Lerato Kganyago opens up about phantom pregnancy, industry betrayal in emotional livestream

· Citizen

South African broadcaster, DJ, and businesswoman Lerato Kganyago, popularly known as LKG or the Queen of Soweto after winning Miss Soweto in 2002, has never been one to shy away from sharing the hardest parts of her life with her supporters.

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And, her most recent TikTok Live was in line with the raw, emotionally charged revelations she has made over the years. The session lasted over an hour, and in it, Kganyago peeled back the glamour to reveal the silent weight she has been carrying: a phantom pregnancy, a marriage under siege, and a circle of friends who went quiet when it mattered most.

A marriage under fire

Kganyago has been married to Mpumalanga-born businessman Thami Ndlala since 2020. Their union has drawn public scrutiny almost from the start. Ndlala, known for acquiring Ndlala Mall (formerly Sterland Mall in Pretoria) and a portfolio of hospitality ventures, has faced persistent allegations of fraud and government tender irregularities, including references to a hotel mentioned in the Madlanga Commission.

The Metro FM presenter and co-host of the 2026 Metro FM Music Awards used the livestream as a platform to confront these allegations head-on. “I think life is even more tough for us, because people just hate us. From day number one that we got married,” she said.

She painted her husband as a self-made man who has been deliberately misrepresented by an industry that has also benefited from his generosity.”My husband does not even like tenders, does not even like the government. He will start from the top with the one dream that he has and hope for the miracle. That’s how Ndlala Mall came about.”

Her frustration was palpable when she described celebrities who had accepted financial help from Ndlala, only to stay silent when allegations began circulating. “My man has helped some of your big celebrities financially… but none of them will ever protect him.”

The phantom pregnancy revelation

Perhaps the most devastating moment of the livestream came when Kganyago disclosed she had recently experienced a phantom pregnancy. Medically known as pseudocyesis, this is a rare condition in which the body manifests real pregnancy symptoms despite the absence of a fetus.

It is devastating because this was not an isolated heartbreak. She has spoken publicly about at least five miscarriages over the years, including a loss in 2021 at over twelve weeks, and another in early 2024, just before Valentine’s Day, after a positive scan at five weeks.

“The past couple of months have been really tough on my family. Being accused of things you know nothing about, have people look at you differently. All of that mess, the phantom pregnancy… What am I doing wrong?” she asked.

Industry isolation and unanswered loyalty

Beyond the fertility struggles, Kganyago spoke about a broader sense of abandonment by an industry she has served for more than two decades.

“It’s just the two of us. We thought we were being fought from left to right at the same time,” she said of herself and Ndlala.

She recalled building her career with genuine enthusiasm, only to encounter hostility once she reached certain platforms.

“People were like, oh this girl must go to a bigger broadcaster. And I really thought they meant it. Until I joined SABC 1, and I got to see how malicious people are.”

The livestream also touched on the couple’s recent brush with controversy involving hotel guests, strangers she says were unknown to both her and her husband, which spiralled into accusations of corrupt enrichment.

“Strangers come to your hotel that myself and him are not even aware of… and now we are cursed by people.”

“Nobody came and said, but guys, these people could have just been in a hotel like any other hotel.”

Mzansi reacts

Many viewers expressed genuine empathy for Kganyago’s vulnerability, particularly around her fertility journey, with comments such as: “The fact that she has shared this, she is really going through it, I hope she finds healing man.”

Others were more critical, questioning whether airing personal and legal controversies on a public platform served her or her husband’s interests.

Several commenters, even sympathetic ones, urged her to end the live, anticipating that her words would be taken out of context.

“You are not a village girl,” one viewer noted in the comments. “Whatever you say, we will talk about it.”

Kganyago acknowledged as much herself but pressed on regardless. “I’m not saying anything wrong,” she responded to those urging her to stop.

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