Israel Makoe, also known as Israel Makoe Matseke-Zulu, is a South African actor, poet, and dancer who has gained wide acclaim for his acting roles in Yizo Yizo, iNumber Number, Tsotsi, Gaz’lam, and Four Corners, among many others. He was born in Alexandra and has since continued to grow his career in the entertainment industry through music, releasing his musical material under the name GP Ma-Orange.
While all these achievements have made him popular, Makoe’s rise to the top started during a prison stint in the 1990s for breaking and entering. Apart from this, Makoe has suffered some misfortunes, including the loss of a child in 2011 and the loss of his left leg due to an illness.
While this may seem like all there is to know about him, there are many more mind-blowing details about his life.
Some Fascinating Facts About Israel Makoe
1. He Had a Difficult Childhood
Israel Makoe was born in Alexandra, South Africa, in 1974. He is one of five siblings who had a difficult childhood due to poverty. As a child, he was raised in a one-bedroom house by his grandmother and other relatives, as his parents were not married. He resorted to a life of crime due to poverty and was first arrested for theft at the age of 14. He continued to delve deeper into crime after that.
Despite growing up in poverty, Israel was able to attend Gordon Combined School.
2. Israel Makoe Uses Both His Father’s and Stepfather’s Name
Over the years, many have noted the change in Israel’s names. During his younger years, Israel used the surname Matseke, which was also his mother’s surname. As you might find, there are people who choose to do this, but in his case, it had a lot to do with his cultural background.
According to him, a child cannot use his father’s name if he did not marry his mother. Based on this, he used his mother’s surname, Matseke, until the 9th grade, when she got married to another man named Makoe.
Apparently, he used to be disturbed by the fact that he could not use his real father’s name, which was Zulu. Unsurprisingly, as a grown man, he made the decision to do what suited him. He merged all three names and is now known by the full name Israel Sipho Makoe Matseke-Zulu.
3. The Actor was Imprisoned for House Breaking and Theft
In 1996, the South African-born entertainer was sentenced to three years in prison for breaking into a house and stealing. While in prison, Mokoe formed the Abaqobi Drama group for inmates. Through the group, he helped some launch acting careers, as can be seen in a few commercials and soaps.
4. Matseke-Zulu Wrote his First Play in Prison
Israel wrote and directed his first play, Hayi Kabi Magenge, which was acted by fellow inmates under his Abaqobi Drama Group. He has since built on this aspect of his creative career by serving as the director of an Alexandra-based theatre group known as Ishoshovi, years later.
5. Makoe Made His Screen Debut After he Left Prison
The Alexandra-born entertainer made his screen debut in the highly acclaimed TV series Yizo Yizo shortly after he left prison. Previously, he first saw the series while in prison and started dreaming of one day appearing in it. After his release, he auditioned for a role, and in a twist, a new role was written for him.
In the series, Israel acted as Boyza, a role he translated so well that many hated him due to Boyza’s activities. Apart from this role, Israel has become one of the most recognizable villains on screen.
While one of the qualities of a good actor is the ability to translate a role well, this has led to him being typecast, which is associated with certain roles.
The actor has continued to be cast in roles of villain, thug, and gun-carrying character. For many of his followers, some of the criminal characters he played are in works like Isidingo (Cyprian Gumbi), Z’bondiwe (Jakes Masilo), Gaz’lam (Ghetto Professor), Hard to Get (Mugza), Izuu Lami, and iNumber Number (Skroef).
6. He is a Notable Kwaito Musician
Like his acting, Israel is also a skilled musician who started honing his skills while in prison. One of his earliest works is a collaboration he did with Kwaito star Mandoza. He had impressed Mandoza with his acting role as a gang leader while in prison, and upon his release, the two collaborated.
Since then, he has grown a reputation in that genre of music under the stage name Ghetto Professor or GP-MaOrange. He likely got the name from his role as GP in the SABC series Gaz’lam. Through his musical exploits, he released his debut album in 2018 titled King Fruit Manamune/Last Man Standing. The album contains hit songs like Intuthwane, Fakalento, Qabula Dub, and Mama.
In 2019, the talented entertainer revealed via his Twitter (now X) handle that he is the first Kwaito artist to be nominated at the Mzansi Kwaito House Music Awards.
7. The Alexandra-born Entertainer Lost One of his Two Children in 2011
Having gained wide recognition on screen for the roles he takes, Israel also has a tender side, which is seen in his relationship with his child. The actor had two sons, but unfortunately lost one named Tebogo in a 2011 shooting.
One would wonder who the mother of his children is. He is not married and keeps these details private. However, he has been linked to several women, including the South African socialite, singer, and dancer Wabantu.
8. He Lost his Left Leg to Gangrene
In early 2022, Israel’s left leg was amputated after many years of suffering from gangrene. During his ordeal, Israel was told that he had been bewitched and needed spiritual intervention to avoid death. However, he was later diagnosed with gangrene and told that his leg had to be amputated.
Losing his leg also affected his career. He had to adjust to the new situation, and this led to much speculation about him not getting much work. Understandably, he had to exit Gomora because his legs were not moving, but this was because he was trying to adjust to living without his left leg. In fact, the actor later clarified that he is a hustler and that he is not out of work. He went as far as stating that he does not want pity from fans.
Notably, he has since continued to release works, including a co-produced movie and a single released on October 31, 2022.
See Also: Zamani Mbatha – 10 Important Facts About The South African Actor
9. Makoe Gives Back to Society Through his Talent Agency and as a Motivational Speaker and A
Considering that correctional facilities are meant to have an impact on the behavior of inmates, it is not surprising that Israel Makoe has so much to offer. Often described as a shy, calm, and organized person in real life, he is a motivational speaker and mentor who speaks against crime. Although he was warned against taking villain roles, he is unbothered and uses them to pass messages about the negative aspects of crime. Moreover, since his past has helped to shape his career, he has been able to draw a line between the two. Notably, he is not the only actor who has been attached to such roles; others include Vusi Kunene and Menzie Ngubane.
Aside from using screen roles to mentor young people, the South African actor also gives back to society through the Israel Makoe Acting Agency, which helps to train young and emerging actors and creatives in Alexandra. He aims to give them a better opportunity of getting acting roles.
10. Rumours About His Death
Like many famous people, Israel Makoe has been rumored to be dead on several occasions, and in each case, he or his management has had to refute the claims. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, he caused online traffic for death hoaxes that made rounds on social media.
In one such case in 2019, the actor, fed up with such rumors, took to his Twitter (now X) handle to ask how many times a person dies. This was following a Daily Sun caption that claimed he had been killed 10 times.
