Khaya Mthethwa - Biography, Real Name, Age and Career
Khaya Mthethwa, born on November 25, 1987, is a South African singer-songwriter, composer, and talented multi-instrumentalist. He grew up in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, where he began his musical journey at age 10 as a drummer. A year later, he joined his school choir as a singer. Before launching his solo career, he was a member of the well-known gospel group Joyous Celebration.
Khaya is widely recognized for winning the 8th season of *Idols South Africa*, becoming the first Black contestant to achieve this victory. His deep passion for music is rooted in the strong upbringing he received from his parents, Pastors Themba and Lulu Mthethwa, who provided him with a solid foundation and religious guidance.
Early Life
Khaya Mthethwa was born and raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, in a church-centered environment. Khanya is currently 37 years of age. His father, Bhekithemba Mthethwa, serves as a minister at the Umlazi Oasis Fellowship Centre. After high school, Khaya expressed a desire to pursue a career in music, though his parents were hesitant about this path. Instead, he studied project management at Varsity College. Despite this, he stayed active in his church community, taking on the role of music director for the church choir, where he continued to nurture his love for music..
Music Career
Khaya Mthethwa discovered his passion for singing during high school. His early career began as a backing vocalist, singing tenor on the "Mercy" album by Mthunzi Namba, co-founder of "Joyous Celebration." Just two days before the live recording of "Joyous Celebration 15" in 2010, he was invited to join the group. In 2012, he appeared as a backing vocalist on Ntokozo Mbambo's "Filled" album. That same year, he decided to broaden his musical skills by auditioning for "Idols South Africa." His talent shone through, and he won the competition with over 80% of the public vote.
In 2013, Khaya competed on "The Clash of the Choirs" as part of the KwaZulu-Natal choir, which went on to win the show. Known for his versatility, he performs across multiple genres, including gospel, pop, jazz, and R&B. As a self-taught musician, he plays the keyboard, guitar, drums, and percussion. His songwriting skills are evident in his debut album, "For You," where he wrote most of the tracks.
Khaya also took on the role of host for the gospel TV show "Gospel Alive," which premiered on November 3, 2013, on Mzansi Magic, working alongside content producer Tebogo Rameetse. He was ordained as a pastor in 2015. His discography includes a live DVD recording, "The Uprising," released in 2014, followed by "The Dawn" in 2016, and "Mkhulumsebenzi" in 2018.
Television
In late 2013, Khaya Mthethwa began hosting the religious music talk show "Gospel Alive" on Mzansi Magic. He expanded his television career in 2017 by hosting the BET gospel show "Rhythm and Gospel" on May 21, and later debuted as the host of SABC1's Sunday morning gospel show "Gospel Avenue" on June 25.
Television Appearances
Clash of the Choirs South Africa – Season 1: Choirmaster for KwaZulu-Natal
Code Green – Season 1: Appeared as himself
Cooking Gospel – Season 1: Appeared as himself
Gospel Alive – Season 1: Host
I Love South Africa – Season 1: Contestant
Idols – Season 8: Winner
Minnie Dlamini: Becoming Mrs. Jones – Season 1: Musician
The Remix SA – Season 1: Guest judge
Zaziwa – Season 4: Appeared as himself
Awards and Nominations
Best Gospel DVD, 2016
Best Newcomer Award, 2016
Live Audio Visual Recording Album, 2017
Best Contemporary Faith Music Album, 2017
Albums
- For You (Universal Music Group, 2012)
- The Uprising (Universal Music Group, 2014)
- The Dawn 2016
- All About Jesus 2018
Personal Life
On December 2, 2017, in Mpumalanga, Khaya Mthethwa celebrated his traditional wedding to Miss South Africa 2016, Ntandoyenkosi Kunene. Although they had only dated for three months, Khaya felt a strong connection and believed she was the one for him. He initially wasn't planning to get married, but Ntando changed his mind, and he couldn't envision his life without her. Khaya describes her as an incredible person with a strong character, coming from a wonderful family. He stated, "Everything about her culminates into this beautiful person that I want to spend the rest of my life with."
As a husband, Khaya believes his top priority is to protect his wife, and he expressed a desire for them to have an amazing marriage. The couple enjoys working out together and supports Orlando Pirates, describing their relationship as "very serene." "We cherry-pick each other every day," he added.
However, Khaya's love life has had its ups and downs. In 2015, he was linked romantically to actress Nomzamo Mbatha and later to fellow *Isibaya* actress Jessica Nkosi. Reports often suggested he was the reason for the tension between the two, but he preferred to avoid getting involved in such matters.
On December 24, 2019, Khaya and Ntandoyenkosi announced their divorce on social media. The reasons for their split remain private, but Khaya mentioned in one of his church sermons that the two years of their marriage were challenging and filled with difficulties.
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