Andile Gaelesiwe has been in the music scene since her early twenties.
Andile Gaelesiwe (born 13 September 1973) is a South African Internet personality, singer, songwriter, and television presenter. She is best known for hosting the SABC1 docu-reality series Khumbul’ekhaya.
The Kwaito singer rose to stardom with her hit song Abuti Yo in 1995. She was on MTV Base’s sexual health talk show, Uncensored. She has a non-profit organization, the Open Disclosure Foundation.
Through her organization, she has assisted young sexual abuse survivors and gets young addicts into rehab.
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| Background Information | |
| Full name: | Andile Gaelesiwe |
| Born: | 13 September 1973 (age 50 years old) |
| Place of birth: | Soweto |
| Parents: | Philemon Mofokeng (biological father) Dibetlela Gaelesiwe (step father) |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Training: | Radio host |
| Trainer: | YFM |
| Occupation: | Internet personality, singer, songwriter, television presenter |
| Spouse: | Udo Carelse (ex.) |
| Partner: | Lesley Musina (ex.) |
| Known for: | Khumbul’ekhaya |
Early Life
Andile Gaelesiwe was born on 13 September 1973 in Soweto to Philemon Mofokeng, her biological father. She is the eldest of three children. She also had a stepfather, Dibetlela Gaelesiwe, who she lost to cancer on 22 January 2020.
The internet personality revealed her father raped her at the age of eleven. She has not communicated with him for a long time. She says her stepfather was God’s apology and comfort to her after her biological father proved to be a monster.
Education
Andile Gaelesiwe completed her life coach course by renowned American speaker Louis Hay. She underwent training to be a radio host after joining a Youth radio station, YFM, in 2004.
Career
Music
Gaelesiwe has been doing music for many years. She has dropped albums in South Africa and a single with BMG Records. She planned to go back to music after an eight-year break in 2017.
Radio and TV
However, she chose radio as her medium and trained at Yfm radio station in Johannesburg. She made contacts in the county in the areas of HIV/Aids, entrepreneurship, sexual violence, and education.
The veteran singer has hosted the SABC 1 reality show Khumbul’ekhaya for twelve seasons. The show has a viewership of over two million. She hosted the Mzansi Magic reality show Before I Do in 2019.
Andile was on YFM and Uncensored, a sexual health talk show on MTV Base.
Philanthropy
Andile is a voice for victims of sexual assault and supports victims of rape through her organization. She launched the Open Disclosure Foundation, a non-profit organization. It helps young sexual abuse survivors and gets young addicts into rehab.
The muso-cum-presenter is also a part of the Sakhisizwe program.
Personal Life
Love life
Andile Gaelesiwe and her husband, Udo Carelse, a sports presenter, divorced a few years after their wedding.
She also dated former Muvhango actor Lesley Musina. She revealed to #WTFTUMI that she has split with him and has already moved on. Andile Gaelesiwe is not albino.
Children
The muso-cum-presenter has no children but was caught up in pregnancy rumors in 2015. She says that her abuse as a child influenced her decision to have no children.
“I struggled with the idea of having kids of my own. I feared they too would experience what I did,” she told True Love.
Weight Loss
Andile decided that she wanted to look and feel sexy in December 2015. The thought of going to the beach and rock bikini confidently without covering up drove her to start her weight loss journey.
The presenter has been busy working on her body. However, for her, it wasn’t about losing weight but being healthier and comfortable.
TV Shows
- I Am as Herself
- Khumbul’ekhaya (Season 1-12) as Presenter
- My Perfect Family as Herself
- Ses’Top La as Khumbulekhaya Agent
- The South African Music Awards as Presenter