Who Is Dingaan Mokebe and Is He Married?

Dingaan Mokebe (born on January 26th, 1978; Age: 46 years old) is a SAFTA-nominated actor, TV presenter, and singer best recognized for his role as James Motsamai in Muvhango, the SABC2 soap opera. The talented media personality is presently unmarried. However, he is a father of one and had his daughter in the late 2000s.

For nearly two decades, Dingaan has been portraying the character of an accomplished businessman – James Motsamai, in Muvhango, the first Tshivenda language drama series. Besides being recognized for his acting prowess, Dingaan Mokebe has also made a flurry of headlines due to his love life, having been involved in a publicized baby mama saga.

Dingaan Mokebe’s Biography Summary

  • Full name: Dingaan Mokebe ka Khumalo
  • Nickname: DSK
  • Gender: Male
  • Date of birth: January 26th, 1978
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Age: 46 years old
  • Ethnicity: Black
  • Nationality: South African
  • Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Religion: Christian
  • Marital Status: Single
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Baby Mama: Tsholofelo Matshaba
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Children: 1 daughter
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Parents: Mr. Khumalo (father)
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 9.6 inches
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Height in Centimetres: 177 cm
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Net worth: R8 million
  • Famous for: Playing James Motsamai in Muvhango and hosting SABC Speak Out
  • Dingaan Mokebe’s Instagram: @digaan1
  • Facebook: @DingaanMokebekaKhumalo

How Old is Dingaan Mokebe?

Dingaan Mokebe (James Motsamai) is 46 years old. He was born in Limpopo Province in South Africa on January 26th, 1978. He was also raised in Limpopo by his mother and stepfather. With Dingaan’s mother being a housewife, his stepdad was the family’s breadwinner. Hence, his family was not financially well-off, which affected his educational achievements.

The actor reportedly had only primary and secondary school education and couldn’t enroll in a higher institution of learning due to financial difficulties. Despite coming from a poor background, Dingaan Mokebe’s mum and stepfather ensured that he had his basic needs met. Consequently, the 46 years old is thankful to his parents for shaping him into the man he is today.

How Did Dingaan Mokebe Find his Birth Father?

After 25 years of living without his biological father, Dingaan Mokebe decided to search for his father in 2013. To his amazement, his father, Mr. Khumalo, didn’t know he existed. They reconciled their differences, and afterward, family rituals and ceremonies were performed to welcome Dingaan to the Khumalo family.

This led to him adopting his father’s surname, Khumalo, and then changing his name to Dingaan Mokebe ka Khumalo. Dingaan now has a good father-and-son relationship with his biological father. He is also happy that his stepfather, who took it upon himself to raise him as his son, gets very well along with his father as well as his mother.

Is Bra Kop the Biological Father of James Motsamai?

Dingaan Mokebe and Bra Kop
Dingaan Mokebe and Bra Kop from Rhythm City (Image Source)

After Dingaan Mokebe publicized that he had just reconciled with his biological father after 25 years of him being absent in his life, rumors began making rounds in Mzansi that Bra Kop from Rhythm City, whose real name is Setlhabi Taunyane, is the father of Mokebe.

The veteran actor was said to be Dingaan’s biological father as they share a striking resemblance and equally share a similar shape of head and forehead. Despite many South Africans reacting to the news at the time, Dingaan Mokebe never commented on the rumor. At the moment, the Muvhango star is yet to reveal the identity of his biological father, and this has left Mzansi guessing.

The Actor Began His Walk of Fame with Generations

At the age of 20, in 1998, Mokebe trying to support his family financially, took to acting. He landed a role as an extra in Generations and rarely made appearances in the soap opera. Then, his character, who works as a Back of The Moon barman, was promoted to a show regular after he suddenly won R10 million in the national lottery.

However, Dingaan Mokebe’s character remained in the background working as a barman who fears and respects his boss, Sunny Jacobs, despite his newly found wealth. Consequently, his role in Generations confused the viewers and Dingaan as well. He then told the production team his displeasure with his character’s storyline in the show and lack of character development.

This led to him being fired from the show after spending three years portraying the character of a barman. After being released from his Generations contract, Dingaan went on to attend numerous auditions, which were unsuccessful. He eventually clinched the role of Tshepo in the TV series Nna Sajene Kokobela in 2001.

Two years later, he took to center stage once again after bagging a main role in Muvhango, created by renowned producer Duma Ndlovu.

Dingaan Mokebe’s Break-Out Role as James Motsamai

Dingaan Mokebe began playing the role of James Motsamai in Muvhango in 2003 and has remained in the soapie to date. He is one of the lead characters in the show, and his performances in Muvhango for more than 18 years have caused his popularity to grow by leaps and bounds across the country.

Muvhango reportedly has an average of 4 million viewers daily and ranks as one of the most-watched South African TV series. Dingaan Mokebe, alongside Maumela Mahuwa and Gabriel Temudzani, are the longest-serving cast members of the popular TV series. He portrays the character of a businessman married to Imani Nkosi, played by Zonke Mchunu in Muvhango.

Since landing the role of James Motsamai, Mokebe has gone ahead to establish himself in the entertainment industry by diversifying his talent. He has, over the years, worked as a voice artist and TV presenter.

Highlights of Dingaan Mokebe’s TV Roles

  • Generations as Barman
  • Nna Sajene Kokobela as Tshepo
  • Umoja
  • Muvhango as James Motsamai

He Bagged a SAFTA Nod as Speak Out Presenter

In 2013, Dingaan Khumalo became a household name in South Africa when he took up the role of the presenter of the SABC consumer right show, Speak Out. He served as the replacement of Vuyelwa Booi and Duncan Senye. He debuted in the sixth season of the show and hosted it for three seasons.

Speak Out is a consumer show which plays the role of a watchdog. It assisted many viewers and consumers who have been scammed or robbed of their hard-earned money by sellers who offer bad services, substandard goods, or are into dishonest business practices. Dingaan Mokebe traveled across the country as the show host, engaging disgruntled consumers. He ensured a fair outcome for the consumers.

Mokebe also advised the audience to be more cautious in their everyday business dealings. He was the voice of the voiceless in correcting all wrongdoings and educating consumers about their rights. For his outstanding role in Speak Out, Dingaan was nominated for SAFTA Audience Award for Most Popular TV Presenter in 2016. He eventually left the show in the same 2016, and it was soon speculated that he was fired from his job.

Dingaan Mokebe refuted the rumor and stated that he was not fired. Instead, he decided to leave the SABC2 consumer rights show due to behind-the-scenes politics. Even though many sources claimed that the TV presenter’s contract was not renewed because he became too arrogant and demanded many things from the producers, Dingaan Mokebe insisted that he was the one that opted not to renew his contract.

Dingaan’s Other TV Presenting/Commercial Gigs

Before becoming the host of Speak Out in 2013, the Generations actor worked as the host of the Community Builder Show. During such time, he featured in several commercials for prestigious brands in SA. They include Smirnoff Red, Motsweding FM, Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge, Coca-Cola Mega Millions, and Klipdrift.

He is presently working as a brand ambassador for Sun International. Besides making appearances in TV commercials, Dingaan Mokebe has been featured as a contestant in the SABC2 reality competition series, Strictly Come Dancing. He was one of the eight celebrities who participated in the show’s second season. He partnered with Phemelo Mabuse in the competition, and they finished fourth place. He further hosted Mamazala in 2019.

The Muvhango Star Veered into The Music Sphere in 2021

In late 2021, Dingaan Mokebe, known as Mr. Serious by Mzansi, decided to show off his playful nature by launching a music career in the amapiano genre. He adopted the stage name DSK, which stands for the initials of his name, as he was given the name Siyabonga by his grandfather.

He collaborated with music artist, Bhubesi to release a single titled ‘Gabadiya’ in December 2021. The two afterward began working on releasing an EP. Bhubesi encouraged the Muvhango actor to try his hands at music-making as he believes that Dingaan has an ear for good music. Dingaan Khumalo is not new in the music arena as he hails from a musical family that was part of a choir when he was growing up.

According to the former Speak Out presenter, he ventured into music to relieve himself of the stress and pressure he gets from being on TV shows. He has always loved amapiano, so he chose the authentic South African sound for his music journey. Following the performance of his single on the popular Mzansi Magic show, Homeground, Dingaan was backlashed for veering into music.

Many people asked him to quit that amapiano is not meant for everyone, while some others speculated that Dingaan Mokebe was going through a mid-life crisis at the time. Despite his first single receiving negative reviews, the actor cum singer moved on to release the music video for the song. However, he is yet to drop another single.

Is Dingaan Mokebe Married?

Dingaan Mokebe (James Motsamai) is yet to walk down to the altar with his soul mate. He is presently unmarried but has been in a few relationships in the past years. In the mid-2000s, he began dating his Muvhango co-star, Tsholofelo Matshaba. The two were on-screen lovers before the relationship materialized in real life. They dated for five years before calling it quits in the year 2010.

Before the relationship hit the rock, the former couple welcomed a daughter together. Even though their child’s name is yet to be made public, many believe that she bears the name, Vincentia, which her mother, Tsholo, tattooed boldly on her back. The 46-year-old actor was additionally said to have dated a Durban girl named Asanda Ngcobo. He was allegedly dumped by Asanda on Twitter after she claimed that the actor was a cheat.

Later in 2016, Drum Magazine reported that Dingaan Mokebe was gearing up to tie the knot with his girlfriend of five years on December 3rd in his hometown. Being infuriated about how the press has tarnished his image, Mokebe, when asked about his rumored marriage, stated when he would get married, he would never invite Drum Magazine.

Baby Mama Drama

Dingaan Mokebe
Dingaan Mokebe and his baby mama, Tsholo Matshaba (Image Source)

In March 2016, Dingaan Mokebe was a guest on Kaya FM’s programme, Home with Mapaseka Mokwele. On the live show, the media personality blasted his baby mama and said he had been denied access to seeing his daughter since 2010. Consequently, he stopped paying his daughter’s maintenance fees in 2011.

He further said that his attorneys have struggled to reach his baby mama regarding the issue. On hearing of Dingaan’s accusations, Tsholofelo Matshaba reached out to Kaya FM and was given a chance to defend herself on air. On the same show, she presented her side of the story, which got Mzansi confused.

She stated that Dingaan Mokebe had never been in her daughter’s life, even when they were dating. As a result, her daughter and the TV presenter don’t know each other. She further stated that Mokebe had never been denied access to see their daughter. Live on air, the actress revealed that she was emotionally and physically abused by Dingaan Mokebe while dating, which contributed to their failed relationship.

Meet Dingaan Mokebe’s Baby Mama, Tsholo Matshaba

Tsholofelo Matshaba is an award-winning actress who rose to fame for her role as a devious gold-digger, Meme, in Muvhango. She was born Tsholofelo Monedi on July 4th, 1983. She graduated with a National Diploma in Musical Theatre from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2004.

Dingaan Mokebe’s baby mama has featured in numerous theatre productions throughout her career. They include The Lion King, Born in RSA 2, Aladdin and Robinson Crusoe, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Soweto Story. She debuted as Meme in the first season of Muvhango and subsequently scored roles in other widely known TV series such as Skeem Saam, The River, and The Throne.

In December 2014, the 41-year-old actress exchanged vows with Chris Matshaba, a former Motsweding radio presenter and businessman. Sadly, her husband passed on in 2018 after battling cancer.

Why Dingaan Mokebe Was Arrested?

The SAFTA-nominated actor was embroiled in a racism scandal in August 2019 when a lady called Chaan Botha alleged that she was physically abused by Dingaan Mokebe on the road when she tried to cross his lane on Xavier Road. She alleged that Dingaan called her a white bitch and Dingaan Mokebe, on the other hand, stated that he ignored Botha as she didn’t ask him for permission to cross the road.

He also claimed that she called him derogatory names and slapped the left side of his cheek. After the road rage incident, both filed a case against each other. However, Dingaan was arrested the following day at his home in Alberton, Johannesburg. He was then summoned to the Booysens Magistrate court. Even though the actor filed a countercase against Botha, she was not arrested.

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