Biography

Dawn Matthews is a South African born actress and creator most famous for her role as Shakira on the television series Scandal! Soon after graduating from the University of Stellenbosch with a BA in theatre art, Dawn co created the comedy TV Series S.O.S, loosely based on her experience as part of the new intake of black students at a previously whites only university, living on campus in a racially mixed residence in new post apartheid South Africa. Dawn is fully bilingual in English and Afrikaans and had her breakthrough role in the Afrikaans drama series Soutmansland, and soon became a household name after roles on long running series like Egoli Place Of Gold, Song Vir Katryn, Interrogation Room and Home Affairs. After being in numerous indie movies and shorts, Dawn appeared in the movie Racing Stripes. But it was the long-running soap opera Scandal! that brought Dawn legions of fans from across Africa and the African diaspora. Much has been written about Dawn over the years and she has adorned various magazine covers, being one of the first black actresses to find success in post apartheid South Africa. Dawn was also one of the first South African celebrities to be featured in the genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are.

Dawn relocated to the United States, and after a hiatus raising her daughter, got her break on NCIS opposite Mark Harmon. Dawn and her husband Charlie Sapadin have been developing their series Amadlozi’s Child on spec and announced in January 2026 that they’ve adapted the pilot into a novel. The first installment of their fantasy series, Amadlozi’s Child: The Calling is now available on Amazon kindle.
- IMDb mini biography by: Dawn Matthews