Bongani Fassie (born August 26, 1985) is a 38 year-old South African singer, producer, and reality television actor. He is famed as the only son of Brenda Fassie, the late sensational South African singer.
Brenda, affectionately known as “MaBrii the Black Madonna,” attained the kind of admiration and popularity enjoyed by only a select few outstanding people. Her son also became renowned as a result of this celebrity, and he has maintained this fame for many years after his mother’s passing.
Summary of Bongani Fassie’s Bio
- Full Name: Bongani Fassie
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: August 26, 1985
- Bongani Fassie’s Age: 38 Years Old
- Ethnicity: African
- Nationality: South African
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Bongani Fassie’s Wife: Buhle Sangweni (ex)
- Bongani Fassie’s Children: 3
- Bongani Fassie’s Parents: Brenda Fassie (mother) and Dumisane Ngubeni (father)
- Bongani Fassie’s Height in Inches: 70 Inches (5 Feet 10 Inches)
- Bongani Fassie’s Height in Centimeters: 178 cm (1.8 m)
- Bongani Fassie’s Net Worth: R35 Million
- Famous for: Being Brenda Fassie’s Son
- Bongani Fassie’s Instagram: @bonganifassie
- Twitter: @IamBONGZ
What is Bongani Fassie’s Age?
Bongani Fassie is presently 38 years old. He was born to musicians Brenda Fassie and Dumisane Ngubeni on August 26, 1985, in South Africa. His birth sign is Virgo.
He was the only child of his mother and had no other siblings. Bongani was born when his mother was only 20 years old. She wasn’t yet famous then, and his upbringing was tough since she raised him as a single mother.
Bongani grew up away from the spotlight because his mother’s popularity overshadowed everything and everyone. He spent the majority of his early years with his mother. She had wanted him to become a lawyer, but instead, he chose to follow his heart by studying music.
He started playing drums when he was very little and joined a couple of music bands until he understood the ropes of the music business. Bongani was extremely close to his mother.
After her sad death in 2004, he fell into depression. He allegedly contemplated suicide several times and also got addicted to drugs and alcohol to cope with his grief. He even took a 6-year hiatus from music simply to grieve properly and heal.
During that time, he spent time with his three children and his then-wife. He also checked into rehab to recover from his drug issues.
Who is Bongani Fassie’s Father?
Everyone knows who Bongani’s mother was. However, not many know who his father is. Bongani’s father’s name is Dumisane Ngubeni, a musician who is best remembered for being one of the members of the Xhosa band Big Dudes. While Brenda had been the group’s lead singer, her then-boyfriend was the keyboard player.
They weren’t married at the time of Bongani’s birth and never made it to that point either. The relationship lasted for a couple of years before both parties eventually moved on.
There is very little information about Bongani’s father on the internet. Although he is still alive, there are no records of him having other children or getting married. There has also been no way of telling whether father and son had a good relationship with each other or any sort of relationship for that matter.
Bongani Fassie’s Music Career
Like his mother, Bongani turned out to be a musician. He is a member of a musical group called Jozi. His mother had been one of the biggest African pop stars of the late nineties till the early 2000s. She was recognized as a singer, songwriter, and dancer.
Bongani learned how to produce, record and write songs from his mother. He did not want to be a lawyer like his mother wished and instead joined the group Jozi. The group members include Bongani Fassie, Da L.E.S, and Ishmael.
Prior to this, he was also a member of his mother’s former band, Big Dudes. Fassie is quite talented with a variety of musical instruments, including the piano, drums, kongas, and guitar.
Earlier in 1996, he released his debut album titled, ‘African Boys.’ In 2013, after a long break, the musician personality dropped the album ‘Rise’. Bongani has made music with some of the country’s finest music acts.
Although he hasn’t reached the level of success that his mother enjoyed, he is making the most of his career so far.
Bongani Fassie’s Reality Show
Fassie made headlines in 2022 after he was able to find his way back into the entertainment industry. He landed his own reality TV show called ‘Finding Bongani Fassie’ which aired on DSTV.
The show immediately became a viewer’s favorite and even generated lots of social media discussions on Twitter. According to Bongani, the inspiration for the show came immediately when he decided to finally be open about his life’s challenges as the late Brenda’s son.
This is not the only television project that he has undertaken. Bongani also wants to drop a biopic of his late mother titled ‘Brenda: The True Story.’ The story will reportedly follow the life of his mother, from her meteoric rise to fame to her tragic death and also to the many disputes over her wealth in the aftermath of her death.
The project is believed to be in collaboration with Brenda Fassie’s Estate, Legaci Nova Entertainment, and Showbiz Bee.
Who is Bongani Fassie’s Wife?
Bongani Fassie doesn’t have a wife presently. However, he used to be married to Buhle Sangweni. There is very little information about Buhle, her age, background, and occupation. Their marriage was rocky, and there are heavy speculations that this could have been a result of Bongani’s destructive drug habits.
There were also reports that Bongani had been physically abusing her as well. They were married for over 14 years. Since their split, he has remained single and hasn’t remarried. They both have joint custody of their children.
How Many Kids Does Bongani Fassie Have?
According to reports, Bongani Fassie has three children. One of them was named after his late mother, while his son was named Bongani Jr. The name of the third child is still unknown.
His first child is a teenager. However, there is no exact record of their births or their whereabouts at the present time. Bongani has credited his children’s presence in his life as the major reason for choosing to turn his life around after years of being addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Bongani Fassie’s Net Worth
Bongani Fassie is well on his way to becoming a South African entertainment industry veteran. His career began before his mother’s death and has progressed beautifully since then.
Currently, he is worth 35 million rands, according to reports. He is believed to have made about 20 million rands as an inheritance from his mother’s music proceeds. In 2017, Bongani emerged victorious after over a decade of fighting with his mother’s former record label.
Bongani Fassie’s House
Bongani reportedly was homeless for many years after his mother’s demise. According to some tabloid reports, Brenda Fassie’s son had been less forthcoming regarding his mother’s wealth and possessions, and among these was the house they had both lived in before she died.
It was said that Bongani couldn’t keep up with his mother’s debtors, and the house had to be sold off to pay her drug debt. Before Bongani’s mother died, she had also reportedly sold off six cars, including a Mitsubishi Pajero, a Land Rover, and a BMW convertible.
This was all done to pay off her debt. Coincidentally, Bongani also gained a reputation as a defaulter regarding bill payments. However, the wild child seems to have turned his finances around in the past couple of years. Still, there are no verifiable reports about any houses or real estate investments solely belonging to him.
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