Mbali Ngiba (born on September 16th) is an actress and singer best recognized for her role as Xolile Mthembu in Durban Gen and her appearances in The Real Housewives of Durban Season 3. She lost her 16-year-old son in 2016.
At Durban Play House, Mbali Ngiba had her first acting role in a play titled The Zulu. She eventually made her TV debut in 2013 when she was cast as Linda in the anthology miniseries Abangani. She subsequently scored supporting roles in Greed and Desire, Isithembiso, The River, and Durban Gen. Also, Mbali is a budding singer and released her single, ‘Ngizwide in 2019.
Mbali Ngiba’s Biography Summary
- Full name: Mbaliyesizwe Ngiba
- Nickname: Mbali
- Gender: Female
- Birthday: September 16th
- Ethnicity: Black
- Nationality: South African
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christian
- Mbali Ngiba’s Ex-Fiancé: Mncedi Madolo
- Mbali Ngiba’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 6.9 inches
- Mbali Ngiba’s Height in Centimetres: 170 cm
- Mbali Ngiba’s Net worth: $250,000+
- Famous for: Her role as Xolile Mthembu in Durban Gen and being The Real Housewives of Durban cast member
- Mbali Ngiba’s Instagram: @mbaliyesizwengiba4
- Facebook: @MbaliNgiba
How Old Is Mbali Ngiba Today?
Mbali Ngiba is said to be in her late 30s or early 40s. The actress celebrates her birthday on September 16th, but her year of birth is still unavailable. Nonetheless, she was born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa.
Having kept her age secret, Mbali has left her fans guessing, and thus, she is said to have made entry into the world in the 1980s. The assumption, however, is still unverified as the RHOD actress has been tight-lipped about her age.
Mbali Ngiba’s Education
After her matriculation, Mbali Ngiba attended Damelin College. She later proceeded to Mbongeni Ngema Academy, where she reportedly bagged a Dramatic Arts degree in Performance. Afterward, she kicked off her professional career in the theatre before transitioning into a TV star.
Mbali Ngiba Had Her Break Out Role in Greed and Desire
In 2002, Mbali made her acting debut in the play The Zulu at Durban Play House. She then landed her first TV role in 2013 and played the role of Linda in The Mzansi Magic anthology miniseries Abangani. In the same year, she made her film debut in The Right as Zodwa. She subsequently had supporting roles in several TV series.
In 2016, Mbali was cast as Welile in the first season of the Mzansi Magic drama series Greed and Desire, and the role made her famous. Two years later, she was offered the role of Buhle in another Mzansi Magic series, Isithembiso. She featured only in the show’s second season and joined The River as a Lab Technician in the first season. She also scored roles in Easy Money as Emergency Nurse and The Wife, playing Aunt Phumlile.
In 2021, Mbali Ngiba accentuated her height of fame with her depictions in the e.tv medical drama series Durban Gen. She had the supporting role of Xolile Mthembu in the popular soapie and also reprised her role in the second season of Durban Gen in 2022. In the following year, she joined the cast of Umkhoka: The Curse, portraying Zodwa. She also features in The Origin as Khethiwe.
Mbali Ngiba’s The Real Housewives of Durban Role
In January 2023, Mbali Ngiba was announced as one of the new cast members joining The Real Housewives of Durban Season 3. She, alongside Maria Valaskatzia and Slindile Wendy Ndlovu, served as the replacement for former housewives Londie London, LaConco, and Thobile MaKhumalo Mseleku. She joined the show because she saw it as a great opportunity for her to be part of such a successful franchise and to also grow in her personal life as well as professional life.
At the beginning of the season, the KwaZulu-Natal actress confronted her fellow cast member, Sanelisiwe Bhengu, regarding her sassy behavior at Sorisha Naidoo‘s party. And was said to be the bravest among the housewives to have a heart-to-heart discussion with Sane. Though she has sometimes been caught up in the tense drama associated with the show, some people have dubbed her role on the show ‘boring’.
As a result, it was rumored that the producers of the reality show were contemplating making changes to the cast by replacing Mbali Ngiba with Sane. It was reported that Sane’s behavior on RHOD is what the producers want, and thus, she might be promoted from being just a friend to a main cast member, and Mbali would be axed from the show.
The rumor is yet to be verified as the producers of The Real Housewives of Durban are yet to reveal the cast members who will be returning for the next season if the show is renewed by Showmax.
Mbali Ngiba’s Music Career
Besides acting, Mbali Ngiba has made a name for herself as a singer. In the year 2019, she released a single titled, ‘Ngizwide’ accompanied by its music video. She was also featured in Game Plan’s song, ‘Emza,’ alongside Professor and Skyewonds the next year. She further worked with DJ Active to release another single, ‘Shelela Oe’, and her songs are available on Amazon, Spotify, Tidal, and Soundcloud, to mention a few.
Mbali Ngiba’s Net Worth
Mbali Ngiba reportedly has a net worth of over $250,000. Since 2002, she has been active in the film industry and has scored roles in many well-known TV series. She is also part of the successful franchise, The Real Housewives of Durban, and features in two additional TV productions.
In addition to being a singer, Mbali Ngiba is a businesswoman who serves as the co-founder of African Centric Designs. The company sells handmade art, flowers, African ornaments, beaded African accessories, woven baskets, and other items.
Does Mbali Ngiba Have a Husband or Fiancé?
Mbali Ngiba doesn’t have a husband yet. She previously dated actor Sandile Mfusi and equally got engaged to Mncedi Madolo, an art practitioner. She and her then-fiancé made appearances in the beginning of The Real Housewives of Durban Season 3. However, as the show progressed, she revealed that she was no longer together with Mncedi and that they had called off their engagement.
At the moment, it’s uncertain if the former Durban Gen actress is in a relationship or if she is single and focused on growing her brand.
What Happened to Mbali Ngiba’s Child?
In 2016, Mbali Ngiba lost her son, who was 16 years old. In an episode of RHOD, she revealed to Nonku Williams that her first child was sickly from birth and had a heart problem. Tragically, he passed on at the age of 16. She also fell pregnant in 2018 but had an ectopic pregnancy – a condition whereby a fertilized egg gets implanted and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus.
Hence, the fertilized egg would not survive, and the condition may cause life-threatening bleeding if untreated. Consequently, one of Mbali’s fallopian tubes was cut out, and her womb was cleaned so that another baby would be able to grow in the tube. Thankfully, she was able to conceive and showed off her baby bump in August 2023.
Though she had a conversation with her then-fiancé about trying to conceive another child in the fourth episode of RHOD S3, it’s still unclear who the father of her baby is, having separated from Madolo. And it’s unknown when they actually called it quits.
