Atandwa Kani

Atandwa Kani is prominent South African film and theatre actor who is well known for his acting role on Marvel’s comic book film Black Panther.

Atandwa Kani  is the son of celebrated South African actor and Tony Award winner John Kani. He made his international stage debut in The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Company where he played Ariel alongside his father (Caliban) and Sir Anthony Sher (Prospero). In 2009 he made his international television debut in the CW TV Network show Life is Wild, an American adaptation of the popular ITV drama Wild at Heart which aired in the UK from 2006 to 2012

Atandwa went on to play the young Nelson Mandela in the film Mandela: Long Walk to freedom directed by Justin Chadwick acting alongside Idris Elba (Mandela), Naomi Harris (Winnie Mandela) and Terry Pheto (Evelyn Mase)

In South Africa Kani starred in Kowethu, an SABC 1 drama and featured in international BET series The Book of Negroes where he acted alongside Cuba Gooding Jr (Sam Fraunces) and Aunjanue Ellis (Aminata Diallo)

Kani performed Sizwe Banzi is Dead in New York, directed by John Kani and did a South African tour of the show from 2015 to 2016. In 2016 he starred in a Film adaptation of Can Temba’s book The Suit which won a SAFTA in 2017 for Best Short Film. The Film was part of the 19th Zanzibar International Film Festival and the Urban World Film Festival in New York.

He has also been seen on Mzansi Magic’s hit TV Series, It’s Complicated.

He resides in New York with his wife Fikile M Kani