Mpho Letsholonyane is one person whose story will never get stale to tell. The sports anchor and wife to football star Reneilwe Letsholonyane had come a long way in her personal life, from being told she would never have kids when she was still a teenager to having a miscarriage after she got married. Now she is a mother of two kids.
In a time when marriages in the country are failing almost at the speed of sound, Reneilwe and her husband seem to have theirs all under control. They share a strong bond, something they don’t stress to hide. Here’s a close look at their life as a couple, more than a decade since they started dating and a few years after tying the knot.
Quick Profile of Mpho Letsholonyane
- Birth name: Mpho Mabo
- Date of birth: 22 September 1980
- Career: Sports broadcaster
- Husband: Reneilwe Letsholonyane
- Kids: Keneilwe and Thato
Mpho Letsholonyane and Reneilwe Met Through A Mutual Friend
When Reneilwe first came across Mpho, he knew he was interested in her, and he decided to go after her. The problem was that even as he continued to pursue her, he was never direct, and so he didn’t tell her what he wanted. Mpho knew that the footballer was interested in her, but she felt he had to be courageous enough to tell her.
She continued to ignore him because he refused to be direct. They finally met at the place of her friend. Reneilwe told the friend that he liked Mpho, and he wouldn’t mind if she hooked up with him. He finally had the chance on their mutual friend’s birthday, which he attended after hearing she would be there.
The footballer took the chance and tried talking to Mpho Maboi, as she was known at the time, but she completely ignored him. His persistence finally served when he caught up with her just when she was about to leave the party. He walked her to her car, and along the way, they got chatting. It was there that she saw him for who he was and not what she thought. She realized he was kind and agreed to exchange numbers with him. That became the start of their journey.
They Got Married In 2018
The sports presenter and her former Kaizer Chiefs player finally got married in 2018, many years after dating. Interestingly, Mpho had once revealed her reluctance to date footballers because of their reputation with women. However, she said Yeye changed her perception.
They had their traditional ceremony on 24 March 2018. The event saw the expansive display of the Tswana and Pedi cultures. Mpho took to her Instagram to reveal that she had was accepted by her inlaws and had received her new Setswana name, but she didn’t share it.
She Once Thought She Was Never Going To Have Kids
When she was a young lady of 17 years old, Mpho Letsholonyane was told she was never going to have kids of her own. This resulted from a health condition known as endometriosis, which occurs when there is a tissue growth that lines the uterus outside rather than inside the uterus. It could result in infertility, among others.
Because of this health condition, she was told by the doctor that she was never going to have kids of her own. She grew up believing that was her fate until after she got married, and not long afterward, she became pregnant. Unfortunately, she lost the pregnancy due to a miscarriage.
Of course, she felt again that she might not have kids again after her hopes were dashed following the miscarriage. At that point, she was already 28 years old.
Mpho Letsholonyane Is Now A Mother Of Two With Reneilwe
In 2011, her world took another turn entirely when she discovered she was pregnant again. She was approaching 30 years old at this time. In May 2012, she went to her gynecology for what was supposed to be a routine checkup, but she was told she needed to be given a bed immediately as she was already in labor. She revealed that the next couple of hours for her were filled with fears and uncertainties, but in the end, she successfully gave birth to her son, whom she describes as a miracle boy.
Her son, Thato, is currently 11 years old. Each year, she doesn’t fail to celebrate him on his birthday while also telling how he is a miracle baby to her. She stated that people keep asking her when she would have more kids, but they have no clue all the pains she went through to have her kid.
Apart from Thato, Mpho is also a mother to Keneilwe, Reneilwe Letsholonyane’s daughter from a previous relationship. She was born almost five years before Thato. The two kids have become a major source of motivation for their parents as the footballer revealed that his kids are the reasons he doesn’t fail to give his absolute best in whatever he does.
Their Marriage Was Not All Smooth
They might have been together for over a decade and married for more than two years, but the relationship was not a smooth sail for the two. Along the way, they had their issues, which led to a breakup. According to her, what made the breakup even more devastating was that it happened when she was pregnant with their son.
The reason it didn’t work out at first was that the relationship got toxic at a point. However, they decided to put their differences aside and work on themselves. She revealed that this time around, they became more conscious and made an effort to see that they work on all their problems before things get out of control.
The media personality also added that the second part of the relationship after the break was better than the first because they could now sit and talk about issues.
She Is A Sports Broadcaster
Beyond being a wife to her husband and mother to her kids, Mpho Letsholonyane also has a career of her own. She is also into the same industry as her husband – sports, although she is into sports broadcasting. As a result of this, she is not someone who needs any introduction for many sports followers in the country.
She’s currently one of the most respected female sports anchors in the country. After completing her education at Wordsworth High School, she moved to the University of Johannesburg, where she obtained a National DiplomaField Of StudyInformation Technology in 2001.
She started her career with SABC3 as a voice-over artist in 2004. From 2013 to 2019, she was a touchline presenter for SABC, and from 2015 to 2018, she worked as a stand-in host of 083Sport At 6 with Marawa on MetroFM. She has also held various roles working with YFM, Power FM, and SABC1, among others.
Currently, Mpho Letsholonyane, who won the Sports Personality of the Year in 2015 during the Feather Awards, works with SuperSport as a broadcaster.
