Working in the entertainment industry as an entertainer is like any other. Still, the difference between it and every different position is that it could put you as an individual in the spotlight and the public eye where many people start having access to you and these people who are well known because they work in the industry and are known as celebrities. These celebrities often show a lifestyle that will make people think they are rich because they seem to afford certain luxuries in life. Because they appear on television shows, people assume that they make the most money.
But unfortunately, the South African entertainment industry is not as big as the international ones. Sometimes the celebrities in the country also struggle financially, like every other normal human being. Frequently they also struggle to find jobs or significant in the entertainment industry because so many of them aim for the same opportunity. Unfortunately, not all of them can be hired for that.
And the entertainment industry can also be exploitive to a point where these talented individuals can work as hard as possible, but they will have nothing to show off for it. That is why so many veteran artists, actors, and actresses in South Africa have died poor.
And it seems like this is going to be a continuous thing because there are living legends in South Africa who have been actors since the 80s and 90s who have revealed that they are currently struggling financially. They are surviving on a government grant, which is shocking because you would expect veterans to be living comfortably and enjoying their pensions.
Some of these veterans who are allegedly struggling are singer and actress Abigail Khubheka, playwright and actor Thapelo Mofokeng, actor Andy Chabeli, and singer Babsy Mlangeni. The artists stated that they registered for one of the Minister of Arts and Culture's projects and were promised jobs, but they are still waiting. And because of that, they are living on grants.
About R20 million was set aside for them, and they were promised many things by the minister, but to this day, nothing has happened.
https://www.dailysun.co.za/dailysun/celebs/living-legends-were-starving-20220425-2
