Zinhle ‘Mabena’ Ngwenya is a South African actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is not just a fantastic actress but also someone who has proved her skills and talents in other careers.
Ngwenya began showing a great interest in acting at a very young age, and when the opportunity to feature in one of the most-watched TV series in South Africa eventually came knocking, she grabbed it with both hands. Here are more interesting facts about the Isibaya actress.
Zinhle ‘Mabena’ Ngwenya’s Bio
- Full name: Zinhle Ngwenya
- Nickname: Zinhle Mabena
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: June 8, 1991
- Zinhle Mabena Ngwenya’s Age: 32 years old
- Ethnicity: Ndebele
- Nationality: South Africa
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Zinhle’ Mabena’ Ngwenya’s Ex-husband: Robert Ngwenya
- Number of Siblings: 2
- Zinhle’ Mabena’ Ngwenya’s Net worth: Estimated to be between $1 million – $5 million
- Famous for: Playing Sihle in Isibaya
- Zinhle ‘Mabena’ Ngwenya’s Instagram: ms_zinhlemabena
- Twitter: MsZinhleMabena
Zinhle’ Mabena’ Ngwenya was Born in East Rand, Gauteng, in 1991
Zinhle’ Mabena’ Ngwenya was born on June 8, 1991, in Dawn Park, a suburb of East Rand, Gauteng, South Africa. She is the youngest child of her parents, who gave her two older siblings. Unfortunately, the names of her siblings, what they do for a living, and their whereabouts are not known.
Zinhle and her siblings were singlehandedly raised by their mother after the death of their father. He died when the actress was still very young, leading to their mother shouldering the family’s responsibility. The actress has Ndebele ancestry – her father was of Ndebele origin, while her mother is from the Zulu ethnic group.
Zinhle had her primary and high school in her place of birth, after which she enrolled at the University of Johannesburg for further studies. However, her course of study and the year she graduated is not known publicly. Again, it’s not clear if the course she studied at the university is related to acting. Zinhle would not have attained this great career height without the support of her mother and family.
They’ve always been there for her right from her early career years, and since then, they have never abandoned her. The actress is the only famous person in her family as none of her siblings, or other family members are public figures. As an advocate, Zinhle is always vocal about protecting children’s rights and violence against women in South Africa.
The Actress Found Fame Through Her Role in IsiBaya After Several On-screen Projects
IsiBaya is Zinhle’s most popular work in the industry because of the fame the TV series brought her way. The Mzansi Magic daily drama series began airing in 2013, and Zinhle was opportune to bag a role after an impressive audition. But before then, she had starred in a couple of other local productions.
A lot is still unknown about the actress’s time on Isibaya; the exact year she joined the show, her age, and other facts are still shrouded in mystery. Zinhle played the role of Sihle in IsiBaya, an interesting, beautiful lady who dropped out of the higher institution to return to the valley of Thukele after the death of her beloved father.
The Gauteng TV star’s portrayal of her character on the TV show was more than exceptional. She impressed so many viewers through her acting skills to the point that she was able to win their admiration and loyalty effortlessly. This was how she rose to immense popularity.
Unlike most of her contemporaries on the show, isiBaya was not Zinhle’s first acting job, as she had delivered a couple of other roles on TV before joining other isiBaya cast members.
A Look at Zinhle Ngwenya’s Other TV Projects
Zinhle may be popularly known for isiBaya, but she still has other local productions she has starred in. Being an exceptional actress, she did amazing jobs on the sets of these projects. She also featured alongside notable South African veteran thespians such as Siyabonga Twala, Vusi Kunene, and Bongani Gumede.
Some of the actress’s earliest works include:
- Mtunzini.com (2006- 2009; as Busi Thwala)
- Triple M
- Jozi H
- The e.tv anthology series eKasi: Our Stories
- Remix (2013)
- Winnie Mandela (2011)
Zinhle has no theatrical credits yet, nor has she won an industry award for her roles in the TV and film industries. That notwithstanding, it will be difficult not to agree that she is a talented actress who stands a chance of getting to the top of the industry ladder in the future.
The Actress is Yet to Find Love Again Following Her Failed Marriage to Robert Ngwenya
The IsiBaya actress, whose net worth lies between $1 million – $5 million, is a divorcee. Her marriage to her ex-husband Robert Ngwenya crashed in 2021 following allegations of domestic abuse by Robert, which Zinhle vehemently denied.
She, however, alleged that it was Robert who abused her while their marriage lasted and that things escalated after she tried to fight back. The couple got married in 2017 after dating for a few months.
They welcomed two kids together (a girl and a boy) in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Zinhle was not only Robert’s wife then but also stepmother to three of the kids he had from previous relationships. The identities and whereabouts of their kids are not to the public.
Im a proud mom today😭❤️
— Zinhle Mabena (@MsZinhleMabena) February 7, 2022
On February 16, 2021, the actress was arrested by the police for allegedly attempting to kill her husband after the police claimed they found a link between Zinhle and the crime. The shooting incident took place in January 2021.
However, she was later acquitted by the prosecutor, who declared her arrest illegal. Talking about her past relationship, Mabena formerly dated Orlando Pirates Footballer Mpho Makola. Further information about their relationship is not known publicly.
Zinhle Has Over 270 Thousand Followers On Instagram
Zinhle is one of the most followed South African celebrities. She has more than 270,000 followers on Instagram and has posted more than 400 updates. Her posts mostly revolve around her mixed career and flamboyant lifestyle.
The actress lets her fans into her world through the videos and pictures she shares on her Instagram account. As seen on her Instagram page, Zinhle has no Facebook account; however, she is being followed by about 27,000 people on Twitter.
