Zenobia Kloppers, a familiar face on shows like Arendsvlei and The Wheel of Time, is celebrating a milestone year as her charming new film, Finding Optel, is set to take the world by storm.
South Africa (24 September 2025) – Zenobia Kloppers has graced our small screens in acclaimed shows like Amaza, Suidooster, Arendsvlei and the global fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. She also starred in the title role in the film Fiela se Kind, earning her a nomination for Best Actress in the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Most recently, Zenobia joined an all-star cast on Finding Optel as Aunty Doreen.
The film takes viewers on a journey with teenager Claire Abrahams, who runs a lost and found service where she locates anything and everything that has been misplaced. When Optel, the community dog, goes missing, Claire must confront her brother’s painful disappearance to solve her biggest case yet.
Finding Optel had its South African premiere at the kykNET Silwerskerm Festival in August 2025, where the whimsical film received a standing ovation, a nomination for Paul Guyeu’s cinematography, and the Best Production Design award for Sumaya Wicomb.
The charming family film will have its international premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival on Saturday, 18 October and then launch on Showmax on Friday, 24 October.
Reflecting on her experience, Zenobia describes the production as one filled with beautiful people and fun moments, highlighting how the film manages to tackle serious topics with a light-hearted, comedic approach.
“It is also a truly Capetonian film that depicts so-called “Cape Coloured” culture, but not through the lens of gangsterism. It’s just the story of a teenage girl looking for a missing dog. Through looking for this dog, she finds answers herself and she finds peace about things that have happened. It’s wonderful to show that there’s more to our people than just gangsterism,” shares Zenobia, who takes on the role of Claire’s mother figure in the film.
Unlike her previous roles, the Namibian-South African actress said she was excited to play the role of a Cape Town local who speaks English – something she rarely gets to do.
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NSRI's Countrywide Splash of Drowning Prevention AwarenessWith Finding Optel poised to premiere at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, Zenobia says this kind of international exposure is incredibly humbling.
“As an actor, you pour so much of yourself into each project without ever really knowing how far it will travel or whose hearts it might reach.”
She says the recognition also serves as a reminder that South African stories are not small and have a place in the world.
“For me, it’s also deeply personal. Every opportunity, whether on a global fantasy series or in a film rooted in our own soil, carries the responsibility of representation. International exposure means that our voices, our histories and our imaginations are being seen and heard.”
We couldn’t agree more, and we’re so excited to see how the global audience will receive this local feel-good story, which also happens to mark Zenobia’s international breakout year.
Described as ‘a quirky detective story that skilfully tackles childhood grief’, the film promises to be worth the watch.
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