Daphney Hlomuka, originally from Durban, South Africa, but raised in KwaMashu during the Apartheid era, began her acting career in Durban's theater scene in 1968 under the mentorship of playwright Welcome Msomi. Notably, she worked on Msomi's productions such as Qombeni and Umabatha, a Zulu adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Despite limited opportunities for black actors in South Africa during the 1960s and 1970s due to Apartheid, Hlomuka found success in Zulu-language radio plays. In the 1970s, she briefly toured Europe with the cast of Ipi Tombi. Hlomuka gained television recognition in the 1980s for her role as MaMhlongo in the dramatic series Hlala Kwabafileyo, portraying the wife and widow of a wealthy tycoon. Additionally, she appeared in the 1980s television comedy S’gudi S’naysi alongside actor Joe Mafela, where she played the well-intentioned landlady Sis May. The series achieved popularity during its run.