Before their son was born, Lisolethu Nzungu and Athini Thene had been warned that he would probably be larger than average.
Even so, the couple were stunned when their newborn son tipped the scales at an extraordinary 6.37kg after his delivery at Life Beacon Bay Hospital in Gonubie, Eastern Cape.
“We didn’t expect him to be this big. We thought he might weigh about 5kg,” Lisolethu says.
Baby Izimakhe was born on 30 September 2026 and is reportedly the heaviest newborn ever delivered at the hospital. His arrival amazed staff and left his parents adjusting to the reality of having a very big — and healthy — baby boy.
Lisolethu, 35, works as a packaging operator at Nestlé. She said her pregnancy was without complications, despite the expectations that her baby might be bigger than average.
A quick arrival
On the evening of Izimakhe’s birth, Lisolethu was taken to the labour ward at about 8pm. Less than an hour later, her son had arrived by Caesarean section.
The speed of the delivery surprised Athini, also 35, who had expected the birth to take much longer.
“It was so fast, I was very surprised,” Athini recalls. “I thought it would take hours, but no. It was very fast!”
The couple said the moment their son arrived was filled with surprise and emotion. Although they had been told to expect a large baby, the newborn’s actual weight went well beyond what they had predicted.
For Athini, holding his son for the first time was a moment he said he would never forget.
“I was so excited when they handed him to me. It was an incredible feeling.”
Hospital staff were also amazed by Izimakhe’s size. His parents said they were told the hospital had never before had a healthy newborn weighing more than 6kg.
A special name with a special meaning
The couple, who come from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, have been together for five years. Izimakhe is their first child together.
Lisolethu also has a 13-year-old son, Lunje, who weighed about 3.4kg at birth. That means Izimakhe arrived weighing almost twice as much as his older brother did as a newborn.
The baby’s name carries deep meaning for his parents. Izimakhe means “God will build him”, a name they had liked for a long time.
Lisolethu and Athini had written the name down years ago and had already decided that they wanted to use it for their child one day. When their son was born, they finally had the opportunity to give him the name they had carefully kept in mind.
Who does Izimakhe resemble?
There is already a friendly family debate over which parent the baby resembles most.
Lisolethu believes Athini is beginning to win that argument because Izimakhe appears to have inherited his father’s facial features.
“But Athini is winning so far,” Lisolethu concedes. “He has all his facial features – even a birthmark in exactly the same spot.”
The matching birthmark has made the resemblance even more noticeable. While the couple may disagree about who their son looks like, they are united in their happiness at his safe arrival.
Clothes that did not fit
The baby’s remarkable size created an immediate practical problem for the new parents. The newborn outfits they had bought before his arrival simply did not fit him.
They had prepared for a newborn, but Izimakhe needed clothing designed for much older babies. Fortunately, a nurse at the hospital gave the family a garment intended for babies between six and 18 months old.
The unexpected clothing challenge became another reminder of just how unusually large their son was compared with the average newborn.
Despite the surprise, the most important news for the family is that Izimakhe is healthy. His parents are now enjoying their new addition and getting used to life with their first child together.
“Nothing is really different,” Lisolethu says. “Just our sleep schedule – yikes! That part isn’t the nicest.”
Like many new parents, Lisolethu and Athini are discovering that the joy of welcoming a baby comes with sleepless nights and a completely different daily routine. Izimakhe’s size may have made his arrival unusual, but the changes at home are familiar to families welcoming a newborn.
For now, the couple are focused on caring for their healthy son and enjoying the early days of parenthood. Izimakhe has already made an unforgettable impression at Life Beacon Bay Hospital, where his reported 6.37kg birth weight set him apart.
And with his strong start in life, his parents are already imagining what the future might hold.
Who knows — perhaps one day this big little boy will grow up to play lock for the Springboks.