Florence Masebe Biography, Age, Husband, and Daughter

Florence Masebe is a 51 year-old South African actress and film producer born on November 14, 1972. The name of her husband is Kagiso Machele and she has two surviving children. 

The actress began her career more than 20 years ago after training at one of the renowned drama schools in the country. She went on to become well-known after acting in some of the most popular South African soap operas, such as Generations, Muvhango, 7de Laan, Egoli, and Soul City. Her acting career may have slowed down, but she is still a notable presence in the industry and a great source of motivation to more youthful performers.

Florence Masebe was Born in Limpopo, South Africa

Florence Masebe was born on 14th November 1972 in Limpopo. She is 51 years old currently. The actress was raised alongside her siblings Mulivhuwe Masebe (siblings) and Thabo Masebe (brother) by their mother Tshililo Elsie Mashua-Masebe and her husband.

Sadly, she has lost her brother and parents to the cold hands of death. Thabo passed away on April 18, 2022. Until his demise, he was a respected communicator and the acting director-general in the Gauteng premier’s office. He also served as the spokesperson to former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe.

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Florence’s father has since died while her mother was buried on August 1, 2023.

Masebe is a well-trained actor. She studied drama at the University of Cape Town. She launched her acting career immediately after she graduated, precisely in 1993.

She is a Veteran Actress and TV Personality 

Florence Masebe is a seasoned actress, host, and TV personality. The Limpopo-born screen diva got her start in television through an Urban Brew program called ‘Electric Workshop’. She subsequently began appearing in children’s programs and comedy in 1993. That year, she made her professional debut in the SABC series ‘Big Time’.

Her impressive performances paved the way for more media coverage and public attention towards her. She subsequently became a renowned figure in South African television and became part of the initial cast of the soapie, ‘Generations’.

Masebe has also featured in other local productions such as ‘Muvhango’, ‘Soul City’, ‘Inkaba’ and ‘Rhythm City’. She is also the author of the book “The Heart Knows” which she wrote to commemorate the death of her son.

Florence Masebe’s Husband

Florence Masebe’s husband is Kagiso Machele. Reports emerged in 2011 that the two were set to have their traditional wedding at Florence’s mother’s house in Mathebula village, Northern Province – just outside Potgietersrus on February 24 2001.

Their wedding was scheduled to take place six days later in Johannesburg at one of the finest event venues in the city. However, nothing has been heard or read about the duo’s relationship since then, even though the two’s relationship was low-key from the onset.

The actress has never talked about Kagiso publicly since their wedding plan became public knowledge and there are no available pictures of the duo proving that they are still together even on Florence’s social media accounts.

There are claims they are no longer married but the actress hasn’t confirmed their rumour herself and she appears not to be bothered.

Machele was born in Soweto. He is also a reputable asset management specialist who has worked for various brands. He met Florence in 1997 in a club and eventually started dating.

Who Is Florence Masebe’s Daughter?

The name of Florence Masebe’s daughter is Monthati Zenzile Masebe. She was born on August 27 1996, in South Africa. She is a talented pianist, actor, African indigenous music archivist, and composer who started learning to play Alicia Keys’ diary by ear at the age of 10.

Monthati holds a Bachelor of Music (honours in music composition) from the University of the Witwatersrand. Currently, the actress is studying towards a PhD in composition at Duke University, North Carolina, in the US.

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She is the brain behind the Masebe Music brand and has composed music for films, orchestras, and operas. To her credit, her music has been performed by music ensembles in places like Berlin, Tokyo, Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Boston, and Sweden.

Florence’s daughter made her first screen appearance on Generations: The Legacy as the character Zikhona in March 2022. An excited Monathi couldn’t contain her joy appearing in the same soapie her mother starred in many years ago. Her post was met with many heartfelt wishes from her fans including her mother who said she was so proud of her daughter and her dream.

She was one of 10 international composers to receive a fellowship with Goethe-Institut and the Ensemble Recherche, a German classical music ensemble of nine soloists.

Monathi is a Fellow at Duke University as well as a board member of the Indigenous African Music Project run by the Southern African Music Rights Organisation. She made it to the list of Mail and Guardian 200 Young South Africans for 2023.

Miss Masebe is a non-binary queer.

What Happened To Florence Masebe’s Son?

Florence Masebe’s son Masokana died in November 2015 in a swimming pool at Masebe’s home in Bramley, Johannesburg. He was just 18 months old at the time of the incident.

Masokana’s tragic passing caused the actress so much pain, not only because he was young but also because of the controversies that followed the incident. An undisclosed journalist claimed the actress was hosting her birthday on the fateful day.

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Also, a woman alleged that she made up the story of her son’s passing, purporting that the actress copied the story of her son’s drowning from one of her blogs. In an interview she granted two years later, Florence disclosed that she was deeply hurt by people’s mean comments on her son’s death, adding that the only thing she was comfortable with was ‘her truth’.

Masokana was the son the actress reportedly had with the thespian and Venda chief, Livhuwani Matsila. While some claimed that the two were dating and Florence became pregnant, other people close to Matsila rubbished the claim, stating that the actress was officially introduced to the royal councillor and was known to the royal home and Livhuwani’s first wife from KwaZulu-Natal province.

Florence had a son named Marubini Machele with her husband, Kagiso. He is in his early twenties and a fast-rising footballer.

Florence Masebe’s Shooting

Florence Masebe had a very close brush with death on August 18, 1999, when her car was shot at by unidentified attackers 40 times before they eventually escaped the area. She was outside her house in Bramley waiting for her electric gate to open when the shooting happened.

The shooting was not in error. I'll just never know why an who ordered it. What matters now, here, is I lived. pic.twitter.com/Mh37ALPwuL

— Mme a Masakona (@FloMasebe) August 18, 2020

The actress’ right hand, wrist, legs and arm were all hit by bullets, but miraculously she managed to survive the horrific attack. A 22-year-old man subsequently confessed to having been hired to murder actors from the soapie “Generations”, in which Masebe was part of the cast at that time.

On August 18, 2020, she celebrated the anniversary of the shooting. According to her, it was her way of reminding her attackers about her survival and how they failed woefully.

There’s no update on the case and it’s not clear if the perpetrators faced the music.

FAQs

What is Florence Masebe’s Net worth?

The actress’s net worth is estimated at US$500,000. She made a huge part of her wealth from acting as well as producing television and film projects. She probably has other sources of income through which she makes extra income.

How Many Children Does Florence Masebe Have?

Florence Masebe has given birth thrice. However, she lost the youngest of them (Mosakana) in 2015 in a swimming pool drowning. Her oldest child is former Generation actress Monathi while her serving son is named Marubini Machele.

She shares her surviving kids with her husband Kagiso Machele. Monathi was five years old when her parents got married. She reportedly had Mosakana with Venda chief Livhuwani Matsila.

Mosakana died at 18 months old in the actress’s residence in Johannesburg.

Who is Humbulani Rambau from Muvhango?

The Muvhango character Humbulani Rambau was portrayed by Florence Masebe. She played the role from 2004 to 2009.

Florence Masebe House

The actress has a house in Johannesburg. However, its worth, features, and exact location are not public knowledge. She currently lives in the mansion with her children.