Mandla Hlatshwayo once imagined a very different future than clocking long hours at a pizza takeaway, surrounded by the comfort of wood-fired warmth and melty mozzarella. After winning the first season of Big Brother Mzansi around 12 years ago, he became a familiar face overnight—and believed the prize money would lock in financial security for life.
From Big Brother fame to a fast-food role
Hlatshwayo’s win came with R1m in prize money, and for years he said he thought his life would be set. But today, he’s reportedly being inducted as a junior manager at a fast-food outlet—while still arguing that he never actually received the full amount he expected.
He claims that what landed in his account was far less than the figure people talk about. In his account, he only received R600,000 plus a bit more, leaving him unable to follow through on the financial commitments he had already planned.
What he says happened to the prize money
In explaining the situation, Hlatshwayo described the waiting period after the win, saying there was time spent meeting advisers and mapping out what he would do once the money arrived. When the payment finally came through, he says the final number wasn’t what he had been expecting.
He told Sunday Times that he received roughly R600,000 plus additional funds, and that the shortfall made it impossible to meet obligations he’d made in advance. He also reflected on the way people still frame his story years later, with many pointing to him as someone who “finished a million,” despite his insistence that the payout wasn’t complete.
- He says the prize was tied up with adviser meetings and planning while waiting for the funds.
- He says the final deposit was about R600,000 plus some extra, not the full expectation.
- He claims he couldn’t meet earlier financial commitments once the amount fell short.
- He says people still bring up his “million” win years later, despite his view that he didn’t receive that level of money.
Buying plans, personal spending, and social media backlash
Hlatshwayo shared that his original intention was to store the prize and allow it to grow with interest. Instead, he said he ended up spending on major purchases and life upgrades—citing a chain of events that derailed the early plan.
Among the things he did after getting the money, he said he bought a R180,000 home in the Vaal area, purchased a VW Polo Vivo, renovated his mother’s house, and invested in music—buying into the process and recording music videos.
He also acknowledged that his own reaction played a role in how things unfolded. He said he went on Facebook and posted in a way that hurt perceptions among some fans, who questioned why he seemed less “humble” after the reality TV moment.
- He says he bought a R180,000 house in the Vaal area instead of keeping everything invested.
- He says he purchased a VW Polo Vivo.
- He says he renovated his mother’s home.
- He says he invested in music and recorded music videos.
- He says he later posted on Facebook in a blunt way, and some fans turned against him.
- He says he believes he shouldn’t “cry” about losing out on around R400k, but that an agreement is an agreement.
He further described how he ended up starting too many projects at once and leaning into obligations—both those tied to family roles and those he said he placed on himself. He suggested that some decisions drained money without producing the kind of return he had initially hoped for.
He also explained that while buying a car can feel like a win, it doesn’t function like an asset in the same way long-term investments do. He said the house he bought still needed work, and that he eventually sold it.
- He says his spending ended up pulling money away from choices that could have produced stronger long-term returns.
- He says the car purchase wasn’t an asset in the way investments are.
- He says the home still required fixes, and he later sold it.
- He cites family responsibilities as brother and father, plus obligations he says he set for himself, as part of why the original plan shifted.
- He says he was trying to launch too many projects at the same time.
Love, heartbreak, and life after the show
Despite the financial turbulence, Hlatshwayo said the “jackpot” for him was love. During Big Brother Mzansi, he met Lexi van Niekerk. Together, they have two children, but he said the relationship ended after about 10 years.
He described the split as something that happened naturally—two people who shared something good at one point, then moved on. He emphasized that Lexi remains a great mother to his boys, while also insisting that he doesn’t want their connection to be driven only by co-parenting.
- He met Lexi van Niekerk during the competition.
- They have two children together.
- He says they separated after roughly 10 years.
- He says she is still a great mom to his sons.
- He says he doesn’t want the relationship to be defined only by that shared history.
Hlatshwayo also addressed his current work and his role as a father of three, saying his move into retail is essentially about stepping up and providing for his family. He framed it as a practical decision—one shaped by the idea that life calls you to “life,” and that he has been working for a long time, with hospitality being a field he had been willing to try if other plans didn’t work out.
Reality TV and music hopes—plus the unanswered payment
After winning the competition, Hlatshwayo went on to star in a reality TV series called Mandla & Lexi on Mzansi Magic. While he said that chapter may be over, he expressed hope that he could return to television and also release music again.
He said he believes the money he received wasn’t spent on drugs or other “funny” things, adding that his mother’s house is still standing and that he still has memories from what he did with that period of his life. He also connected his financial approach to mindset—saying that if someone comes from poverty thinking, they may end up going back to poverty, which is why he wanted the prize money to sit and grow gradually.
He also reflected on the realities of TV fame: he said TV attention can be short-lived, and new faces replace old ones quickly. He suggested that even if he wants to return, television may not “want” him back, noting that he has done auditions and tried to push for re-entry into the media space without seeing the response that would confirm he’s on the right track. He said he wants to present—implying he wants to return in a meaningful way.
At the time of publication, Mzansi Magic did not respond to questions about the remaining R400,000 payment that Hlatshwayo says is still outstanding.
