Mbali Mtshali — Snakes In The City
With Mbali Mtshali — Snakes In The City
In short
Mbali Mtshali went from being terrified of snakes — raised to believe they were evil omens — to handling venomous species alongside Simon Keys and Susie Gillett on National Geographic Wild's Snakes In The City. She talks about volunteering from 2012, why learning a snake's ecological role changed her mind, how unscripted the filming really is, competitive bodybuilding as a vegetarian woman, and her plan for a non-profit depression centre. The one takeaway: Fear of snakes shifted for Mbali only once she understood their ecological function — rats, frogs and food-web balance — rather than through contact alone.
How did someone raised to fear snakes end up working with them?
Mbali was petrified of snakes and had been taught by her grandmother that they were evil omens — that encountering one meant you would die. Volunteering at a conservation organisation meant learning about snakes almost by default, and then having to talk to the public about them and help people understand their role in the ecosystem.
What actually changed her mind about snakes?
Learning their ecological role, not touching one for the first time. She describes how different snakes eat rats, birds and frogs, and points out that no human would volunteer to eat a rat that chews cables and leaves mites behind. Snakes keep food webs balanced, preventing too much of one species over another.
What was volunteering at the reptile facility like?
From 2012, volunteers got roughly an hour-long shift on the floor doing impromptu snake demonstrations — walking up to visitors and asking who wanted to meet a snake. Snakes that had recently eaten were left alone, because handling can make them regurgitate, which can make them ill or even kill them.
How did she get the Snakes In The City role?
Through her mentor Kalsh Lambs, a well-respected snake handler and fisherman, who was contacted by someone from Earth Touch looking for a person who could do snake work, teach and handle. He told her it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A phone call and an on-screen interview followed, then a filming schedule.
Is Snakes In The City staged?
No — Mbali says there is no staging and no preparation before a capture. A call comes in, the caller is asked about the snake's colour, length and thickness and advised to contain the room, and the crew drives to the shared location. Nobody plans what to say, how to turn or how to release.
How does the crew decide who catches a dangerous snake?
The producer or Susie assigns it based on species and experience. If photos suggest something like a Mozambique spitting cobra, Simon takes it; with a black mamba it is Simon and Susie while Mbali shadows. She says you must shadow enough before catching anything lethal on your own.
What does bodybuilding mean to her, and what pushback did she get?
Peers told her she would never make it because she is vegetarian, and that bodybuilding is a men's sport — which became her reason to keep going. She competed for the first time last year. For her it feeds her mental state, teaches discipline and finishing what you start.
What does she want to do next?
Open a non-profit depression centre. She says depression is not "a white man's disease", that many young people have not learned to speak up, and that loud or talkative ones get told they love attention. She wants people to be mentally alive before they worry about work or friendships.
Where did her own depression come from?
From weight gain and the names her peers gave her — they stopped calling her Nimbali and called her the round one, the fatty without a shape. Because she was loud and bold, people missed how much it affected her until she began telling her story.
In their words
growing up I was so that snakes are evil the RSI North bed omen they you know if you encounter one it means you're going to die so you don't even look them in the eye
if anyone can actually volunteer to eat a rat I don't think anyone of us humans would ever take up the job to eat a rat but snakes do that job voluntary for us
because it's reality content or reality TV there is no staging there is no preps prior to each capture
you can have piercings all the way down to your toes as long as you're going to stay my lovable granddaughter that I've always known and that I brought you up to be
I used to be one of those people that used to say I just get over it man just pick yourself up it's nothing until I'm there myself
Key takeaways
- Fear of snakes shifted for Mbali only once she understood their ecological function — rats, frogs and food-web balance — rather than through contact alone.
- Volunteering, still looked down on in South Africa, was the entry point to both her snake knowledge and her television work.
- Snakes In The City captures are unscripted: the crew responds to phone calls, and sometimes waits four hours for a snake that never appears.
- Handlers must shadow experienced catchers before attempting anything lethal, and species identification from photos determines who goes in.
- Bodybuilding as a vegetarian African woman drew constant scepticism, which Mbali treated as motivation rather than a warning.
- Both host and guest speak openly about having had depression, and about the cost of casual cruelty between children.
Show notes
In this episode, I chat with Mbali about her journey and joining the Snakes In The City Crew.
Mbali's first exposure to working with reptiles was while volunteering at a non-profit organisation. She later cut her teeth handling snakes while assisting at a reptile park. She has since learned to handle venomous snakes. Mbali also conducts tours at the facility. She is full of energy and is a dedicated bodybuilder and a vegetarian.
Frequently asked questions
When did Mbali's first episode air?
Wednesday 6 July, on National Geographic Wild, channel 182 on DStv. The interview itself was recorded on 4 July.
Why can't you handle a snake that has just eaten?
It may regurgitate its food, which can make the snake sick, and some snakes can die after regurgitating. Handlers at the facility only used snakes that had not eaten for a while.
What is the advice given to a caller before the crew arrives?
Shut the windows from outside, close the door, and block the gap at the bottom with a towel so the snake stays contained. Do not approach it, but keep an eye on it so it does not disappear.
What was Mbali's impression of Simon and Susie?
She was starstruck but says they are humble and relaxed, treat everyone the same, and want people to be great at what they do. They noticed her bodybuilding, and Simon's father Tony signed a magazine for her.
What does she mean by conserving rather than preserving?
Preserving happens when it is already too late, whereas conserving helps animals thrive and builds awareness so people understand why a creature deserves respect.
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