Samela Tyelbooi (born 04 May 1981) is a South African actress and director best known for her portrayal of Lois Gumede on SABC 1 drama series Society alongside Zandile Msutwana. She has gained wider recognition for playing Ayanda on SABC 1 soapie Generations: The Legacy, a role that she is still currently starring in.

Samela Tyelbooi was born and raised in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape on 4 May 1981, she has one older brother. She attended and matriculated at Victoria Girls' High School attending the school in the same period as radio personality and now Idols South Africa judge, Unathi Msengana. After matriculating she attended Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, completing a BTech in Information Technology.

In 2006 she landed her first screen appearance in a cameo role on Generations.

That same year she landed her breakthrough role on SABC 1 drama Society in the role as the troubled Lois Gumede alongside Zandile Msutwana, Manaka Ranaka & Talitha Ndima.

In 2011 she played the supporting role of Ntosh on the SABC 1 drama series Intsika.

She later landed the role of Shado Shilongo, a struggling singer/songwriter who finds her fortunes changing when Miles Vilakazi tries to sign her to Redemption Records, on the e.tv soapie Rhythm City (TV series), in 2012.

She also had a guest starring role in the tenth episode of the SABC 1 science fiction series Room 9, in 2013.

Towards the end of 2018, she joined the SABC 1 soapie Generations: The Legacy, as Tau's former flame and publishing entrepreneur Ayanda.^[1]