She is a model, TV presenter, actress, MC, radio personality and businesswoman. She's also a mother to two little girls.
Pearl Thusi was born on 13 May 1988, in Durban KwaZulu Natal, Hammarsdale. Her full name is Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi. Aged 33, Pearl, the eldest child in her family, has two younger sisters, Prunella and Pamela Thusi. She says she had a very happy childhood even though people teased her for the colour of her skin. She is much lighter than the rest of her family.
“My father is dark. My mother was slightly light. I have a recessive gene from five generations back on my dad's side. My ancestors, who go five generations back, were mixed race, and so that is where it came from. With a gene recession, it is normal that for years nobody would be born light or have blue eyes, until a few generations later,” she told Glen Lewis on Touch HD in 2017.
Pearl Thusi says she owes it to her parents for helping shape her into the person she is today. The star often talks about how hard-working her mom was. Unfortunately, her mother died in 2004 when Pearl was still a teen. The responsibility of having to fill in for her mom was too much for her. Thus, she moved to Johannesburg after completing high school.
“I ran away from being a mother to my sisters and being a wife to my father (in a sense) to being a real wife and mother,” she told Anele Mdoda on Real Talk.
While Pearl looked up to her mom, her relationship with her father, Bhekizizwe Thusi, was a bit complicated. Pearl admits he was the first man to break her heart for abusing her mother. Their relationship became strained after she died.
Pearl mended her relationship with her father and was on good terms until he passed away. She shared the news on Instagram in a heartfelt post. 2020 was the first time Pearl Thusi celebrated her birthday without her father.
Pearl Thusi went to Pinetown Girls High School. She then went to WITS Business School in Johannesburg but dropped out in her second year. In an interview with MacG Podcast, she said that the school made it difficult for her to study while being expectant. She was pregnant with her first baby. In 2020, she applied to the University of South Africa, commonly referred to as UniSA, but her education was again put on hold after her father passed away. Then, the global health crisis, coronavirus, struck.
Pearl Thusi began her career as a model, participating in pageants during her school days while still in her hometown of KwaZulu Natal. By the time she was in high school, she was actively modelling and won First Runner Up in Miss SA Teen in 2003, followed by Miss KZN in 2005.
This was just the beginning of her success. She featured on premium magazine covers such as Bona Magazine, Blaque, True Love, Dossier, Elle, and Cosmopolitan, to name a few. At this point, she slowly transitioned into acting.
Since then, Pearl Thusi has starred in several local and international films. Some memorable movies Pearl has featured include Kalushi, Tremors Five: Bloodlines, and Rosa.
She has also made appearances on TV shows such as Rhythm City, Zone 14, Soul City, and Isidingo. She also played warrior princess Tala in Scorpion King: Book of Souls. Since then, Pearl has been good friends with co-star Zach McGowan. She also acted in Catching Feelings with Kagiso Lediga, a romantic comedy that streamed on Netflix.
In 2016, Pearl hit newer heights when she bagged one of the biggest TV roles. She was part of the American TV series Quantico. In season two of the show, Pearl played Dayana Mampasi, a Harvard Law School graduate from Zimbabwe. The show also starred Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. Quantico aired its final episode in 2018.
Despite her numerous appearances on shows, Pearl is best known for her latest project, 'Queen Sono', which was well-received by fans. Pearl plays Queen Sono, a 'spy working for an undercover South African agency devoted to protecting the people of Africa.'
Despite the big reception, Queen Sono didn’t make it past season one. Netflix cancelled the show because of the production challenges occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
Pearl Thusi dated her baby daddy Walter Mokoena in the early days of her career. Despite Pearl and Walter having never been married, speculation went round that Walter wifed Pearl. Talk about the rumour mill! The two have a daughter, the lovely Thando and are co-parenting.
After her split from Walter, Pearl had a string of short-lived relationships. Some of them involved Rapper Da Les, Quinton Jones, and Robert Marawa.
Quinton Jones and Pearl Thusi were rumoured to be dating though never confirmed their relationship. The relationship fizzled out when fans speculated that Minnie Dlamini stole him from under Pearl’s nose.
In 2016, Pearl Thusi met Robert Marawa and was quickly engaged to the SuperSports presenter. Both made their relationship official on Instagram that year.
“He took me to my favourite restaurant - he's very romantic… [a] platter came, and there was a box, and I thought it was chocolate, and then I opened it and in the end, I realized what was going on and then there he was, sweating, and then finally it happened. He did kneel, but I didn’t see that,” she said.
In August 2017, Pearl and Robert broke up before they could walk down the aisle.
Next in the picture was the Spanish & Congolese NBA star Serge Ibaka although this was heavily pegged on speculation more than anything.
Although Pearl has been rumoured to have married baby daddy Walter Mokoena, this isn’t true. She has never been married but has been in several relationships. Rapper Da Les, Quinton Jones, Serge Ibaka, and Robert Marawa are just of her ex partners.
Pearl Thusi has two daughters, Thandolwethu ‘Thando’ Mokoena whose father is her ex-boyfriend Walter Mokoena. Pearl adopted her second daughter Okuhle Thusi, in 2018 but only confirmed the news in May 2019 through an Instagram post.
“Mothers are like heroes... They're not only born. They can also become. Be made. Not only by blood but by love. By kindness. Bravery. Compassion.”
Due to her soaring popularity, Ambitiouz Entertainment rapper Emtee dedicated a song to ‘Pearl Thusi' to show his admiration for her.
DJ Zinhle and Pearl Thusi are inseparable. The two became close in 2015 after Zinhle’s baby daddy AKA left her for Bonang Matheba. Both share a mutual disdain for Bonang. The besties even moved in together while Zinhle’s mansion was being built in 2017. The DJ joked that Pearl practically forced her to move into her house.
“I didn't have a home, I was homeless, and she was in New York, and she literally forced me to move into her house, and I was really uncomfortable, but she was like, I'm not hearing it you're moving to my house, so I moved with my nanny, my baby, everything into her house," Zinhle said on Channel O's Top 5 Drive.
Both Pearl and Zinhle have daughters who are growing up together and even wear matching outfits.
Neither star is shy about sharing their close relationship on social media. They constantly share photos of their getaways and visits. Although this gets fans speculating about all sorts of things, Mzansi's all-time favourite besties are not bothered by rumours that they are in a relationship.
DJ Zinhle recently got fans concerned about Pearl. Recently, she sent a public dedication on Twitter with a heartfelt message, dedicating her 2019 hit Umlilo to her best friend Pearl with the caption, "This is for you. Everything will be okay... I love you." Her fans wondered if there was something wrong with Pearl, but it turned out to be a private matter between the two.
The question is not whether she drives. The question is which brand Pearl Thusi moves around in. Well, we got you. In 2017, the actress got herself a Lexus L570 SUV. Over the years, we’ve seen her photographed with other models like Rolls Royce, Bentley and Volkswagen.
Pearl Thusi recently bought herself a gorgeous new mansion with a massive backyard. Her bestie DJ Zinhle got carried away and blessed Mzansi’s Twitter feeds with a video tour of the house. However, the location remains unknown.
Famous for her trademark afro, Pearl Thusi decided to ride the wave. In 2015, she launched her haircare range, Black Pearl. She partnered with Afro-Botanics on the project.
Arguably one of the richest actors in Africa, Pearl Thusi’s net worth is estimated to be around $2 million. She has several sources of income including her business ventures, endorsements, and movies.
First Runner Up in 2003 Miss South Africa Teen Pageant
Pearl Thusi won the Miss KZN title in 2005
She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for TV Drama Zone 14 at the 2013 SAFTA Awards.
What does Pearl Thusi do for a living?
Pearl Thusi is a TV and radio personality, a movie star, a model and a businesswoman.
What Is Pearl Thusi net worth?
Pearl Thusi’s exact net worth is unknown but is estimated to be around $2 million. She’s one of South Africa’s richest celebrities.
Is Pearl Thusi hair real?
Pearl Thusi’s signature afro is 100% real, and she’s dead proud of it!
Who did Pearl Thusi marry?
Although Pearl has been rumoured to have married baby daddy Walter Mokoena, she has never been married.
She is a model, TV presenter, actress, MC, radio personality and businesswoman. She's also a mother to two little girls.
Pearl Thusi was born on 13 May 1988, in Durban KwaZulu Natal, Hammarsdale. Her full name is Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi. Aged 33, Pearl, the eldest child in her family, has two younger sisters, Prunella and Pamela Thusi. She says she had a very happy childhood even though people teased her for the colour of her skin. She is much lighter than the rest of her family.
“My father is dark. My mother was slightly light. I have a recessive gene from five generations back on my dad's side. My ancestors, who go five generations back, were mixed race, and so that is where it came from. With a gene recession, it is normal that for years nobody would be born light or have blue eyes, until a few generations later,” she told Glen Lewis on Touch HD in 2017.
Pearl Thusi says she owes it to her parents for helping shape her into the person she is today. The star often talks about how hard-working her mom was. Unfortunately, her mother died in 2004 when Pearl was still a teen. The responsibility of having to fill in for her mom was too much for her. Thus, she moved to Johannesburg after completing high school.
“I ran away from being a mother to my sisters and being a wife to my father (in a sense) to being a real wife and mother,” she told Anele Mdoda on Real Talk.
While Pearl looked up to her mom, her relationship with her father, Bhekizizwe Thusi, was a bit complicated. Pearl admits he was the first man to break her heart for abusing her mother. Their relationship became strained after she died.
Pearl mended her relationship with her father and was on good terms until he passed away. She shared the news on Instagram in a heartfelt post. 2020 was the first time Pearl Thusi celebrated her birthday without her father.
Pearl Thusi went to Pinetown Girls High School. She then went to WITS Business School in Johannesburg but dropped out in her second year. In an interview with MacG Podcast, she said that the school made it difficult for her to study while being expectant. She was pregnant with her first baby. In 2020, she applied to the University of South Africa, commonly referred to as UniSA, but her education was again put on hold after her father passed away. Then, the global health crisis, coronavirus, struck.
Pearl Thusi began her career as a model, participating in pageants during her school days while still in her hometown of KwaZulu Natal. By the time she was in high school, she was actively modelling and won First Runner Up in Miss SA Teen in 2003, followed by Miss KZN in 2005.
This was just the beginning of her success. She featured on premium magazine covers such as Bona Magazine, Blaque, True Love, Dossier, Elle, and Cosmopolitan, to name a few. At this point, she slowly transitioned into acting.
Since then, Pearl Thusi has starred in several local and international films. Some memorable movies Pearl has featured include Kalushi, Tremors Five: Bloodlines, and Rosa.
She has also made appearances on TV shows such as Rhythm City, Zone 14, Soul City, and Isidingo. She also played warrior princess Tala in Scorpion King: Book of Souls. Since then, Pearl has been good friends with co-star Zach McGowan. She also acted in Catching Feelings with Kagiso Lediga, a romantic comedy that streamed on Netflix.
In 2016, Pearl hit newer heights when she bagged one of the biggest TV roles. She was part of the American TV series Quantico. In season two of the show, Pearl played Dayana Mampasi, a Harvard Law School graduate from Zimbabwe. The show also starred Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. Quantico aired its final episode in 2018.
Despite her numerous appearances on shows, Pearl is best known for her latest project, 'Queen Sono', which was well-received by fans. Pearl plays Queen Sono, a 'spy working for an undercover South African agency devoted to protecting the people of Africa.'
Despite the big reception, Queen Sono didn’t make it past season one. Netflix cancelled the show because of the production challenges occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
Pearl Thusi dated her baby daddy Walter Mokoena in the early days of her career. Despite Pearl and Walter having never been married, speculation went round that Walter wifed Pearl. Talk about the rumour mill! The two have a daughter, the lovely Thando and are co-parenting.
After her split from Walter, Pearl had a string of short-lived relationships. Some of them involved Rapper Da Les, Quinton Jones, and Robert Marawa.
Quinton Jones and Pearl Thusi were rumoured to be dating though never confirmed their relationship. The relationship fizzled out when fans speculated that Minnie Dlamini stole him from under Pearl’s nose.
In 2016, Pearl Thusi met Robert Marawa and was quickly engaged to the SuperSports presenter. Both made their relationship official on Instagram that year.
“He took me to my favourite restaurant - he's very romantic… [a] platter came, and there was a box, and I thought it was chocolate, and then I opened it and in the end, I realized what was going on and then there he was, sweating, and then finally it happened. He did kneel, but I didn’t see that,” she said.
In August 2017, Pearl and Robert broke up before they could walk down the aisle.
Next in the picture was the Spanish & Congolese NBA star Serge Ibaka although this was heavily pegged on speculation more than anything.
Although Pearl has been rumoured to have married baby daddy Walter Mokoena, this isn’t true. She has never been married but has been in several relationships. Rapper Da Les, Quinton Jones, Serge Ibaka, and Robert Marawa are just of her ex partners.
Pearl Thusi has two daughters, Thandolwethu ‘Thando’ Mokoena whose father is her ex-boyfriend Walter Mokoena. Pearl adopted her second daughter Okuhle Thusi, in 2018 but only confirmed the news in May 2019 through an Instagram post.
“Mothers are like heroes... They're not only born. They can also become. Be made. Not only by blood but by love. By kindness. Bravery. Compassion.”
Due to her soaring popularity, Ambitiouz Entertainment rapper Emtee dedicated a song to ‘Pearl Thusi' to show his admiration for her.
DJ Zinhle and Pearl Thusi are inseparable. The two became close in 2015 after Zinhle’s baby daddy AKA left her for Bonang Matheba. Both share a mutual disdain for Bonang. The besties even moved in together while Zinhle’s mansion was being built in 2017. The DJ joked that Pearl practically forced her to move into her house.
“I didn't have a home, I was homeless, and she was in New York, and she literally forced me to move into her house, and I was really uncomfortable, but she was like, I'm not hearing it you're moving to my house, so I moved with my nanny, my baby, everything into her house," Zinhle said on Channel O's Top 5 Drive.
Both Pearl and Zinhle have daughters who are growing up together and even wear matching outfits.
Neither star is shy about sharing their close relationship on social media. They constantly share photos of their getaways and visits. Although this gets fans speculating about all sorts of things, Mzansi's all-time favourite besties are not bothered by rumours that they are in a relationship.
DJ Zinhle recently got fans concerned about Pearl. Recently, she sent a public dedication on Twitter with a heartfelt message, dedicating her 2019 hit Umlilo to her best friend Pearl with the caption, "This is for you. Everything will be okay... I love you." Her fans wondered if there was something wrong with Pearl, but it turned out to be a private matter between the two.
The question is not whether she drives. The question is which brand Pearl Thusi moves around in. Well, we got you. In 2017, the actress got herself a Lexus L570 SUV. Over the years, we’ve seen her photographed with other models like Rolls Royce, Bentley and Volkswagen.
Pearl Thusi recently bought herself a gorgeous new mansion with a massive backyard. Her bestie DJ Zinhle got carried away and blessed Mzansi’s Twitter feeds with a video tour of the house. However, the location remains unknown.
Famous for her trademark afro, Pearl Thusi decided to ride the wave. In 2015, she launched her haircare range, Black Pearl. She partnered with Afro-Botanics on the project.
Arguably one of the richest actors in Africa, Pearl Thusi’s net worth is estimated to be around $2 million. She has several sources of income including her business ventures, endorsements, and movies.
First Runner Up in 2003 Miss South Africa Teen Pageant
Pearl Thusi won the Miss KZN title in 2005
She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for TV Drama Zone 14 at the 2013 SAFTA Awards.
What does Pearl Thusi do for a living?
Pearl Thusi is a TV and radio personality, a movie star, a model and a businesswoman.
What Is Pearl Thusi net worth?
Pearl Thusi’s exact net worth is unknown but is estimated to be around $2 million. She’s one of South Africa’s richest celebrities.
Is Pearl Thusi hair real?
Pearl Thusi’s signature afro is 100% real, and she’s dead proud of it!
Who did Pearl Thusi marry?
Although Pearl has been rumoured to have married baby daddy Walter Mokoena, she has never been married.
