South Africans are paying tribute to actor Presley Chweneyagae, who has died at the age of 40 after experiencing breathing problems.
Chweneyagae rose to international prominence after starring in the 2005 film Tsotsi, which earned South Africa its first Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
He played the lead role in the powerful crime film, which explores gang life in post-apartheid South Africa.
Described as a “South African icon” and one of the country’s “most gifted and beloved actors,” Chweneyagae also starred in the Nelson Mandela biopic Long Walk to Freedom and popular South African series River and Cobrizzi.
His agency said he had died from natural causes, and the South African government has paid tribute to his talent, describing him as “a gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts”.
