33-year-old Thando Thabethe was born on June 18, 1990. She is currently in a relationship with Jaji Abolore but before him, she was involved with Frans Mashao (2013 to 2018) and Lunga Shabalala (2019 to 2020).
Thando Thabethe is one of the most popular and celebrated TV personalities in South Africa. Her career, which started as early as the age of 14, has blossomed into a very successful one which earned her a place in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2019. Sadly, her relationship life has not really been as blissful as her career. You can tell that the relationship path has not been easy for her to troll, especially for someone who was engaged to be married before her relationship packed up.
But thankfully, she didn’t have to walk down the aisle before realizing the relationship was not worth it. Thabethe seems to have found love again, and hopefully, this time, it would take her into marriage. Whichever way, fans love her and hope she stays happy all the time.
Thando Thabethe Started Her Career At The Age Of 14
The beautiful and smart Thando Thabethe was born on June 18, 1990, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She had her high school education in Mondeor High School. Afterward, she furthered her education at the University of Johannesburg, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at the age of 21. Sadly, Thando’s father passed on when she was 13, leaving her mother alone to raise Thando and her siblings. A year after her father’s death, she made her debut appearance on TV.
While at the university, she worked at the theatre productions at UJ Arts Centre. She also took a job as a radio presenter and newsletter reader at the community radio station based at the University of Johannesburg.
She Became The Brand Ambassador of Nivea At 24
Combining schooling and working is obviously not an easy thing to do. Usually, most people keep work aside and try to complete their education or drop out of school. Dropping out of school seems to be the option for most celebrities who started their career at a young age, but Thando managed both schooling and work.
During her final year in school, she landed a job at YFM, one of the most popular radio stations in South Africa. At the same time, she was also being featured in the sitcom My Perfect Family as Thando Nkosi, and in 2013, she moved to 5FM. In 2014, she joined the cast of Generations: The Legacy, where she played the role of Nolwazi Buzo for three years.
2014 seemed to be a good year for her as she was also appointed brand ambassador by Nivea, making her the first African to become a brand ambassador to the German company. In 2016, she started hosting her own show, The Thando Thabooty Show on 5FM, and was featured in her first movie, Mrs. Right Guy.
At 26, Thando Thabethe Hosted South Africa Music Award With Somizi Mhlongo
In 2016, Thando Thabethe worked with the famous South Africa gay celebrity, Somizi Mhlongo, as co-hosts of the South Africa Music Award (SAMA). A year later, she hosted the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA).
In 2018, she started her own television talk show Thando Bares All, which aired on TLC. She has also starred in the drama series Housekeepers and played a lead role in the box office hit movie Love Lives Here.
For her hard work and amazing talents, she has been nominated for Best TV Host and Best Talk Show, and her talk show Thando Bares All won the award for Best Talk Show. Following the exit of DJ Fresh from 947, she is currently the drive time host on 947. Earning a place in Forbes under 30 at the age of 29 is an achievement she totally deserves for all her hard work.
Meet The Men Thando Thabethe Has Dated
Like many other celebrities, Thando Thabethe’s career success has not really rubbed off on her relationship life. She has had to call off her long-term relationships for reasons best known to her. Here are some of the known relationships the media celebrity has been involved in:
1. Frans Mashao – 2013 to 2018
In 2013, Thando Thabethe met Frans Mashao, a businessman, media strategist, and the founder of Wise Empire, in a yacht when she attended a media event. Bumping into each other in a yacht and starting a conversation that Thando found humorous was certainly a romantic way to meet. After having a nice time talking, he requested her number, which she gave to him.
After the event, they connected, and after getting to know each other more, they developed feelings for each other and kicked off a relationship. The exact date the relationship started is unknown. They were head over heels for each other and always showed off their happy times on social media.
In 2017, during a work trip to Ibiza, Frans Mashao proposed to Thando Thabethe in the most unexpected way that even Thando did not see it coming. Obviously, he did not plan for it because he did not have a ring, either. It happened after a deep conversion with Thando, which probably convinced him that she was the one. When they got back, he got a ring, and they had a lavish engagement party.
But sadly, they never got the opportunity to work down the aisle, as their relationship was rumored to have ended in 2018 when fans noticed that she was no longer wearing her beautiful diamond engagement ring. After a while of paying deaf ears to the rumor, she finally confirmed the rumor but didn’t give a reason for their split because she felt she does not owe anyone an explanation.
2. Lunga Shabalala – 2019 to 2020
After her breakup with Frans Mashao, it looks like Thando Thabethe decided to start keeping her relationship away from the public domain. Still, for a person of her caliber, that decision does not always work. In 2019, it was rumored that she and the actor, model, and TV presenter, Lunga Shabalala, when they were spotted together during Vodacom Durban July Weekend.
Thando added fuel to the sparking rumors about their relationship when she posted pictures of both of them at the event – even though she did not directly confirm the rumor. Their relationship became obvious to everyone when they went on a vacation together to the Maldives. Despite the obvious fact, neither of them had confirmed the relationship.
Just how their relationship was kept a secret, so did they keep the break up away from the public. Nobody knew they were no longer together until her new boyfriend posted a picture of her with the caption ‘lockdown partner.’ Rumor has it that Thando’s relationship with Lunga Shabalala came to an end due to infidelity on the latter’s side.
3. Jaji Abolore – 2020 till date
In April 2020, when many people were lovesick due to their inability to meet up with their partners, Jaji Abolore, an entrepreneur, business executive, and the CEO of Booth Night Club, never had to face that. He was probably overwhelmed with the excitement of spending the lockdown with his beautiful and curvy girlfriend, Thando Thabethe.
Jaji is a Nigerian based in South Africa; although he schooled in Nigeria, he has built a business empire for himself in South Africa. On 2021 Valentine’s day, Thando Thabethe, who has now mastered the art of keeping her relationship private, posted a picture of herself and a mystery man, making fans think she was no longer in a relationship with Jaji. Both parties had also stopped posting pictures of themselves.
Jaji, who seems to find it hard to keep silent concerning how he feels about Thando, resumed posting pictures of her with heartwarming captions, which cleared the air as to whether their relationship had ended. Thando Thabethe has also started posting pictures of herself and her handsome Nigerian boyfriend. Hopefully, they will take their relationship to the next stage.
