Thenjiwe

Thenjiwe Moseley born Thenjiwe Maphumulo on 29 September 1977 is a South African comedian, actress, master of ceremonies and entrepreneur originating from KwaMashu, Durban. Professionally, she is simply known as Thenjiwe. She created and acted in Judge Thenjiwe Khambule and Meet the Khambules which aired on Moja Love. She is a goodwill ambassador for Southern Africa Embrace Foundation, Toronto and Great Impact, Durban. She is also a YouTube content creator and influencer, having been made famous by the sketches she posts on social media.

Early life and education Thenjiwe was born on 29 September 1977 in the apartheid era to teenage parents, Thenene Sipho Langa and Nonhlanhla Viera Maphumulo. She was raised in Kwamashu, G Section, KwaZulu-Natal by her grandparents Joshua Bhekokwakhe Maphumulo, a political activist, and Agnes Ntombizodwa Maphumulo, a maid and seamstress.

Because of the political unrest in the country and her grandfather's involvement in the struggle, Thenjiwe frequently changed from one school to another. She completed her secondary education at Northmead Secondary School and later joined Natal Technical College (Natal Teknikon) which is now Durban University of Technology where she graduated in Performing Arts in 1998. After graduation, she waited for casting opportunities in vain because she could not afford an agent or go to live in Johannesburg and so, in 2001, she left for the US, where she lived for two years, working as an au pair, while studying Business Management at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania. She later relocated to the United Kingdom, living there for 12 years, and was noticed by a talent scout. She later resigned from her job in November 2015 to concentrate on her comedy career. She got gigs in a few clubs. Her first performance was at Wokingham Theatre. This opened doors for more opportunities to perform in South Africa. But the five-minute slots she was being offered could not financially justify frequently flying from the United Kingdom.

Between 2015 and 2016, she appeared as a guest comedian in the Season 1 of Bantu Hour on SABC 2.

In March 2018, she performed at the Magners International Comedy Festival in Thailand, Vietnam and The Philippines. In August, she headlined a show in Eswatini dubbed Laugh Goes On and in December, she performed at the 4th Annual Durban Comedy Festival in South Africa.

In May 2019, Thenjiwe, Mark Banks, Alfred Adriaan and Eugene Khozawas were part of the South African All Star Tour in Sydney and Perth, Australia. Later in the same month she headlined at the Combo Comedy Show Fest at the Carnival City. In June, she performed at the Eswatini Must Laugh comedy show in Eswatini. In August, she performed at the Kings and Queens of Comedy: Women's Day Edition.

2021 - present In April 2023, Thenjiwe won the King Gong Comedy at The Comedy Store (London) and in May, she won The Black Out at Up the Creek (comedy club). In August 2023, she debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her comedy special The Mandela Effect.

In March 2024, she was listed by YouTube as one of the mentors for the #WomenofYouTube 2024 programme, which aims to support women creators across North America and sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative was covered by several media outlets, including Social Media Today and Thred , highlighting YouTube’s efforts to promote female representation on its platform.

Thenjiwe represented South Africa at the World Comedy Clash, held at Hackney Empire in London in May 2025, where she joined an international line‑up of comedians from 11 countries.

Thenjiwe returned to her hometown of Durban in July 2025 for a one-night show titled Thenjiwe Unplugged at the Playhouse Theatre, marking a “homecoming” performance and reaffirming her connection with South African audiences.

She subsequently took the Thenjiwe Unplugged tour to Eswatini, where she performed at the Eswatini Theatre Club in Mbabane in October 2025, an event described as a “heartfelt reunion” that promised to “leave audiences in stitches”. The show featured collaborations with regional stand-up artists such as Sandile M, Thando and Mdura, and was praised for blending humour with social commentary, drawing on Thenjiwe’s experience of living abroad, her South African upbringing, and themes of family dynamics, language barriers and culture. Returning after her internationally acclaimed Mandela Effect tour and a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run, she delivered sharp, relatable storytelling while reflecting on shared experiences, including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The international leg of her tour continued in London on 1 November and Dublin on 2 November 2025, before concluding at the Zed Laugh Festival in Lusaka, Zambia, on 28 November. The festival, organised by Night of Laughter, was scheduled to take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre and featured a lineup of prominent African comedians.

Comedy Specials

2015 - Laughter is the Best Medicine 2016 - Born again African 2017 - Hurricane Thenjiwe 2019 - Thenjiwe Live in London 2023 - The Mandela Effect and The Accidental Spy in December.

In 2018, she acted as Thenjiwe “Mthandazi” Mvelase, an out-of-work prophetess in Imbewu.

Hostess Thenjiwe has been an Mc at the African Union in Belgium and the Department of Trade and Industry in Pretoria. In 2016, she was a commentator in the countdown show 10 over 10 on Vuzu. 2014 Liputsa Lami Thenjiwe

2014 Family Puzzle Thenjiwe

2017 10 Days in Sun City Thenjiwe

2016 The Road Doris Mzansi Magic Season 1

2016 10 Over 10 Commentator - Herself Vuzu, Mzansi Magic Season 4

2017 Harvest Zodwa E.tv Her first appearance was in Season 1, Episode 2

2017 Karektas Celebrity Guest SABC2 Season 1 Episode 4

2018 Meet the Khambules Mrs. Khambule Moja Love Season 1

2018-2019 Imbewu: The Seed Mthandazi E.tv Seasons 1 & 2

2018-2019 Judge Thenjiwe Khambule Judge Khambule Moja Love Seasons 1, 2 & 3

Awards