Newcomer Sharfa du Plessis is making waves as Haylee in Skemergrond
She may be one of the newest faces in the industry, but Haylee Dalton is already making her presence felt in Skemergrond. As Christine Atkins’s ambitious secretary at Atkins Affairs, Haylee moves quietly in the background – observing, calculating and slowly revealing a far darker edge. Behind the character is Sharfa du Plessis, a passionate young actress making her television debut in one of kykNET&kie’s most popular telenovelas, and her journey to the screen is as multifaceted as the character she portrays.
Sharfa has been acting since the age of four when she joined the Helen O’Grady Academy, where performance became a natural part of her life. Her love for film deepened in high school when she began studying and analysing movies and soon expanded beyond acting into editing and directing.
“Studying Drama at Stellenbosch University gave me an outlet to experience all three of those passions,” she says. “What I also love about film is creating a new world from scratch that people can buy into and can use as a way to escape reality.”
Landing the role of Haylee marked a major milestone.
“It felt too good to be true,” she admits. “It was the first audition I did and the first role I landed after graduating from university.” While she was initially intimidated by acting alongside seasoned performers, she chose to embrace the experience. “I took this as an opportunity to learn from the best.”
Her character, Haylee, was introduced in season one as Christine Atkins’s secretary at the events company Atkins Affairs – anxious, observant and eager to prove herself.
“She is ambitious to the point where she would betray those she’s close with in order to achieve her goal,” Sharfa explains. “I like to describe Haylee as a cheerleader, but this time she’s just cheering for the wrong team.”
While her influence on Gemoedsdrif is subtle, it seeps through the questionable side jobs she carries out for Christine.
Despite Haylee’s darker traits, Sharfa finds aspects of her deeply relatable.
“If she cares about you, she will be loyal and look out for you until the end,” she says. “What I don’t like is that she uses that innocence to manipulate others to get what she wants.” She also points to Haylee’s tendency to self-sabotage as one of her most frustrating qualities.
As the writers expanded Haylee’s storyline, playing the role became more challenging for Sharfa.
“It was important to me that everything Haylee says or does is motivated and that there’s a smooth transition from where her character started to where her character is going,” she explains.
Stepping into Haylee’s darker side required emotional precision and careful preparation, guided by context from the script and Christine’s own history.
Her preparation process is highly personal and internal.
“When Haylee would do or say something that I would never in my own life, I have to reason it out for myself to make it feel natural,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll just be walking in the street and suddenly think: ‘Oh, so that is why Haylee does that!’ ”
Adjusting to the pressure and visibility of a national television debut is still a learning curve.
“It definitely takes some getting used to, and I, for sure, don’t have the hang of it yet,” she admits. “But I share the mentality that to do this job is a privilege, and so I really have no complaints.”
She credits much of her growth to mentorship on set. A conversation with Bobby Stuurman early in the process changed how she viewed her role.
“He told me that you never know what the future holds or where the character would go, and he was right. I won’t forget that,” she recalls.
Devonecia Swartz also became a key source of encouragement and advice.
“She has always been there to offer advice and guidance which has been invaluable to me as a young actress. She inspires me to constantly hone my craft so that I always strive to improve,” she says.
One of the defining moments in her Skemergrond journey came in episode 79, when Haylee helps to kidnap Tyler.
“This was a turning point in Haylee’s arc, as we finally saw what she is actually capable of,” she explains.
It was also her first exposure to stunt choreography and action filming while shooting outdoors and inside a moving vehicle.
Ultimately, Sharfa hopes viewers look beyond Haylee’s choices and see the humanity beneath them.
“I hope they don’t see Haylee as all bad,” she says. “If they connect with the character emotionally, even if it means they get angry at her, then I will have felt like I have done my job.”
Looking back on 2025, portraying Haylee’s transformation stands out as a major career highlight. Beyond acting, Sharfa also works as a dubbing director and recently directed a short film for the 48 Hour Film Project. “Directing voice artists has become a real passion of mine,” she says, adding that she is excited to explore more directing opportunities in the future.
Whether viewers love Haylee or love to hate her, one thing is certain – Sharfa du Plessis is leaving a lasting impression on Gemoedsdrif.
Skemergrond airs every Monday to Thursday at 19:30 on kykNET & kie (DStv Channel 145) and is also available on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
