Biography
Ken Gampu was a South African actor. Born in Germiston on 28 August 1929, he died in Vosloorus on 4 November 2003. Before acting he worked as a physical training instructor, salesman, interpreter and police officer.
Gampu’s first acting role was in Athol Fugard’s play No Good Friday (1958). His breakthrough came with the film Dingaka (1965) and a significant part in Cornel Wilde’s The Naked Prey (1965). He appeared in international productions including The Wild Geese (1978), Zulu Dawn (1979), The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) as the President, King Solomon’s Mines (1985) and A Reasonable Man (1999) as the Headman. He was one of the first black South Africans featured in Hollywood films and received the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver.
