJ at Tuks FM.
Mari landed her first television gig in 2007 when she was cast as a continuity presenter for the now-defunct Afrikaans music channel MK, continuing in this role until 2009.
She then voiced the role of Pauline in the Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) radion drama Ratels, from 2009-2013.
In 2010 she landed the role of Lerato in the kykNET soapie Villa Rosa, which she would play until 2013. She left the show to be an entertainer on a cruise liner for six months.
In 2014 she had a guest starring role in an episode of the SABC2 drama series Geraamtes in die Kas and from 2015-2016 she played the role of Tumi Sithole on the SABC2 soapie 7de Laan.
Mari had a guest starring role in an episode of the kykNET comedy series Phil 101 which aired on 15 May, 2017 (Season 1, Episode 6).
The following year she had a guest starring role in an episode of the kykNET medical soapie Binnelanders (Season 13, Episode 189), which aired on 1 March, 2018.
Later that year she guest starred as twins in the kykNET comedy series Elke Skewe Pot in an episode that aired on 24 September, 2018 (Season 2, Episode 12).
In 2020 she was cast as a new version of FJ (a role originally played by Thandi Puren) in the second season of the SABC2 sitcom Die Vlieënde Springbokkie. The season premiered on 7 October.