The third season of The Wife is out. The telenovela's most celebrated and loved character; is Nqoba Zulu, played by seasoned actor Abdul Khoza. Colleagues and fellow actors remember his hard work and dedication.

ABDUL THE THESPIAN

Zikhona Sodlaka says Abdul is the scene partner he didn't know needed. "Mandisa and Nqoba became Mzansi's most loved couple.  "What an incredible opportunity it is to work with such a talented man,' says Zikhona. "I think our chemistry worked because of how dynamic yet similar our characters are. The one is a female version of the other and vice versa. We got to play so much on set.' Mondli Makhoba who played Abdul's older brother Nkosana says, Abdul kept them on their toes. "I enjoyed working with Abdul,' says Mondli. "I'm grateful for the relationship we have, both on and off-set. I think the off-set relationship we had made it easier for the on-screen chemistry. I was lucky to have an opportunity to work with him because of how good he is. It was challenging but a good challenge because he always wanted us to push each other to get better every time,' he adds. "He always wanted us to find better and more artistic waysto do scenes. We were always on our toes because of how good he is." 

ABDUL THE FUN GUY

Leading actress Mbalenhle Mavimbela described Abdul as fun. "Oh, man! I have so many memories withAbdul but my favourite one was when he jumped on the table to try to reach one of the brothers. That showed how much he cared about Hlomu and Mbali,' she says."Honestly, something that's very close to my heart is how he used to encourage me in between scenes. When I had challenging or very emotional scenes, he would come to me and speak to me on the side. Just to reassure me that I'm doing well. He would give me tips on how to play a certain part. I think that's how much he cared and how much he saw my passion. I learned so much from him; he was fun and made fun of. He created that unity.He's so talented. We love you, Abdul,' adds Mbali. "I also loved how he called me 'uMakoti obizayo' (an expensive wife) and guess what, that stuck with the whole nation. Everyone now calls me 'uMakoti obizayo' because of him. Oh my God, he's such a talented artist and we're going to miss him.'

A LEADER AND A BIG BROTHER

Sipho Ndlovu who plays Sambulo says Abdul brought the team together."The success of season one was driven by Abdul Khoza,' he says."He is one person who made sure that we have unity, and he brought us together. He ensured that we remained one, even off-screen as brothers. This became evident even to the viewers as they started picking upthat the brotherhood, they see on screen is just as strong off-screen,' he adds."We attended gigs together, and even when it was only one brother who was booked, we went together to support him.' Kwenzo Ngcobo describes him as a great leader and an icon of his time. "The fact that I got to share a screen with an actor like him is an honour. What an inspiring man. Working with Abdul taught me so many things,' he says.