Shika Budhoo is one of South Africa’s most versatile theatre talents. As an actress, writer, author and teacher, the Durban-born artist has spent over 20 years bringing stories to life on stage, screen, and page.
This Women’s Month, her story shows us the power of adaptation, determination, and staying true to your own voice.
Finding her voice: The early sparks
Budhoo’s path in the performing arts began early, anchored by pivotal moments that defined her purpose long before she stepped onto professional stages.
Before the age of ten, her mother enrolled her in the Saira Essa Speech and Drama classes, a decision that sparked a lifelong passion.
"My mom sending me to Saira Essa Speech and Drama helped me find my voice and passion for acting," Budhoo recalls.
That early spark grew into active advocacy during her teenage years, when she canvassed her high school principal and peers to introduce drama as an elective subject.
Later, in her early twenties, marrying fellow thespian, writer and creative powerhouse Dhaveshan Govender solidified both her personal and professional support structure.
"Finding my passion and purpose early, advocating for the arts need in schools, and then having a supportive sounding board brainstorming powerhouse in my husband ... truly were defining moments that led me to where I am in performance now," she reflects.
The art of adaptation
The performing arts landscape is notoriously shifting, but Budhoo views change as a creative catalyst rather than a roadblock.
When she stepped back from full-time performing between 2015 and 2023 to raise her son during his formative years, her creativity found new channels. During this period, she penned and published her debut novel, "Aiyo Rama Wedding Drama".
Her multi-disciplinary background also enabled her to navigate corporate spaces, working in marketing for a London-based firm and facilitating virtual arts sessions for Business Arts South Africa (BASA) during the pandemic.
"I am a big believer in adaptation, a Darwin follower," Budhoo explains.
"I do believe it is in the adaptation that we truly discover survival in the arts, especially in today’s landscape. It has all led me to continuing to write my sequel novel 'Aiyo Rama Baby Drama', open my speech and drama school at the Westville Theatre Club on Saturdays and write and produce many new dramas and novels in the works, one decision always leading deliciously to the next."
Returning home
After spending a decade in Johannesburg following a house fire in 2013, returning to KwaZulu-Natal reinvigorated her storytelling perspective.
While Johannesburg yielded voice-over opportunities, comedy and conceptual work, the distinct warmth and artistic community of Durban brought an irreplaceable grounding.
"Upon returning to KZN, like the plants that flourish green and healthily from the humidity and climate, I feel a new spring within me feeding my creative journey," says Budhoo.
"This I can only attest to being home, surrounded by a community of family and artists that are driven in their purpose of storytelling and the value arts can bring to any growing/shifting society."
This deep connection to her roots underpins her personal operating motto: “If we don’t tell our stories, who will?”
For Budhoo, this is a call to action for writers and performers across all mediums to step forward without hesitation.
Deep roles and local stories
Budhoo’s recent stage repertoire reflects both dramatic depth and local resonance.
Fresh off the Red Mango Arts Festival stage in Rajiv Joseph’s "Letters Of Suresh", directed by Rajesh Gopie, she took on the role of Melody Park, a woman navigating a mid-life crisis after discovering letters written to her late great-uncle.
"I play Melody Park, and it is the hardest part I have yet taken on in terms of performance demands of stripping away all extras and simply presenting a consciousness in motion," she notes.
Simultaneously, Budhoo is touring her celebrated one-woman show, "Roti Queen".
"Roti Queen is about a 42-year-old Amrita, once a professional dancer, who is preparing roti for her 19th anniversary, with a Bollywood radio on in the background, dancing along to songs, reminiscing and rolling out her unique local love story that so many women can identify with.
"Marriage is a dance between love, sacrifice, and personal identity and 'Roti Queen' is an ode to women quietly surviving spaces doing what they can with what they have right here in Durban," Budhoo explains.
The production tours across major platforms this Women’s Month, including the Hilton Arts Festival and the Durban International Book Fair 2026, followed by a September run at Johannesburg’s Market Theatre as part of the Kippies Fringe Programme.
Empowering the next generation
Beyond the spotlight, Budhoo wears many hats: adjudicator for the Speech and Drama Association of South Africa (SADASA), acting chairperson for the KZN Council of the National Arts Education Authority, mentor for TWIST and CCSA and founder of Kaleidoscope Speech and Drama classes.
When reflecting on the strengths female theatremakers bring to South African culture, she celebrates their multi-tasking mastery while highlighting critical gaps that still need addressing.
"Female theatre-makers who are finding the time, budget and passion aligning to tell stories on stage are doing the most! We wear different hats throughout the day, and we do it well. We are boss at taking charge and making things happen. But apart from just theatre-makers, I am surrounded by a network of incredible artistic women in all spaces.
"So many different strengths holding community arts projects and creative dreams alive, so we need to keep that up in homes, classrooms, and any spaces where we can encourage children to draw, write, act, sing, dance and create.
"But we need even more female voices in theatre... There is a story inside all of us, and if your story is suited for the stage, I say write it and share it.
"More female writers means more female roles, means more female actors employed and behind-the-scenes crew and production teams... Our stories are important and we must look after and support our female storytellers," she says.
For young women aspiring to build a sustainable life in performance, her guidance is grounded and practical.
"Don’t give up ... Whether you are a full-time creative or working a 9-to-5, use your time, even 10 minutes a day if that's all you have to spare, to create something.
"Write, find a monologue and memorise it, practice a self-tape, sign up for an acting class... Do what you can with what you have."
Grounded by her family, her husband Dhaveshan, her son Sai, and a supportive network of women, Budhoo continues to prove that the size of the venue doesn't just measure success in the arts; it is measured by the enduring strength of the stories we leave behind.
alyssia.birjalal@nationalmg.co.za