Lebo Sekgobela Biography: Age, Husband, Children, Albums, Controversy, Rape, Awards

Lebo Sekgobela is the fourth most-streamed female artist in South Africa on Apple Music.

Her music reaches and heals millions of people in Africa and abroad. She has performed in countries such as Chicago, Lesotho, Botswana, New York and London.

Lebo is known as the gospel powerhouse. Her incredible voice and her lyrical content are soothing to the soul, making her a phenomenal artist. 

She hails from the Vaal in Gauteng province.  

Lebo was raised by a single mother who was a domestic worker. The family lived in a shack and later moved to a mud house. Despite her difficult upbringing, Lebo is a star today. 

Let’s find out what makes her the incredible person she is. 

Lebo’s birthday is celebrated on September 19. She was born in 1981. 

Lebo started singing at a very young age.  She went to a lot of auditions in order to get her music break but didn’t succeed. Some of the music groups she auditioned for include award-winning Gospel Choir, Joyous Celebration. She also auditioned for Idols SA but was rejected. 

The ‘Lion of Judah’ hitmaker didn’t let this derail her or stop her from pursuing her dreams. She went on to build her own brand,  and today she’s one of the biggest artists in South Africa. 

Lebo started her music career by singing at church events. She travelled with the famous preacher, Evangelist Ralekholela and sang at his tent crusade events. 

She then went on to work with prominent musicians in South Africa. She was a backing vocalist for award-winning musician Vicky Vilakazi and worked with Joyous Celebration members such as William Sejake. 

She was also the voice behind popular SABC 1 show Khumbulekhaya’s song. 

Lebo Sekgobela has released seven albums.

Her first album is Ke Ngwana Hao, which she released in 2013. The same year she released Ke Modimo, Themba Lami, and By His Grace. The album By His Grace featured Lebo’s hit song ‘Melusi’, which became massive on radio and television.

In 2016, Lebo recorded Restored. The album is one of Lebo’s most successful ones to date. The multi-platinum offering put her on the map. This is the album that features the hit song ‘Lion of Judah’, which became a national anthem. The song was sung in churches, clubs, taxi ranks and every corner of South Africa. She performed the song Lion of Judah at the Metro and SAMA awards.

The album Umusa was recorded in 2018.

Hymns and Worship is the latest album by the star. She recorded it in 2019 at Hope Restoration Centre in Kempton Park, Gauteng. The album is made up of traditional hymns and has 16 tracks.

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Lebo has won numerous awards. In 2012, she won the Gospel Legacy Award by the Vaal Triangle. The same year, she also won the Best Community Outreach from SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards.

In 2016, she won the Best Female Artist at the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards.

She was also nominated for Best Contemporary Faith Music Album and Best Traditional Faith Music Album at the South African Music Awards in 2019 for her album Umusa.  She was also nominated for Female Artist of the Year at the same awards.

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Lebo is a firm believer in giving back. She has adopted the Tebogo Home for the Handicapped in Orange Farm. She regularly goes to visit the abandoned children and makes donation around Christmas time.

Another charity organisation that Lebo is involved with is Bertha Solomon Centre For The Aged in Johannesburg, and the Lebohang Home in Sebokeng. 

Lebo Sekgobela was recently the victim of a scam. Someone hacked her account and demanded money from her friends and contacts. The person claimed she needed the money to help her pay for a Durban July Gospel Festival registration fee.

Although the gospel singer took to social media to state that her account was hacked, one of the victims, who was robbed of R6 000 by the scammer, called Lebo and threatened her.

Lebo was raped at the age of eight. The perpetrator was her sister’s friend. He raped her in a toilet. 

The second time she was raped by a male neighbour who offered her a lift when she was 11 years. He raped her in the car.

Lebo is married to Lucky Sekgobela. He is also her manager. They met while Lebo was still studying in High School, and got married while Lebo was 16-years-old. They have been married for over a decade.

Lebo is a mother of three. She and her husband have three beautiful children. Their firstborn is Lethabo (22), second-born Lesego (18) and the last born is Lesedi (11). 

Lebo recently trended on social media after she offered to give a woman in the audience her car. The singer called the lady on stage and said she felt God is leading her to give the woman the car. She, however, said the car wasn’t fully paid at that moment, but would be in a few months and she would bless the woman with it.

What an amazing soul!

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Image credit: Instagram/ @Lebosekgobela