Thando Thabethe was born 18 June 1990 in Johannesburg, Gauteng. She attended Mondeor High School. In 2018, she was invited by the school she graduated from to give a speech to the grade 12 pupils ahead of their final matric exams.
is a South African actress, and Radio DJ who was the presenter for the television show Thando Bares All on channel TLC and current drive time host on 947. She is Nivea’s first brand ambassador in Africa. In 2019, Thando was named one of Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30. She is also the host of 947 Drive With Thando.
After completing her secondary school education, Thando proceeded to study at the University of Johannesburg, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom.) Accounting degree in 2011. Thabethe lived with her mother alone for most of her teenage years as her father had passed away when she was 13 years old.
Thabethe took part in theatre productions during her teenage years before getting her first TV role when she was 14 years old. She also took part in theatre productions at UJ Arts Centre whilst in the university and worked at UJFM, a community radio station based at the University of Johannesburg, starting as news reader and later as a radio DJ.
Thando’s father died when she was in grade 8 at the age of 13. She also lost her brother Sibu Thabethe, who was shot dead in an armed robbery in 2015.
Thando Thabethe’s touching tribute to her mother will leave you teary-eyed as she talks about the sacrifices her mother made in order for her to make her dreams come true.
“My mother took an early retirement so that she could use money to get me through varsity, I then decided that actually I wasn’t going to be an accountant. Instead I was gonna be on TV and radio,” she says.
Her mother was so supportive of her career that on the coldest nights she would sit and wait for her in the parking lot as she did her graveyard shifts.
“I have never quite grasped how forward thinking and mentally liberated she must have been to not only be ok with my “wild” dreams but to actually get behind them and be my biggest supporter,” she added.
Thabethe started her radio career in 2008 at UJFM before moving to popular youth radio station YFM in 2011 whilst she was in her final year of studies. At the same time she played the lead role of Thando Nkosi in the sitcom My Perfect Family, which went on to air for 3 seasons. She later joined 5FM in 2013 on The Roger Goode Show. Other prominent work include, Club 808, Intersexions, Ngempela, Kowethu, 1s and 2s, and Single Guys.
She played the role of Nolwazi Buzo on Generations:The Legacy, a South African soap opera, from 2014 to 2017. In 2014, Thabethe was appointed as a Nivea brand ambassador, making her the first African brand ambassador is for the German body-care brand. After joining 5FM, in 2016 she hosted her own show on weekdays, The Thando Thabooty Show, then The Thabooty Drive in 2017. In 2016 she starred in her first ever feature film Mrs Right Guy alongside Dineo Moeketsi, Thapelo Mokoena and Lehasa Moloi.
In 2016, she hosted the South African Music Awards, alongside Somizi Mhlongo and in 2017 she hosted the South African Film and Television Awards.
Following the exit of DJ Fresh from 947, Thabete took over the drive time slot at 3pm on March 23, 2021.
In May 12, 2022 she was announced as the judge of Miss South Africa 2022.
