He says the past 10 years he has spent in the industry have not been smooth sailing.

“There are many challenges such as not earning well and not being paid at all at times,” he says.

MacDonald, 30, says it is through perseverance that he is still standing as an actor.

MacDonald is popular for his character Kagiso in The Queen on the Mzansi Magic channel.

Like him, his character is a driven and goal-oriented guy.

“He [Kagiso] forever wants to do the right thing. But at times it comes at a greater cost to him … the end result is that he finds himself having a much darker view of the world around him,” he says.

Luckily for the real him, he has a brighter perception of his surroundings.

MacDonald says that while many kids already know what they are destined for as adults, he only knew after matriculating about his future and that he wanted to be an actor.

He applied for some jobs and worked in a few places but was always unhappy.

“I quit the 9am to 5pm world after six months.”

After a short stint at a film school and a few auditions, he was a professional actor.


His first professional work was That’aMachance, a comedy show he masterminded with fellow students at a small Durban film school.

The play was performed in 2007 at the Isibaya Casino’s iZulu Theatre.

He then worked at a Durban Theatre for four years before he relocated to Joburg in 2011.

The following year he landed his first television break on SABC3 soapie Isidingo.

He has since acted in Gold Diggers, Rockville, Zabalaza and Intersexion, among others.

And his advice to upcoming actors is to not expect overnight fame and success.

“Study, learn the craft, persist and believe in yourself.”

The media-shy actor says he enjoys a simple life out of the spotlight.

“I spend quiet nights at home or with friends and family whenever possible,” he says.

He describes himself as a man of few words and an overall witty fool.

“Off stage I am a simple and unassuming person,” he says.

His future goals are to keep working and to keep challenging himself with every role.

“Personally, I want to be the best version of myself I can be. It’s a gift to be alive and I don’t want to waste it,” he says.