Biography
Lunga Shabalala (born May 22, 1989) is a South African actor, model, and television presenter. He is best known for presenting the SABC 1 entertainment and variety show, Selimathunzi.
The actor landed his first acting role on the soap opera The River. He starred as Lindani and made his debut in season one.
Shabalala started to model for the international brand Calvin Klein. He later became a producer and presenter on one of the biggest TV shows in South Africa.
Early life
| Lunga Shabalala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Full Name: | Lunga Shabalala |
| Born: | May 22, 1989 (age 34 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | Maritzburg College |
| Partner: | Thando Thabethe (ex.) K Naomi Noinyane (ex.) |
| Occupation: | Actor, TV presenter, TV personality, model |
| Years active: | 2011-date |
| Net Worth: | R2 million |
Lunga Shabalala was born on May 22, 1989, in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His parents raised him with two other young siblings.
At twenty-one, he relocated to Johannesburg in search of greener pastures.
Education
Shabalala studied at Maritzburg College and was a talented rugby player in High school. He was classmates with the actor Zenzelisphesihle Xulu and singer Mario Ogle.
After completing high school, he enrolled for a diploma in Town planning.
Career
Modeling
When he came to Johannesburg, he landed a role as a model in a Coca-Cola TV advert. Lunga represented South Africa in a Calvin Klein modeling competition and won.
Many noticed his display of talent and unmatched performance. He became the face of the Calvin Klein men’s underwear range. Lunga was among the most desirable men in 2011 Cosmo’s Sexiest Hunks Calendar.
Television
Presenting
Shabalala participated in the nationwide search for the next presenter of Selimathunzi in 2011. The hunt came with competitions to find a replacement for Kaos Matu, who had left the show.
After winning the competition, Lunga became the next presenter of Selimathunzi. He made it in the entertainment countdown show 10 over 10 in 2013. He co-presented the SABC 1 official New Year’s Eve show Come Duze.
Another show he co-presented was Man Cave in 2014. His colleague on the SABC 3 reality TV show was Janez Vermeiren. On the show, male contestants competed in adventurous tasks. He stayed for all six seasons of the show until 2017.
Lunga made it to the South African version of Celebrity Masterchef South Africa in February 2015. He was a co-host on the red carpet at the 2016 South African Music Awards at the Durban International Convention Centre. Other hosts were Bonang Matheba and Pearl Modiadie.
Shabalala made his last broadcast as a co-presenter on Selimathunzi on November 28, 2017.
Acting
Lunga made his acting debut in the SABC1 police drama series Task Force as Zuko in 2014. He starred in the SABC3 reality series The Man Cave with Janez Vermeiren.
The actor also appeared in television productions like The River, Legacy, and uBettina Wethu.
Personal Life
Lunga Shabalala is single but has dated celebrated personalities in the past. He was in a relationship with actress Thando Thabethe. Their affair ended in the Covid-19 lockdown.
After their break up, Thando got a protection order against her him, as she feared for her safety. She obtained it at the Randburg Magistrates Court.
Before Thando Thabethe, Lunga had dated model K Naomi Noinyane. Their relationship ended after she caught him cheating with Omuhle Gela.
Social Profile
Lunga Shabalala is on Instagram and Twitter. He is a gym enthusiast and posts most of his workout sessions. He doesn’t hold back when revealing the training that gives him that body shape.
Want to know him before he became famous, and his account reveals a lot. He posts throwback pictures of him. Although he posts promotional content, Lunga tries to give his followers the content they love.
Net Worth
Most of his earning comes from modeling, acting, and presenting television shows. The actor has also made plans to invest in properties.
In July 2016, The Citizen reported that Lunga is fast becoming a mogul in his own right. He met up with well-known celebrity real estate company owner Thato Mbha to discuss how best to put his first property on the rental market. Lunga Shabalala has a Net Worth of R2 million.
Filmography
- 10 Over 10 as Commentator
- Celebrity Master Chef South Africa as Contestant
- Code Green as Himself
- Come Duze as Host
- Eish! Saan as Celebrity Prankster
- Legacy as Sims
- Screen Time with Nicky Greenwall as Himself
- Selimathunzi as Host
- She’s The One as Host
- Task Force as Zuko
- The Man Cave as Presenter
- The River as Lindani
- The South African Music Awards as Red Carpet Host
- uBettina Wethu as Dingaan Jiyane
