Once a shy teenager, Lerato Kganyago is a household name in the South African TV and media industry. This beauty chased her dreams and worked hard to get to where she is today. One of South Africa’s most coveted TV and radio personalities, a talented MC, Deejay, Model and Social media Influencer, Lerato Kganyago, is definitely making all the right moves. Here’s how she did it.
Lerato was born on 22 July 1982 in Johannesburg’s Soweto township and grew up there. She attended Ipolokeng Primary School and finished her secondary education at Boksburg High School.
As a young girl, Lerato Kganyago aspired to become a lawyer or a doctor. She went on to study Public Relations and Travel and Tourism at Damelin College. She worked as a flight attendant at Qatar Airways. At the same time, she was on Soweto TV but eventually quit flying on SA Express for a television career
In the midst of all this, Lerato was struggling with her image. In several interviews, Lerato Kganyago talked of how she grew up feeling like an ugly duckling.
“Throughout high school, I always thought I was the ugly duckling. I never thought I was pretty. I was tomboyish, quiet and reserved,” Lerato told Anele Mdoda on Real Talk.
She entered the Miss Soweto beauty pageant to prove a point to herself and her family. Lerato never thought she would win. However, the star built up her confidence and self-esteem and ended up winning Miss Soweto and Miss Jam Alley.
Lerato Kganyago’s career kick-started in 2002 when she was crowned ‘Miss Jam Alley’ and Miss Soweto in 2005. The Miss Soweto pageant helped her land her first big break on Soweto TV. She’s talked about how she landed the opportunity in interviews:
“When we got there, they had a presenter missing because they were going on-air that day. So, this white lady from Urban Brew came to me and said, ‘listen, we are missing a presenter… I heard you are Miss Soweto; can you do this?’. I had never done television, live television for that matter,” she told MacG on his YouTube talk show.
Lerato juggled between her work on Soweto TV (which she did for about four years) and her job as a flight attendant. During that time, Lerato Kganyago became one of South Africa’s biggest TV presenters. She appeared on popular shows like The LKG Show, LIVE AMP, and The Link. She auditioned for about 50 other shows before she joined The Link.
With a television career that was on an upward trajectory, Lerato Kganyago widened her scope within the media industry. She started her radio career on the community station, Jozi FM. This became her stepping stone to commercial success. She later secured a slot on Metro FM, one of South Africa’s biggest stations.
“My DJ career got a boost after joining Metro FM. Everything just fell into place,” she told the Jet fashion magazine.
Lerato Kganyago also doubled up in acting. She did comedy skits like The Phat Joe Show. Since then, Lerato has appeared on Muvhango, Play: Sex Tips for Girls, and The Wild.
Lerato is also a businesswoman. The star owns an event management company called Black Angel. In addition to this, she recently launched her eyelash line, Flutter by LKG.
Not much is known about Lerato Kganyago’s parents, as the star keeps her personal life under wraps. Lerato is the only child of her mother Rae. Her father's name is unknown. Lerato Kganyago says that she is close to her mother, who is her best friend. However, she does not have the same soft spot for her father, a man she considers absent on an emotional level.
After Lerato Kganyago suffered a miscarriage, she expected her father to be there for her. He did not visit and since she was angry at him. In 2018, Lerato Kganyago opened up about the grudge she had against her father.
“I was in the hospital for three days. I waited for him to show up. He didn’t. We went for months without speaking. I didn’t go home because I was very angry at him.”
In a Twitter thread, she also revealed that in letting go of the grudge, she found healing.
“The day I let go of hurt, betrayal, pain, grudges, there was a major shift in my life… God speaks to me through so many ways, through my work, through my people, even the ones I’ve never met.”
“Rebuilding my relationship with my father was the best thing I ever did for my soul. We don’t have a perfect relationship, but letting go of what happened in the past freed me up! For many years I longed for a father love though he was present physically… he wasn’t emotionally.
No, Lerato Kganyago does not have a child. Unfortunately, she’s suffered two miscarriages in the past but still wants to be a mom. She hasn’t ruled out adoption as an option.
Katlego Mashego was Lerato Kganyago’s boyfriend. The two dated for four years announced their engagement in 2013 but called it off in 2015. The star later revealed that she suffered a miscarriage that devastated her and needed time to heal. Lerato has been very candid about her miscarriages.
In a 2017 interview on Real Talk, Lerato Kganyago revealed how the miscarriage made her feel less of a woman. It was then that she revealed she’d suffered two miscarriages. “I have only spoken about the (most recent) one because it was the one that affected me the most. That was when I really wanted to have a child," Lerato said.
She further shared this on the Behind the Story show with Pearl Thusi. Lerato Kganyago recalled the moment tearfully when she found out she lost her baby.
“She [the doctor] kept looking for the heartbeat, and she was looking everywhere. I remember I was not looking at the monitor… I kept asking her if everything was okay… But, I won’t lie, at some point, I felt like a lesser woman. All I want is someone to hold in my arms,” she said.
Despite her loss, Lerato Kganyago has not given up on the dream of becoming a mom. Adoption could be on the cards. She uses her social media platforms to educate people about adoption, and in a famous Lerato Kganyago Twitter post in 2017, she declared that adoption is “not a white thing.”
In March 2020, Lerato Kganyago got married to the wealthy Gauteng businessman Thami Ndela, two months after a breakup from a low-key relationship that lasted four years. The Metro Fm presenter got hitched during a ceremony at her mother’s house in Boksburg. Reports said that lobola negotiations and ceremonies accompanied the traditional Thami Ndela - Lerato Kganyago wedding. However, the marriage didn’t last very long. The two called it quits within weeks. Lerato Kganyago revealed the news via an Instagram post that she’d already moved out of the marital home. It was not over between the two. They got back together and are now very happily married. Lerato Kganyago’s husband, Thami Ndlela, was born in 1980 and is 41 years old as of 2021.
Lerato Kganyago’s got engaged again. Already! After her messy breakup with Thami Ndlela, Lerato got another ring on her finger. This left many wondering who the lucky guy was. Lerato posted a video of her engagement on Instagram. If it's anything to go by, that must have been a dream engagement. Mzansi suspected that she got back with her ex-husband Thami Ndlala based on a personalized balloon in one of her photos with his surname.
And it seems that Lerato is only riding on the wave of good news. Not only is her personal life glowing, but her professional life is also booming. The businesswoman recently opened her first beauty store, her first franchise, with international beauty brand Tammy Taylor.
Lerato Kganyago works hard, plays hard, and certainly spends hard. Her love for posh cars has been evident over the years. She purchased a Mercedes Benz C200 Coupe in April 2019, and just a year before that, she was driving around in a brand new Range Rover.
Lerato Kganyago knows how to live luxuriously. She spends her hard-earned money on designer shoes and bags, but her biggest buy so far has been her “dream home,” which she bought in 2017.
"I had to put so many things on hold this year, so I could reward myself with a home I've always dreamed of!!!! So grateful!!!" she wrote on Twitter.
Lerato Kganyago’s Instagram account and YouTube channel share glimpses of her stunning mansion.
What’s more, the multi-talented media personality got all of Mzansi jealous when she revealed that the President was her neighbour.
Lerato Kganyago has made it big on TV and radio, and in addition to this, her businesses are doing very well. The star also has a thriving YouTube channel and is one of South Africa’s highest-paid social media influencers. In 2020, her net worth was estimated to be around $2million.
Some of the accolades that Lerato Kganyago has won:
The Golden Horn Award for Best TV presenter at the 15th SAFTAs.
She was nominated for the Top Female DJs in the World Awards on DjaneTop, the top online magazine dedicated to female DJs.
How old is Lerato Kganyago's husband?
Lerato Kganyago’s husband, Thami Ndlela was born in 1980 and is 41 years old as of 2021.
Does Lerato Kganyago have a child?
No, Lerato Kganyago does not have a child. Unfortunately, she’s suffered two miscarriages in the past but still wants to be a mom. She hasn’t ruled out adoption as an option.
What is Lerato Kganyago’s age?
How old is Lerato Kganyago? She’s 38 years old. The entertainer was born on the 22nd of July, 1982.
Once a shy teenager, Lerato Kganyago is a household name in the South African TV and media industry. This beauty chased her dreams and worked hard to get to where she is today. One of South Africa’s most coveted TV and radio personalities, a talented MC, Deejay, Model and Social media Influencer, Lerato Kganyago, is definitely making all the right moves. Here’s how she did it.
Lerato was born on 22 July 1982 in Johannesburg’s Soweto township and grew up there. She attended Ipolokeng Primary School and finished her secondary education at Boksburg High School.
As a young girl, Lerato Kganyago aspired to become a lawyer or a doctor. She went on to study Public Relations and Travel and Tourism at Damelin College. She worked as a flight attendant at Qatar Airways. At the same time, she was on Soweto TV but eventually quit flying on SA Express for a television career
In the midst of all this, Lerato was struggling with her image. In several interviews, Lerato Kganyago talked of how she grew up feeling like an ugly duckling.
“Throughout high school, I always thought I was the ugly duckling. I never thought I was pretty. I was tomboyish, quiet and reserved,” Lerato told Anele Mdoda on Real Talk.
She entered the Miss Soweto beauty pageant to prove a point to herself and her family. Lerato never thought she would win. However, the star built up her confidence and self-esteem and ended up winning Miss Soweto and Miss Jam Alley.
Lerato Kganyago’s career kick-started in 2002 when she was crowned ‘Miss Jam Alley’ and Miss Soweto in 2005. The Miss Soweto pageant helped her land her first big break on Soweto TV. She’s talked about how she landed the opportunity in interviews:
“When we got there, they had a presenter missing because they were going on-air that day. So, this white lady from Urban Brew came to me and said, ‘listen, we are missing a presenter… I heard you are Miss Soweto; can you do this?’. I had never done television, live television for that matter,” she told MacG on his YouTube talk show.
Lerato juggled between her work on Soweto TV (which she did for about four years) and her job as a flight attendant. During that time, Lerato Kganyago became one of South Africa’s biggest TV presenters. She appeared on popular shows like The LKG Show, LIVE AMP, and The Link. She auditioned for about 50 other shows before she joined The Link.
With a television career that was on an upward trajectory, Lerato Kganyago widened her scope within the media industry. She started her radio career on the community station, Jozi FM. This became her stepping stone to commercial success. She later secured a slot on Metro FM, one of South Africa’s biggest stations.
“My DJ career got a boost after joining Metro FM. Everything just fell into place,” she told the Jet fashion magazine.
Lerato Kganyago also doubled up in acting. She did comedy skits like The Phat Joe Show. Since then, Lerato has appeared on Muvhango, Play: Sex Tips for Girls, and The Wild.
Lerato is also a businesswoman. The star owns an event management company called Black Angel. In addition to this, she recently launched her eyelash line, Flutter by LKG.
Not much is known about Lerato Kganyago’s parents, as the star keeps her personal life under wraps. Lerato is the only child of her mother Rae. Her father's name is unknown. Lerato Kganyago says that she is close to her mother, who is her best friend. However, she does not have the same soft spot for her father, a man she considers absent on an emotional level.
After Lerato Kganyago suffered a miscarriage, she expected her father to be there for her. He did not visit and since she was angry at him. In 2018, Lerato Kganyago opened up about the grudge she had against her father.
“I was in the hospital for three days. I waited for him to show up. He didn’t. We went for months without speaking. I didn’t go home because I was very angry at him.”
In a Twitter thread, she also revealed that in letting go of the grudge, she found healing.
“The day I let go of hurt, betrayal, pain, grudges, there was a major shift in my life… God speaks to me through so many ways, through my work, through my people, even the ones I’ve never met.”
“Rebuilding my relationship with my father was the best thing I ever did for my soul. We don’t have a perfect relationship, but letting go of what happened in the past freed me up! For many years I longed for a father love though he was present physically… he wasn’t emotionally.
No, Lerato Kganyago does not have a child. Unfortunately, she’s suffered two miscarriages in the past but still wants to be a mom. She hasn’t ruled out adoption as an option.
Katlego Mashego was Lerato Kganyago’s boyfriend. The two dated for four years announced their engagement in 2013 but called it off in 2015. The star later revealed that she suffered a miscarriage that devastated her and needed time to heal. Lerato has been very candid about her miscarriages.
In a 2017 interview on Real Talk, Lerato Kganyago revealed how the miscarriage made her feel less of a woman. It was then that she revealed she’d suffered two miscarriages. “I have only spoken about the (most recent) one because it was the one that affected me the most. That was when I really wanted to have a child," Lerato said.
She further shared this on the Behind the Story show with Pearl Thusi. Lerato Kganyago recalled the moment tearfully when she found out she lost her baby.
“She [the doctor] kept looking for the heartbeat, and she was looking everywhere. I remember I was not looking at the monitor… I kept asking her if everything was okay… But, I won’t lie, at some point, I felt like a lesser woman. All I want is someone to hold in my arms,” she said.
Despite her loss, Lerato Kganyago has not given up on the dream of becoming a mom. Adoption could be on the cards. She uses her social media platforms to educate people about adoption, and in a famous Lerato Kganyago Twitter post in 2017, she declared that adoption is “not a white thing.”
In March 2020, Lerato Kganyago got married to the wealthy Gauteng businessman Thami Ndela, two months after a breakup from a low-key relationship that lasted four years. The Metro Fm presenter got hitched during a ceremony at her mother’s house in Boksburg. Reports said that lobola negotiations and ceremonies accompanied the traditional Thami Ndela - Lerato Kganyago wedding. However, the marriage didn’t last very long. The two called it quits within weeks. Lerato Kganyago revealed the news via an Instagram post that she’d already moved out of the marital home. It was not over between the two. They got back together and are now very happily married. Lerato Kganyago’s husband, Thami Ndlela, was born in 1980 and is 41 years old as of 2021.
Lerato Kganyago’s got engaged again. Already! After her messy breakup with Thami Ndlela, Lerato got another ring on her finger. This left many wondering who the lucky guy was. Lerato posted a video of her engagement on Instagram. If it's anything to go by, that must have been a dream engagement. Mzansi suspected that she got back with her ex-husband Thami Ndlala based on a personalized balloon in one of her photos with his surname.
And it seems that Lerato is only riding on the wave of good news. Not only is her personal life glowing, but her professional life is also booming. The businesswoman recently opened her first beauty store, her first franchise, with international beauty brand Tammy Taylor.
Lerato Kganyago works hard, plays hard, and certainly spends hard. Her love for posh cars has been evident over the years. She purchased a Mercedes Benz C200 Coupe in April 2019, and just a year before that, she was driving around in a brand new Range Rover.
Lerato Kganyago knows how to live luxuriously. She spends her hard-earned money on designer shoes and bags, but her biggest buy so far has been her “dream home,” which she bought in 2017.
"I had to put so many things on hold this year, so I could reward myself with a home I've always dreamed of!!!! So grateful!!!" she wrote on Twitter.
Lerato Kganyago’s Instagram account and YouTube channel share glimpses of her stunning mansion.
What’s more, the multi-talented media personality got all of Mzansi jealous when she revealed that the President was her neighbour.
Lerato Kganyago has made it big on TV and radio, and in addition to this, her businesses are doing very well. The star also has a thriving YouTube channel and is one of South Africa’s highest-paid social media influencers. In 2020, her net worth was estimated to be around $2million.
Some of the accolades that Lerato Kganyago has won:
The Golden Horn Award for Best TV presenter at the 15th SAFTAs.
She was nominated for the Top Female DJs in the World Awards on DjaneTop, the top online magazine dedicated to female DJs.
How old is Lerato Kganyago's husband?
Lerato Kganyago’s husband, Thami Ndlela was born in 1980 and is 41 years old as of 2021.
Does Lerato Kganyago have a child?
No, Lerato Kganyago does not have a child. Unfortunately, she’s suffered two miscarriages in the past but still wants to be a mom. She hasn’t ruled out adoption as an option.
What is Lerato Kganyago’s age?
How old is Lerato Kganyago? She’s 38 years old. The entertainer was born on the 22nd of July, 1982.
