Johannesburg - Durban businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize (formerly Mpisane) was the talk of the town on Thursday night as her new reality TV show premiered on Mzansi Magic.
The show, titled Kwa Mam’ Mkhize, debuted on Thursday night, featuring her children Sbahle and Andile Mpisane.
Mkhize appears to have recently finalised her divorce with husband Sbu Mpisane, hence dropping the Mpisane surname and returning back to her Mkhize surname. Mkhize is the daughter of the late ANC veteran and anti-Apartheid activist, Florence Mkhize.
The eThekwini Municipality’s Florence Mkhize Building in the Durban CBD, was named after the heroine. The building had been known as the Martin West Building prior.
Mkhize shot to fame and infamy in the early 2000s when her construction company, Zikhulise, amassed a massive fortune through building thousands of low cost houses in and around the eThekwini Municipality area in Durban.
Shauwn Mkhize.
THAT LA LUCIA MANSION
The Mpisane’s multi-million rand house has been something of a landmark in the wealthy north Durban suburb of La Lucia. The house is under 24-hour guard, with security guards posted around the property.
In the early days of their massive fortune, the family used to host celebrity A-listers for an annual new years eve party at the house in the early 2000s, but this appears to have subsided in recent years.
The massive house was bought in 1995 for an undisclosed amount of money, according to the Sunday Tribune.
But that was not enough for the family, as they bought at least two adjoining properties to make their massive mansion, even bigger.
In 2007, the family bought an adjoining property for R3.5m.
Fitness bunnie Sbahle Mpisane is reportedly on the mend.
The house purchased for R3.5m was then converted into a showroom for the families impressive fleet of cars, which includes a Maserati Pininfarina, an Aston Martin, a Porsche Turbo and a Ferrari, among others.
And then in 2014, the Sunday Tribune reported that the Mpisane family paid their neighbours R2.9 million for their property. The couple then demolished the house to reportedly build an entertainment pad for their son, Andile.
“They are calling it a teenage pad for their son. Basically it will be an entertainment area for their son,” a neighbour told the Sunday Tribune at the time.
The Sunday Tribune report estimated that it would cost the couple R2m to build the entertainment pad.
The Sunday Tribune also reported at the time that the couple paid R400,000 more than they should have for the 1 611 square metre plot. It was valued at R2.5m, but they paid R2.9m after approaching the owners.
Another neighbour told the Sunday Tribune at the time: “We got letters from the lawyers about three months ago informing us that he had plans to build a teenage pad for their son.”
Another neighbour said: “In the years that they have been living here, we have only seen them twice. They are really nice people. They like their security – they love high walls. Well, when you have money, you can do whatever you like”.
In 2017, for Andile's 16th birthday party - which was hosted at the mansion, he was gifted with a R2.3m-valued Mercedes Benz AMG G63 SUV in scenes reminiscent of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 TV show. At the party, award-winning rapper Nasty C performed, as did Babes Wodumo.
Andile Mpisane, 16, with his Mercedes Benz G Wagon.
Andile Mpisane on stage at his house, with Babes Wodumo.
Andile's LV inspired cake at his 16th birthday bash.
The Mkhize and Mpisane family’s new reality show is produced by Legend Manqele, the same man behind shows like Bonang Matheba’s reality TV show, Being Bonang.
On Twitter, the twitterati appeared to be in awe about the family’s La Lucia home, cars and lavish lifestyle, which has seen the family grace the front pages in newspapers for years.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/KwaMamMkhize?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KwaMamMkhize pic.twitter.com/vd3AMAnTed
— 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 (@TamiaJuliet_M)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/kwamamMkhize?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kwamamMkhize😭
— Katlego * M (@katlego_sm)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/KwaMamMkhize?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KwaMamMkhize pic.twitter.com/GfikzLzaZE
— Wothi Mvelase (@awenkosii)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/KwaMamMkhize?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KwaMamMkhize pic.twitter.com/vqq4yk4qpC
— 89 days of Favor🤸🏾♂️💰✈️🚗👑 (@zuri_malaika)
@SihleSays
IOL