Khaya Mthethwa: From Idols heartthrob to husband — and determined father once more
Khaya Mthethwa has always played to the heartstrings. First catapulted into the national spotlight when he won Idols SA in 2012 — becoming the show’s first black male winner — the youthful pastor-turned-gospel star has quietly rebuilt his private life away from the glare of showbiz. Now he has taken a new, public step: he is married again.
The singer, who first stole the nation’s attention with his warm tenor and wholesome image, announced his marriage to Sine Ndlovu this week with a simple, intimate social-media post. In a photograph the newlyweds appear in traditional dress, beaming at one another. Khaya captioned the image: “Sthandwa Sami.”
It’s a short message but one that says a lot about the new chapter he’s beginning. For many fans who watched the young pastor win Idols — and then watched his career pivot into gospel music and ministry — the news will come as a warm surprise: Khaya has found love again.
A private life, public moments
Khaya’s personal story has not always been easy. He married Ntando Kunene in 2017, not long after his rise to fame, and the couple welcomed a son, Oyinkosi. But amid the pressures of public life, the marriage did not endure. As the couple approached their second wedding anniversary they announced their separation and, later, their divorce.
Over the years Khaya has kept most of the details of his private life close to his chest. When he speaks about his son, however, his devotion is evident. In a 2021 interview with Drum he reflected candidly on fatherhood and the responsibility it brings: “My life completely changed when he came into our lives. He’s the reason why I get up in the morning, and I need to portray an exemplary life to him. At the age of two, he does everything that I do and that will continue until he is a teenager. He is emulating everything. If I am not practising what I preach, I am going to turn him into a monster, and I don’t want him in that situation.”
That passage reveals the private engine behind Khaya’s public work: a desire to be a model — not only a minister to crowds, but a father to his child. In those lines you can hear the DNA of his later decisions: prioritising stability, faith and family over the often chaotic life of celebrity.
A journey from youth pastor to gospel star
Khaya’s rise was swift. A church-raised youth pastor with a natural stage presence, he entered and won Idols SA at a moment when the nation was hungry for wholesome role models. The victory opened doors — recording contracts, television appearances and a platform from which he could amplify gospel and faith-centred music.
Over the past decade he has balanced a modest public profile with steady work in music and ministry. His sound has remained anchored in gospel, and his public image — that of a measured, prayerful man — helped sustain him through the turbulence of his personal life.
Why this marriage matters
For many South Africans, Khaya’s nuptials with Sine will be a welcome story. The public is often quick to seize on celebrity relationships as drama fodder, but Khaya has repeatedly insisted that his faith and his role as a father come first. The new marriage signals, to supporters at least, a promise of stability and renewed commitment.
There are other reasons the union resonates. Khaya’s earlier role as the first black male Idols winner carried symbolic meaning for representation in the entertainment industry; his subsequent choices — to stay firmly within gospel music, to openly speak about faith and fatherhood — positioned him as a figure who refused the usual celebrity pitfalls. His wedding to Sine, therefore, is not only a personal milestone but a continuation of a public narrative many admire: that of a young man who has weathered success and heartache and come through seeking a quieter, steadier life.
What lies ahead
Details about the wedding itself remain private beyond the social-media announcement. Fans will no doubt wait for more glimpses — and for Khaya’s own words about what this marriage means for him and his son. For now, his short caption says what many friends and well-wishers will hope for: that he has found a partner and that he will keep striving to be the father Oyinkosi deserves.
Khaya’s 2021 reflection on fatherhood underlines that his priorities have long been clear. “He’s the reason why I get up in the morning,” he said. Those are not the words of a man who will let celebrity life dictate his choices. Instead they read like a vow — to his child, to his faith, and now, to his new wife.
In a country that loves a redemption story, Khaya Mthethwa’s latest chapter will be watched with warmth. For a singer who once won the nation with his voice and his gentle faith, this marriage looks set to be another steady note in a life lived more quietly than many of his peers — but perhaps all the more richly for it.
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