Bio
Phuti Mngqibisa is a South African dancer and actress best known for her role as Zamo Phiri on the television soapie Backstage, joining the cast in January 2007.
She attended Johannesburg's National School of the Arts where she studied English, Afrikaans, Maths, Science and Dance.
The latter course included the academic subjects of anatomy, music and the history of dance and ballet, whilst her practical classes comprised contemporary and jazz, Spanish and African dance.
She completed a one-year programme at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York in 2005.
She also performed at the African Poetry Theatre in Queens, and was an African and Contemporary dance teacher at the Rikidi Dance Studio in Brooklyn, New York City.
Phuti's professional dance career in South Africa includes performing with South African musicians Ringo, KB and Thando, and at the Currie Cup Rugby finals.
She is also a photographic model (she's appeared on billboards throughout Africa and in magazine editorials), as well as appearing in television commercials for Face of Lux; Vodacom; Jet; and KFC.
She has also worked as a receptionist at a recruitment agency, in telesales, and as a manager for an entertainment company.