Anele Mdoda is a multi-award-winning media personality who has been a force to reckon with in the SA entertainment industry. Interestingly, she is not the only famous person in her family. Anele Mdoda has a sister named Thembisa Mdoda who is also making waves in the media, as well as the film industry. The two have been active in the entertainment industry for close to two decades now and have won multiple awards for their roles as radio disc jockeys, radio show hosts, as well as TV presenters. They rank among the most popular media figures in South Africa.
While Anele is well-known as the host of popular shows such as Real Talk With Anele, The Buzz, and 947’s Anele and The Club, Thembisa Mdoda is best recognized for her role as the host of a wedding show titled, Our Perfect Wedding. The Mdoda sisters enjoy being in the company of each other and are quite close.
Who is The Older Sibling Between Anele and Thembisa Mdoda?
Thembisa and Anele Mdoda hail from Mthatha in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Unmarried actress is a year and six months older than Anele. Thembisa Mdoda was born on November 16th, 1982, whereas Anele Mdoda joined the family on May 19th, 1984. The two are not the only children of their parents as they have two sisters named Unathi and Zamalisa. The former is older than Thembisa and Anele while the latter is the youngest of the siblings. The TV personalities haven’t shared their early life experiences but are believed to have been the best of friends since childhood.
With Thembisa and Anele Mdoda taking the SA media industry by storm, one might assume that they come from a family of entertainers. Well, their parents didn’t pursue careers in entertainment, however, their career fields have not been made public knowledge.
Are Their Parents Still Alive?
In the year 2009, tragedy hit Anele and Thembisa’s family as their mother, Yolisa Mdoda succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Her death affected the two badly, even though Anele seemed to have had stronger ties with her late mom than Thembisa. In an interview, the Baby Mama actress stated that she was devastated when her dad broke the news of her mom’s demise in 2009. She revealed that she wasn’t on a good term with late Yolisa as her personality used to clash with her mother’s. And that she only got to learn more things about her mom after her passing which makes the pain unbearable.
Thembisa regrets not building a close relationship with her mom as she didn’t let her in and wasn’t open with her. Despite the strain on their relationship, she moved on to cite that the late Yolisa is her greatest influence. She said her mother shaped her to become the woman she is today. And that she inculcated in her some basic moral values, as well as how to be a family woman; always making sure to love and put her family first. Anele, on the other hand, who happened to be her mom’s close friend usually celebrates her birthday since her demise.
She recently revealed in one of her Instagram posts that she cried for the first at her mom’s grave in early 2021, thanks to her friend, Vee who encouraged her to express the emotions which she had been repressing since her mom’s passing. Thembisa and Anele Mdoda’s father is still alive and the two cherish spending time with him. On his 65th birthday on August 10, 2020, Anele and her sisters gifted him with a painting of himself and his grandson, Alakhe-Ilizwe (Anele’s son) who happened to be celebrating his 5th birthday that same day. Their dad was also present during Anele’s 37th birthday celebration on May 19th, 2021.
Anele and Thembisa Mdoda Share a Very Strong Bond
Having been working in the same career field for several years now, the Mdoda sisters are mostly seen in the company of each other. On many occasions, they have attended social events together and often upload pictures of themselves on their social media handles. In early August 2021, Thembisa tested positive to Covid-19 and was on admission at Sandton MediClinic. Anele, along with other family members, showed her strong support and love. They also released a statement, citing that the actress has recuperated and equally appreciated those that wished Thembisa well during the trying period.
Have The Two Media Personalities Worked Together?
Anele Mdoda began her career as a radio disc jockey and presenter while at the University of Pretoria. She eventually got associated with 94.7 Highveld Stereo where she co-hosted the weekdays evening show alongside Grant Nash. Soon after, she worked at 5FM before plying her trade in the TV front. She first worked as the host of the reality TV show, SA’s Got Talent in 2009 before moving on to work as the anchor of other shows, including TV to the POWER of 5, Dream School SA, Tongue in Cheek, Celebrity Game Night, and The Voice SA.
From 2016 to mid-2018, the talented media figure garnered immense popularity for her role as the host of her own show titled Real Talk With Anele on SABC 3. While working as a Real Talk Show host in the year 2017, Anele surprised her viewers by bringing her sister, Thembisa Mdoda to the show and the episode became the most emotional episode of Real Talk. The interview mainly focused on the death of their mother and Thembisa’s failed marriage to actor Atandwa Kani.
Also, in that same 2017, the Mdoda sister made their family proud at the South African Film & Television Awards (SAFTA) where Thembisa took home the SAFTA Award for Best TV presenter and Anele, SAFTA Award for Best Talk Show (Real Talk Show With Anele). Additionally, Anele Mdoda appeared as a guest on season six of Our Perfect Wedding hosted by her sister, Thembisa. While the former is yet to ply her trade in the film industry, the latter has featured in a good number of films and TV series. She had her first role in the year 2013 when she featured in Mzansi Love.
Two years later, she scored the role of Thabisile Cebekhulu in the Mzansi Magic telenovela, The Road. She also had roles in the 2018 film Baby Mama, as well as Unmarried (2018), and Dam (2021). Her other acting credits can be seen in Isibaya, Ses’Top La, and Home Affairs. Even though it’s still unclear who amongst the sisters first ventured into the entertainment industry, the pair have built an alluring profile, racking up multiple awards in the process.
A Look At The Sisters’ Colourful Love Lives
Thembisa Mdoda, who is currently in her second marriage, made news headlines in 2015 when her marriage of three years crumbled. She met her ex-husband, Atandwa Kani in 2004 while studying at Wits University. The pair dated on and off for several years before tying the knot in 2012 after the actress told Atandwa that she was pregnant with his child. Soon after the marriage, rumors of Thembisa having an extramarital affair began circulating. Some years later, after welcoming a set of twin boys in 2012, the rumor started making the rounds again in the media space. Consequently, the actor called it quits with Thembisa Mdoda and they went their separate ways in 2015.
With the TV presenter being romantically involved with another man in 2011 when she told Atandwa of her pregnancy, the actor insisted on running a paternity test on the twins to ascertain whether they were actually his children. After declining for long, Thembisa finally agreed to his request in 2015. Sadly, the DNA test revealed that her estranged husband was not the biological father of the twins. The former couple later reconciled and have been on good terms. In 2017, Thembisa revealed that she had found love on Our Perfect Wedding. She reportedly tied the knot with her man in 2020 and changed her name to Thembisa Nxumalo-Mdoda.
Just like her sister, Anele is also a mother. She gave birth to her son Alakhe Ilizwe on August 10, 2015, when she was in a relationship with Thandie. The lovebirds later parted ways in early 2016. Anele Mdoda has since moved on with a businessman called Thoba Mkangisa. He had two daughters from his previous relationship and has currently built a loving blended family with Anele and her son.
