Jesse Suntele (born 18 September 1992) is a South African actor, model, and rapper best known for playing Constable Tuelo Hladi in the drama series The Queen.
Suntele won season one of the BET reality competition series Top Actor Africa in 2016. He has appeared in other television shows, including Rhythm City, Generations, and Ashes to Ashes.
Jesse Suntele
Jesse Suntele, aka. J-Flo is an actor and model.
Quick Facts
Full name:
Jesse Suntele
Born:
18 September 1992 (age 32 years old)
Place of birth:
Johannesburg, South Africa
Nationality:
South African
Education:
Sound engineering
Alma mater:
Academy of Sound Engineering
Occupation:
Actor, model, and rapper
Spouse:
Thuthu Maqhosha
Children:
Emihle
Early life
Jesse Suntele was born on 18 September 1992 in Johannesburg, the provincial capital of Gauteng, South Africa, to a Tswana father and a Xhosa mother. His mother raised him with his two siblings.
Growing up, Jesse was a nerd. He played chess and was a brilliant student as he focused more on his schoolwork. He returned to Johannesburg after he completed his matric.
Suntele moved with his family to Bloemfontein, the largest city of the Free State, while in 4th grade.
Education
Jesse Suntele attended Fairsand Primary School in Johannesburg. He matriculated from St. Joseph’s Christian Brothers College.
After matriculating, Suntele enrolled in sound engineering at the Academy of Sound Engineering. While in school, he discovered he loved acting and participated in many school plays.
Career
Suntele went for his first professional audition without any formal acting training. He made his television debut at 18, when he entered the Jam Alley School vs School Talent Search. He won the school competition, boosting his morale to participate in other competitions.
To sharpen his acting talent, Suntele joined an agency under which he played several characters for TV commercials. He then appeared in drama series, telenovelas, and soap operas.
After auditioning for the SABC 1 reality competition U Can Do It in 2013, he came out among the top 10. He starred in the season one finale of the SABC 1 documentary-drama Ngempela.
In 2015, Suntele made a guest starring appearance on the SABC soap opera Generations: The Legacy. He also played the recurring role of Kabelo on the e.tv soap opera Ashes to Ashes.
Suntele entered season two of BET Top Actor Africa and won in 2016. The win earned him a 12-month contract with the international talent scout agency J Pervis Talent Agency.
After the BET recognition, he landed his first short role as Constable Tuelo Hladi on the Mzansi Magic drama series The Queen. He did not need to attend an audition for the role because his acting skills had already impressed the producers.
Suntele played a guest-starring role in the SABC1 youth drama series Mutual Friends. He appeared as J-Flo (himself) in season 2 of Vuzu Amp reality competition series The Hustle and made it to the Top 6.
He hosted the entertainment and variety show BET A-List in 2017 and was a nominee for Hunk of the Year in the 2017 Feather Awards.
His next role was Mzi, Suffocate’s son who returns home to reconnect with his father, in the e.tv soap opera Rhythm City.
In 2022, Jesse Suntele portrayed Phila Bhengu in the South African Netflix drama series Savage Beauty.
Although Jesse got his breakthrough as an actor, his first love was music. He is a rapper with the stage name J-Flo. His songs, including High by the Beach and Outta Town, are on SoundCloud, among other streaming platforms.
In 2021, Jesse released his first EP, What Did You Expect, and featured in Kelly Khumalo’s single Jehova in 2018.
Personal Life
Jesse Suntele married artist manager Thuthu Maqhosha in April 2024. Many notable personalities attended their traditional wedding, including comedian Mongezi Mahlangu.
The couple welcomed their child, Emihle, in 2024. They celebrated their baby shower with friends and family and booked out the arcade in Rosebank, Johannesburg. They were expecting twins but unfortunately lost one. His wife had a miscarriage in 2020.
