INTERVIEW: ‘To have people shame and laugh at you is not easy’ – Mohale Motaung

Following the premiere of his Showmax tell-all Mohale: On The Record, businessman and influencer Mohale Motaung seems to have entered a Renaissance period of his own.

During his relationship with Somizi Mhlongo and shortly after the very public breakdown of their marriage, Motaung was vilified for being a gold digger and his estranged husband even leaned into that narrative for the fifth season of his reality show Living The Dream With Somizi (LTDWS). 

For over a year, he was called all sorts of names on various platforms as people weighed in on the circumstances of their marriage and divorce as laid out in the media. 

And now, after watching Mohale: On The Record, he has been hailed for standing firm in his truth, facing adversity head-on and conducting himself in a respectful manner. 

Part of the change in the perception of Mohale stems from the inclusion of his family in his Showmax tell-all. His parents, his sister and his nieces all spoke so warmly of him and humanised him in a way he previously had not been.

“My family plays an intricate part of my life… They know me more than anyone does so, I think for me it was important for people to get to know me through the eyes of the most important people in my life which is my family. They are my support structure through everything,” said Motaung in a recent interview with The Citizen. 

He admits that he was apprehensive about thrusting them into the public eye but he had to let it happen because he says this is such an important chapter in his life.

Another tough decision he faced was putting himself at the mercy of his ex-husband’s legion of supporters. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: ‘Mohale: On The Record’ – Revelations that will make you go ‘yoh’

“I really went in with an open heart and open mind, however, I was a little bit uncomfortable speaking about the abuse allegations because you face a lot of backlash and shame, especially in South Africa when you expose somebody who is in a power and somebody who is loved so publicly.

“It’s a part of my life I don’t want to remember moving forward so to have people shame and laugh at you is not easy so that was the only really difficult part about it.”

Moving forward, Motaung hopes people who watched his special can learn “to own their truth”.

While his age and the age gap between himself and Somizi has always been a hot-button issue, the LTDWS flashbacks shown on Mohale: On The Record remind the audience just how young he was when his relationship with Somizi began. 

Years later, we wonder what he would tell his young self, in hindsight. 

“I’d really say to my 21-year-old self ‘don’t rush’ and ‘you’re going to be alright.'”

Following the special, Motaung wants to continue managing his businesses; Glam Troupe and his upcoming cosmetics brand Elahom by Mohale, while his lawyers handle the nitty gritty of getting what he is owed from his marriage. 

He also hopes to get more acting roles, but nothing too serious as he doesn’t want to spend too much time on set as it takes him away from his business and influencer work.

Motaung concludes our interview by stating that he will be shying away from the reality TV format because he doesn’t think his life is that interesting.

We believe audiences would beg to differ. 

READ NEXT: Somizi jets off to Mauritius as ex-husband’s tell-all doccie airs