Who Was Mandla Mthembu? All About Khanyi Mbau’s Ex-Husband

Mandla Mthembu was a businessman from South Africa. He became famous for his money and fast cars. Many people also knew him because he was once married to famous TV star Khanyi Mbau.

Mandla once lived a very rich life. He had nice homes and costly cars. He also traveled to many places. Mandla and Khanyi became famous for their matching yellow Lamborghinis.

But his life did not stay this way. Mandla later had money problems and left the public eye. He died in New York in September 2025 at age 68. His life was full of money, fame, love, and hard times.

Mandla Mthembu Quick Bio


Full Name	Mandla Elliot Mthembu
Known As	Mandla Mthembu
Born	December 24, 1956
Birthplace	South Africa
Nationality	South African
Ethnicity	Black South African
Profession	Businessman
Famous For	Khanyi Mbau’s ex-husband
First Wife	Dolly Matshabe
Second Wife	Khanyi Mbau
Children	6
Daughter With Khanyi	Khanukani Mbau
Business	Printing, investments
Company	Sechaba Photoscan
Other Business	Martial Eagle Investments
Reported Peak Net Worth	About R2.5 billion
Famous Cars	Lamborghinis, Porsches
Marital Status	Divorced
Age at Death	68 years
Died	September 21, 2025
Place of Death	New York, USA
Cause of Death	Stroke complications

Who Was Mandla Mthembu?

Mandla Elliot Mthembu was born in South Africa in 1956. He was a businessman who became well known during the 2000s. His business work and rich life often put his name in the news.

More people learned about Mandla when he started dating Khanyi Mbau. Khanyi was young and already becoming a big TV star. Their love story soon became a popular topic in South Africa.

Mandla loved nice things. He had fast cars and lived in costly places. But his rich life did not last forever. Years later, he faced money problems and stayed away from the public.

Mandla Mthembu’s Early Life

Not much is known about Mandla Mthembu’s early life. He was born in South Africa in 1956. He kept his childhood and family life private, so there are few clear facts about his younger years.

Some reports say Mandla liked business from a young age. He wanted to earn money and build a good life. Still, many stories about his first small businesses are hard to prove.

Mandla also kept his school life private. There is no clear public record of the schools or college he went to. What we do know is that business became a big part of his adult life.

How Did Mandla Mthembu Become Rich?

Mandla Mthembu worked in the printing business before he became very rich. He was linked to a printing company in Johannesburg called Sechaba Photoscan. He worked there with William Peterson.

The company later had a big court case linked to Transnet. Reports say the company won the case and got around R57 million. This large amount of money helped change Mandla’s life.

After that, Mandla started doing bigger business deals. He also began living a much richer life. He enjoyed nice homes, trips, and fast cars. People soon started seeing him as a rich businessman.

Mandla Mthembu’s Business Career

Mandla Mthembu did not only work in printing. As he made more money, he looked for other business ideas. He wanted to grow his money and become part of bigger companies.

He was linked to Martial Eagle Investments. In 2007, the company tried to buy a large part of Johnnic Communications. Mandla also showed interest in banking and other money businesses.

Reports also linked Mandla to Umsobo Investment Holdings and the oil trade. Some of his plans were very big. Not every plan worked, but he was always looking for new ways to make money.

Mandla Mthembu’s Net Worth and Luxury Life

Mandla Mthembu became known for his rich lifestyle. Some reports say he was once worth about R2.5 billion. However, there are no clear public records that prove this exact amount.

Still, Mandla clearly spent a lot of money. He lived in costly places and enjoyed trips outside South Africa. He was also known for driving cars such as Porsches and Lamborghinis.

Mandla and Khanyi became famous for their matching yellow Lamborghinis. The cars showed the rich life they enjoyed at the time. Later, however, Mandla had trouble paying for some of his costly things.

Mandla Mthembu and Khanyi Mbau’s Love Story

Mandla Mthembu met Khanyi Mbau when she was still very young. Khanyi later said they first met at a club. Mandla walked up to her and said that he would marry her one day.

They met again about six months later. Khanyi needed a ride to the airport. Mandla offered her his Porsche. Khanyi later said she did not know at first how much money he had.

The two soon became a couple. Mandla was about 30 years older than Khanyi. Their age gap got a lot of attention. Still, they stayed together and soon became one of South Africa’s most talked-about couples.

Mandla Mthembu and Khanyi Mbau’s Marriage

Mandla Mthembu and Khanyi Mbau got married in 2006. Khanyi was about 21 years old. Their marriage soon became famous because of their money, cars, trips, and costly way of life.

From the outside, their life looked fun and exciting. But Khanyi later said money was a big part of their bond. She also said she began to see Mandla more like a father figure.

Their marriage later had serious problems. Khanyi made claims that Mandla hurt her during their relationship. These were her claims. Their marriage ended around 2009, as Mandla also started facing serious money problems.

Mandla Mthembu’s Children and Family

Mandla Mthembu was a father of six children. Their names are Melusi, Nelisiwe, Onentando, Ntando, Khanukani, and Sibongile. His family shared these names after his death in 2025.

His most famous child is Khanukani Mbau. She is his daughter with Khanyi Mbau. Khanukani was born in December 2006. She was still very young when her parents ended their marriage.

Khanyi later said Khanukani did not see her father for many years. She had very few memories of him. Most of what she knew about her father came from old family photos.

Mandla Mthembu’s First Wife Dolly Matshabe

Before Khanyi Mbau, Mandla Mthembu was married to Dolly Matshabe. Mandla and Dolly had two daughters together. Their marriage later ended, and both moved on with their lives.

Some reports said Mandla gave Dolly money and a home after their marriage ended. But later, money became a problem between them. They had a public fight over money for their children.

Reports said Mandla missed some child support payments. This happened when he was also facing other money problems. It showed that his rich lifestyle was starting to change.

What Happened to Mandla Mthembu’s Money?

Mandla Mthembu once looked very rich. He drove costly cars and lived in nice places. He also enjoyed expensive trips. But by 2008 and 2009, his money problems started becoming public.

One problem involved his famous cars. Mandla and Khanyi had matching yellow Lamborghinis. Reports said Mandla later had trouble paying for one of them. Some of his costly cars were later sold or taken back.

He also faced problems with child support, traffic fines, and places to live. Reports even said he had trouble paying hotel costs. His life looked very different from his rich years.

Why Did Mandla Mthembu and Khanyi Mbau Split?

Mandla Mthembu and Khanyi Mbau ended their marriage around 2009. By then, their life together had many problems. Mandla was facing money trouble, while their marriage was also going through a hard time.

Years later, Khanyi spoke about their marriage. She said money had been a big part of their relationship. She also said their 30-year age gap felt very different to her when she became older.

Khanyi also claimed Mandla hurt her during their marriage. These were her claims about their private life. Their marriage ended after only a few years, and they later lived very different lives.

What Happened to Mandla Mthembu After Khanyi Mbau?

After the marriage ended, Khanyi stayed in the public eye. She kept working on TV and in entertainment. Mandla went the other way. He stopped appearing in the news as much as before.

For many years, people asked what happened to Mandla Mthembu. Some websites even said he had gone missing. This led to many online stories, but there was little proof behind many of them.

We now know Mandla later spent time in the United States. He was in New York before his death. So, it is better to say he left public life rather than saying he simply went missing.

Mandla Mthembu’s Life Away From His Daughter

Mandla was also away from his daughter Khanukani for many years. Khanyi said her daughter had not seen Mandla since she was very young. This meant they did not have a close father and daughter bond.

Khanyi said Khanukani mainly knew her father through old photos. Her parents had been famous when she was a baby. But their marriage ended before she was old enough to understand what was happening.

Khanukani later grew up with her mother. She stayed close to Khanyi and built her own life. Her story is very different from the rich and flashy life her parents once showed to the public.

Mandla Mthembu’s Death in 2025

For years, people asked if Mandla Mthembu was still alive. The answer became clear in September 2025. Mandla died on September 21, 2025. He was 68 years old.

His family said Mandla was in a hospital in New York. He suffered a second stroke while he was being treated. Doctors tried to help him, but he later died from problems linked to the stroke.

His death also answered old questions about where he had been. Mandla had been living a much quieter life away from fame. He left behind his six children and many memories from his public years.

Final Thoughts

Mandla Mthembu lived a life with many big changes. He became rich through business and enjoyed a costly lifestyle. His fast cars and marriage to Khanyi Mbau made him famous across South Africa.

But his story also had hard times. His money problems became public, his marriage ended, and he later left the public eye. The man once known for Lamborghinis was rarely seen in his later years.

Mandla was more than Khanyi Mbau’s ex-husband. He was a businessman and a father of six. His life had success, money, love, family problems, loss, and many changes along the way.