Moitheri Pheto (born 11 May 1981) is a South African actress who is known for starring in an Oscar-winning film Tsotsi (2005) and other South African soapies. She had a recurring role of a heart surgeon, Dr. Malaika Maponya, on the American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Terry Pheto is among a group of individuals and companies implicated in the National Lotteries Commission corruption scandal.

Early life
Raised in Soweto until the age of 20, Pheto was spotted by casting agent Moonyeenn Lee in a theatre group in Soweto during the casting process for Tsotsi with Presley Chweneyagae.

Career

After her debut in Tsotsi, Pheto appeared in other films such as Catch a Fire (2006), Goodbye Bafana (2007) and How to Steal 2 Million (2012).

Television series she has acted in include the SABC1 drama series Justice for All (as Lerato), Zone 14 (as Pinky Khumba) and Jacob's Cross, as Mbali. Pheto played the key role of Fikile in the SABC2 mini-series Hopeville, from March to April 2009. The series was later made into an award-winning film. In 2011, after leaving South Africa to try her luck in Hollywood, she landed a recurring role of a heart surgeon, Dr. Malaika Maponya, on the American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She was the subject of an episode of the Nicky Greenwall-hosted documentary series The Close Up, which aired on e.tv and the eNews Channel in 2012. In the same year, she was a featured subject in the first episode of the second season of the SABC1 reality series Play Your Part, aired on 9 July 2012. In 2010, she was a guest judge on the SABC1 reality competition Class Act, in the "Film Noir" episode.

She has also acted in the theatre productions The Toilet (directed by Bongani Linda) and The Devil's Protest, directed by Thulani Didi.

In July 2008, she modelled in several advertisements and campaigns for L'Oréal. She has also been featured in numerous magazines, including Destiny, Vanity Fair, Drum, You/Huisgenoot, Y-Magazine, Bona, Heat, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and True Love.

South African National Lottery Corruption Investigation 
In March 2023, her house in the Johannesburg suburb of Bryanston was prevented from being put on auction by the South African Special Investigating Unit and Asset Forfeiture Unit as a part of a investigation of corrupt use of National Lottery funds. The investigation has revealed that the funds earmarked for cultural campaigns and projects was used for buying land and building houses. Pheto paid R3 million into a trust account setup by the construction company. The property was then signed over to her, with the construction company keeping the accrued interest without a mortgage being paid, according to the South African Special Investigating Unit. Pheto's attorneys has not appealed the preservation order to halt the auction and is cooperating with the investigation.

Filmography 
 Tsotsi (2005)
Catch a Fire (2006)
Day and Night (2006)
 Goodbye Bafana (2007)
 Mafrika (2008)
 The Bold and The Beautiful (2011)
 How to Steal 2 Million (2012)
 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
 Cuckold (2015)
 A United Kingdom (2016)
 Madiba TV series (2017)
What's The Deal (2018-)

Accolades
 Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Actress in a supporting role
 2012, Golden Horn Award for her   Best Supporting Actress: How to Steal 2 Million

References

External links
 

1981 births
Living people
South African film actresses
Actors from Soweto
21st-century South African actresses
Best Supporting Actress Africa Movie Academy Award winners