Thuli Phongolo Biography: Age, Boyfriend, Car, Parents, Hairstyles

Thuli Phongolo has been called many names but there is no denying her star appeal. The talented Xhosa actress is a natural in front of the camera.

She is best known for her role as Namhla on Generations: The Legacy. 

When Thuli is not working on set she is busy travelling the world and working on her business ventures. 

She has stressed that she does not want to be a pretty face on TV, who will disappear after a few years of success. 

Thuli Phongolo grew up in Johannesburg’s Soweto township and had dreams of becoming a star from an early age. 

She described herself as a confident child who loved dancing for her family. 

Thuli started acting in high school. She took up drama and loved it so much she decided to sign with an agency. 

Thuli got her first big acting role when she was just 17 years old. She played Zama on SABC 1’s drama series, Tshisa. The role helped open many doors for Thuli. She went on to work as a TV presenter on e.tv’s Craz-e.

Thuli has also appeared on The Republic and Makoti. She landed her biggest acting role to date on one of South Africa’s biggest soapies, Generations: The Legacy.  Thuli landed the role of Namhla in 2014. 

During an interview on Tonight with Tim Modise, Thuli revealed that she auditioned five times for the role and almost gave up at one point.

“I auditioned for Namhle five times… There were times when I was like they must just decide what they want. Maybe it’s not me that they want. How can they be calling me so many times and they have already seen my potential? But perseverance and being patient helped me a lot,” she said. 

Thuli left Generations in 2018 after her character was written out of the soapie’s storyline.

In 2017, Thuli revealed her plans to become a deejay. Many were sceptical of her new career venture at first, but Thuli proved she had what it took to make it big as a DJ. She has booked many gigs since then and still works as a DJ.

"Since I have started DJing, things have been going well. I am going to have my mixes on one of the stations here and of course I have been working with (shoe brand) Footwork. There are upcoming roles where you will see me in a different light, not as a kid anymore, and I hope fans will like that and can relate,” she told the co-hosts of Trending SA in a 2018 interview. 

While working as an actress, Thuli pursued her Strategic Marketing degree at the University of Johannesburg. She completed her studies in 2016 and shared pictures from her proudly Xhosa graduation on her Instagram page. 

Thuli Phongolo turned 25 years old in 2019. She was born on January 24, 1994. Her full name is Thulisile. Thuli celebrated her 25th birthday with a safari getaway.

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Not much is known about Thuli Phongolo’s parents. She is believed to come from a well-off family. Thuli shared a picture of her mother on her Instagram page in 2019 to celebrate Mother’s Day. Thuli has two younger siblings, a brother and sister.

Thuli Phongolo keeps her relationships a secret. It’s unclear who is Thuli's current boyfriend but she has been linked to stars such as Uzalo’s Ntokozo Dlamini, Muvhango’s Raphael Griffiths and Black Motion’s Robert ‘DJ Murdah’ Mohosana in the past.

In February 2019, Thuli said she was done with “basic” men and looking for someone like Kanye West or Travis Scott. 

“Kanye & Travis are the kind of guys my future guy should learn from. Done with these basics, Asoze Thiza Wam!” she tweeted.

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Thuli Phongolo and Muvhango actor Raphael Griffiths’s allegedly started dating before she got her role on Generations. Their relationship was like something straight out of a telenovela. The couple were said to be madly in love until Thuli allegedly dumped Raphael in 2015 for the son of a wealthy businessman. According to a 2016 report in the Sunday Sun, Thuli’s new “blesser” spoilt her with lavish gifts. 

The publication did not name the man, claiming he was unavailable for comment. Thuli did not comment on the rumours either and it’s unclear if she really dated the “blesser”. 

Raphael was said to be “heartbroken” after Thuli dumped him. He has since moved on and is believed to be in a happy relationship.

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Thuli Phongolo has been accused of being a diva and a “drama queen” on more than one occasion. Several sources have claimed she is impossible to work with. Thuli made headlines in 2016 after Generations makeup artist, Bongi Mlotshwa, allegedly quit because of her diva behaviour. 

Bongi claimed in an interview that Thuli threatened to get her fired. Thuli allegedly told the makeup artist that her father is close with Generations’ executive producer, Mfundi Vundla. 

Thuli denied the claims in a 2018 interview with Metro FM.

“For me as an adult,  I'd be ashamed to leave a show for a child - who was then twenty - so there's no way that mam Bongi left because of me, I know exactly why she left, which I'm not gonna discuss," she said.

 

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Thuli Phongolo bought herself a red Mercedes-Benz CLA in 2016. She took to Instagram to show off her fancy new ride.

“I got the keys. #GirlsWithMercs #NiggaGotMyOwn #Unlocked #SoThankYouGOD,” she captioned the picture of her Merc,” she captioned a picture of her car on Instagram. 

Some of Thuli's fans were shocked that the then 22-year-old could afford such an expensive car. Some reports suggested that her “blesser” bought her the car. Those claims were never proven and it does appear that Thuli purchased the wheels with her hard earned cash.

Thuli Phongolo’s fans can’t get enough of her hairstyles. The actress says she has naturally curly hair but enjoys wearing weaves, wigs and braids.  But Thuli is not afraid to rock her natural hair. She showed off her natural hair on Instagram in September 2019.

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Thuli Phongolo once stated in an interview that she is “obsessed with fashion”, so it came as no surprise in 2017 when she announced she would be launching her very own clothing line.

“I'm so proud to officially reveal my new baby, which is my clothing line TULIP,” she wrote on Instagram. The first range from the clothing line was called Blossom.

Thuli said she always loved dressing up. “I just wore what I liked when I felt like it. However, as time went by my style and love for fashion connected me to people and opportunities that made me see the value in it and how much relatable style is.” 

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Main image credit: Instagram/@thuliphongolo