Friends and colleagues of South African actor Presley Chweneyagae, star of the Oscar-winning South African film "Tsotsi", have paid tribute to him at his funeral service.

Chweneyagae died at the age of 40 at his home, his agent announced on Tuesday.

The actor gained international fame in 2006 when the movie "Tsotsi" , set in the criminal underworld of Johannesburg's sprawling township of Soweto, scooped the best foreign film award.

His funeral service was held on Saturday at the Akasia Community Hall in the capital, Pretoria, where he had lived.

South Africa’s deputy minister of sports and culture, Peace Mabe, described Chweneyagae as a “gifted thespian who left an indelible mark on many people's lives and touched many hearts”.

Chweneyagae was born in 1984 in the small North West Province town of Mafikeng and joined drama classes at the age of 10, his agents said.