A Johannesburg High Court judgment has unveiled intimate details about the beginning and end of the relationship between actress Mbalenhle Mlotshwa and music star Black Coffee (Nkosinathi Maphumulo), as the former couple engaged in a legal battle over their estate.
According to Judge Mongezi Ntanga’s ruling, the relationship began after Black Coffee persistently asked Mlotshwa out via Facebook. Their first date in 2011 was unconventional; he picked her up but revealed he had two gigs to play first. After the events, they ended up at his house, talked until sunrise, and Mlotshwa stayed the night. The judge noted that from that day, “they became inseparable.”
The relationship progressed, and Mlotshwa testified that when she became pregnant, Black Coffee comforted her and assured her “there was a plan for their future.” This led to a lobola (bride wealth) negotiation, where Mlotshwa had to plead with her uncles, who were upset about the “shotgun marriage.” She convinced them by stating Black Coffee was a millionaire, and he ultimately paid R70,000.
The marriage later broke down. Mlotshwa testified that her acting career suffered because Black Coffee was uncomfortable with her filming kissing scenes with male co-stars. She stated that to maintain peace at home, she took on a domestic role, caring for the house and massaging his injured hand.
The final rupture occurred when Mlotshwa discovered Black Coffee had fathered two children with other women during their relationship. She subsequently “dumped Black Coffee like a volcano spitting lava,” filed for divorce, and sought maintenance and a division of their estate, claiming they were married in community of property due to the lobola payment—a claim Black Coffee disputed. The court’s ruling on the divorce settlement was the subject of this judgment.