Zandie Khumalo is a 31 year-old singer and songwriter born on February 15th, 1993, and is best known for releasing hit songs like “Akwanele” and “Themba.” She is Kelly Khumalo’s younger sister.
Coming from a musical background, Zandie loved singing as a kid but never intended to make a career out of it. She eventually was persuaded to record some of her songs and one of them titled ‘Themba’ was well received by South Africans in 2016, marking the beginning of her music career. Since then, she has released studio albums with a few Extended Plays, including ‘Zenala’.
Zandie Khumalo’s Biography Summary
- Full name: Zandile Khumalo-Gumede
- Nickname: Zandie
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: February 15th, 1993
- Zandie Khumalo’s Age: 31 years old
- Ethnicity: Black
- Nationality: South African
- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christian
- Marital Status: Married
- Zandie Khumalo’s Husband: Hloni “Mhlo” Gumede
- Zandie Khumalo’s Children: 1 son; Zenala Gumede
- Zandie Khumalo’s Parents: Ntombifuthi Khumalo (mother)
- Siblings: Kelly Khumalo
- Zandie Khumalo’s Net worth: $200,000+
- Famous for: Releasing hit songs such as Akwanele and Themba
- Zandie Khumalo’s Instagram: @zandie_khumalo_gumede
- Twitter: @zandie_khumalo
- Facebook: @ZandieKhumalo
What Is Zandie Khumalo’s Age?
Zandie Khumalo is 31 years old. In Thokoza, East Rand, she was born on February 15th, 1993. And her Zodiac sign, based on Astrology, is Aquarius.
Despite kicking off her career in 2016, the young star was awarded a gold plaque after her single “Ngijabule Kabi” was certified gold by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) in 2021, when she was 28 years old.
Is Zandie Khumalo Kelly Khumalo’s Sister?
Yes, Zandile Khumalo is the younger sister of Kelly Khumalo, an award-winning singer and actress. When growing up, the sisters were very close and Kelly was always looking after her sister. However, the two topped the social media trending list in 2020 when they had a public altercation that led to them beefing for almost three years.
It happened that in February 2020, Kelly Khumalo released a public statement on Instagram distancing herself from the alleged scam perpetrated by her brother-in-law, Mhlo Gumede, who was said to have collected R15,000 from the owner of Gesh Lounge and Entertainment to get Kelly Khumalo and Vusi Nova perform at the event center.
Soon after, Zandie took to Instagram to state that her sister fabricated the lie because she was unhappy that she and her husband declined to be part of her reality show. She then moved on to state all the troubles she had been through because of Kelly, including going to jail for the first and last time and also being implicated in a murder case. She added that she had ‘divorced‘ her sister whom she referred to as a toxic person and needed help.
Having declared that she would only love her sister from a distance, Kelly Khumalo replied to Zandie, citing that she had accepted defeat as she and her husband had won, but she never thought the issue would hurt her so deeply.
The Khumalo sisters eventually reunited in September 2022 during a family therapy session. The much-anticipated reunion was featured in the Season 3 finale of Kelly’s reality show, Life with Kelly Khumalo.
Zandie Khumalo Started Singing at a Young Age
While growing up, Zandie Khumalo enjoyed singing in the kitchen while doing her chores. Later at the age of 12, she entered a singing competition, Crux Gospel Star Search, along with her elder sister. At the end of the competition, she finished fifth place and her sister was the second runner-up.
Upon high school graduation, Zandie joined her sister’s crew and started working as her dancer and backup vocalist. At some point, she became Kelly Khumalo’s personal stylist and manager. However, after meeting her husband, Zandie Khumalo was motivated to try recording some of her songs. In 2016, she recorded a song titled “Themba” which she released and it was commercially successful.
The 31-year-old has never looked back since then. Besides releasing albums and EPs, Kelly Khumalo’s sister has performed in many musical events and popular shows in the country.
Zandie’s Debut Studio Album was Released in 2018
In February 2018, Zandie Khumalo stepped out of her sibling’s shadow as she released her first studio album titled Izikhali ZamaNtungwa. The 13-track Afrosoul album propelled Zandie’s career as some of her songs got massive air plays. Initially, she was signed to Mbala Noise but left in early 2017 after a contractual dispute.
Before then, she had released songs like ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘Soze’. She later signed a global deal with Warner Music South Africa in October 2017. Her debut album was released under the record label. She subsequently released a second album and her Extended Play, ‘Zenala’ was dropped in August 2021 in anticipation of the birth of her son whom the music project was named after.
Despite calls to cancel Zandie Khumalo and her sister in the music scene following their family’s involvement in Senzo Meyiwa’s murder, the talented singer has kept recording great success in her career. In late 2021, her song, ‘Ngijabule Kabi’ got gold certification from RiSA and she was hopeful the song would go platinum.
List of Zandie Khumalo’s Songs
- Bittersweet
- Fiesta
- Grateful
- Ungenzani
- Ngeke
- Themba
- Ngijabule Kabi
- Soze
- Love Like This
- Makube Nguwe
- Ubedlula Bonke
- Seng’fikile
- Akwanele
Who Is Zandie Khumalo’s Husband?
Zandie Khumalo’s husband is Hloni ‘Mhlo’ Gumede, former Mbala Noise Communications officer. The couple dated for a year before they got traditionally married on October 1st, 2016 in Mgangeni, KwaZulu-Natal. When Zandie met her husband, she never knew he was involved in music. And he was the one who advised her to take her singing talent seriously by going into music.
Hence, when Mhlo Gumede had issues with Mbala Noise and his contract was terminated, having been accused of extorting up-and-coming artists with a promise to bag their record deals, Zandie Khumalo stood by her man’s side and left the record label. The couple are always supportive of each other and Zandie has cited her husband as her source of strength.
Does Zandie Khumalo Have a Child?
Zandie Khumalo gave birth to her son, Zenala Gumede on September 21st, 2021. She kept her baby bump away from social media for some while before revealing that she was eight months pregnant in August 2021. Since tying the knot in 2016, the ‘Themba’ hitmaker and her husband were hopeful of expanding their family.
And when their son arrived, they were excited that the timing was right. Therefore, the couple gave him the name, Zenala meaning ‘days of abundance’. Not only did the arrival of Zenala bring joy into Zandie’s marriage but also created a stronger bond between her and her husband. The cute couple are hopeful of having more children in the future.
Zandie Khumalo’s Involvement in Senzo Meyiwa’s Trial
On October 26th, 2014, soccer star, Senzo Meyiwa, who was dating Zandie’s sister, Kelly Khumalo at the time, was shot at her mother’s house in Voslooros and later died at the hospital. Then in July 2023, the songstress emerged as the State witness in the trial and was told that her family members and other people who witnessed the botched robbery in their house including herself have been declared suspects of murder by the National Prosecuting officer.
However, a decision has not yet been made on prosecuting the suspects, but five men have been accused of killing the late Bafana Bafana Captain at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. Due to her role as a State witness in the trial, Zandie Khumalo took a break from live performances until she was done testifying in court.
