Lerato Marabe Drops Truth About Growing Up On Skeem Saam After 15 Years

Lerato Marabe, the queen of SABC 1’s longest-running soapie, is giving us all the feels right now. The actress who plays Pretty Seakamela on Skeem Saam has been on our screens since she was barely old enough to have a Twitter account, and she is not done serving.

Fourteen-plus years in, and babes is still one of the most talked-about faces on South African television — and honestly? We’re not even surprised.

Lerato Marabe On Skeem Saam: The Girl Who Grew Up In Our Living Rooms

Let’s be real — Lerato Marabe on Skeem Saam is basically a national institution at this point. She joined the cast back in 2011 at just 11 years old, and South Africans have literally watched this woman blossom from a pigtailed schoolgirl to a full-on wedding storyline lead.

During a candid sit-down with Andile Ncube on SABC Sports, Lerato opened up about the wild, emotional reality of growing up entirely in the public eye — and her words hit different.

“Especially the parents, they feel like they’ve raised me,” she told Andile, and honestly? Same, sis. Millions of South African households have had Pretty Seakamela in their lounge every weeknight, and the emotional attachment viewers feel towards Lerato is something that most actresses would kill for.

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She laughed about being an older sister, a little sister, a daughter — all to complete strangers who feel bonded to her through a television screen. That’s not just fame, darlings, that’s a cultural moment.

🔔 𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥@𝟙𝟘 🔔

Skeem Saam actress Lerato Marabe has been part of the SABC 1’s drama series for 14-years!

📺 SABC 1 | SABC Sport
🌐 https://t.co/26PdrPrnVE#SportAt10 pic.twitter.com/wG5rlBFLrK

— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) May 13, 2026

The Secret She’s Been Keeping? Girl Never Formally Studied Acting!

Now HERE is where things get spicy — and we are absolutely here for it. Despite being one of the most recognisable faces on South African TV, Lerato Marabe has never formally trained as an actress. Not a single drama school diploma.

Not one module of performance arts. And yet, she has been delivering emotional gut-punches on our screens for over a decade. While she’s been busy breaking hearts on the soapie, she’s also been quietly grinding through a BCom Law degree.

A lawyer and an actress in the making? The audacity. The range. The nerve — and we mean that as the highest compliment.

So the next time someone tries to tell you that you need a formal qualification to make it in entertainment, please point them directly towards Lerato Marabe and let her résumé do the talking.

She is the walking, talking proof that raw talent, consistency, and showing up every single day counts for more than any certificate on a wall. South Africa, we raised a real one — and she’s just getting started.