Dumisani Dlamini

Dumisani Dlamini is a South African actor and dancer born on 23 October 1963 in Durban, South Africa, of Zulu descent. He is widely recognized for his role as Crocodile in the film Sarafina! (1992) and for portraying Chester in the South African television series Yizo Yizo.

Dlamini began his professional life as a dancer in South Africa, a path that led to his casting in the musical Sarafina!, which had its premiere in South Africa in 1987. When the production transferred to Broadway, Dlamini made his Broadway debut, appearing in the show from 1988 to 1990. His U.S. tour with the production ran from 28 January 1988 through 2 July 1989. Following the conclusion of the Broadway run, he remained in the United States for a period of years before eventually returning to South Africa.

His screen career began when Sarafina! was adapted into a feature film in 1992, starring Whoopi Goldberg, in which Dlamini reprised his role as Crocodile. Back in South Africa, he built an extensive television career spanning more than 30 years, with appearances in productions including Isibaya, Shaka Ilembe, and Yizo Yizo. He also produced the television project Mercy: Sex Appeal. Beyond acting, Dlamini worked in the music industry as a producer and pianist, receiving credit on Linda Kekana's album I Am an African, released by Gallo Records in 2002.

In his personal life, Dlamini met painter and clothing designer Deborah Sawyer during a U.S. tour in the 1990s as part of Mbongeni Ngema's cast and crew. The two had a relationship before parting ways; Sawyer is the mother of his son Raman and his daughter Amala, known professionally as the rapper and singer Doja Cat. Dlamini was previously engaged to Girlie Nhlengethwa and Nandi Ndlovu. In September 2023, at the age of 59, he paid lobola for his wife Ophelia Mulela, and the couple held a private wedding ceremony in Soweto, South Africa, on 2 September 2023.