Who is Lebohang Morake?
Lebohang Morake “Lebo M” is a South African music producer, composer and singer. He is popularly known for performing the opening chant of The Lion King’s soundtrack “Circle of Life”. Lebohang also composed songs for films like “The Woman King”, “The Power of One” and “Outbreak”.
Lebo M’s full name is Lebohang Morake. He was born to his parents on July 11, 1964, in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. As of March 2025, Lebohang Morake is 60 years old.
About Lebo M’s parents
Lebo M’s parents are Boikie Pieter Morake (father) and Magogo Nomvula Grissel (mother). Lebohang’s mother was born on March 28, 1924. In 2024, the award-winning music composer celebrated his mom on her 100th birthday. Sadly, she passed away in February 2025.
Lebohang Morake’s father, Boikie Pieter Morake, also passed away in 2017, after battling an unknown illness. At the time of his death, he was 87 years old.
About Lebo M’s siblings
Information about Lebo M’s siblings is currently scarce in the media. However, the music producer often shares pictures of his family, including his brothers, on his social media pages.
About Lebo M’s marriages and wives
As of the time of publishing this article (March 2025), Lebohang Morake “Lebo M” is unmarried and has no wife. While The Lion King music composer is currently unmarried, he has been previously married four times.
Lebo M was first married to his wife, Viveca Gipson, with whom he shares two kids. Following their split, he got married for the second time to actress Nandi Ndlovu. However, Lebo M and Nandi Ndlovu finalized their divorce in 2007, after about 11 years of marriage. The music producer then married for the third time to Angela Ngani-Casara, and they were together for 5 years (2008-2013).
After Lebo M tried marriage three times, he began a relationship with actress Zoe Mthiyane. They got engaged but called it off in 2016. Lebo M remarried his third wife, Angela Ngani, but they split again in 2017. In 2019, the music composer revealed that he was engaged to Malefu “Mel” Ntsala. Unfortunately, they ended their relationship in 2020. Lebohang Morake’s most recent marriage was with his ex-wife, Pretty Samuels. The couple began dating in 2021, but sadly, Lebo M announced the end of their relationship in August 2023.
Full list of Lebo M’s wives and girlfriends
Here’s the full list of all the women Lebohang Morake has been romantically involved with. The list includes his four ex-wives and ex-girlfriends.
- Lebo M and Viveca Gipson were married from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
- Lebohang Morake and Nandi Ndlovu were married for about 11 years (1993-2004). However, they hooked up again before finalizing their divorce in 2007.
- Lebo M and Angela Ngani-Casara reportedly tied the knot in 2008 and were married until 2013.
- Lebohang Morake and Zoe Mthiyane were engaged for less than a year.
- Lebo M remarried Angela Ngani in 2016, but their second marriage lasted for about 6 months.
- Lebohang Morake and Mel Ntsala were engaged for about a year (2019-2020). However, recent reports suggest the couple are back together.
- Lebo M and Pretty Samuels were married for over a year (2022-2023).
About Lebo M’s first wife – Viveca Gipson
Viveca Gipson is popularly known as Lebo M’s first wife. According to information gathered by DNB Stories Africa, they got married in the late 1980s and were together for 5 years. Lebohang Morake and Viveca Gipson share two children: Zakiya and Nthabiseng. However, personal information about Lebo M’s first wife, Viveca Gipson, is currently scarce in the media.
About Lebo M’s second wife – Nandi Ndlovu
Following the end of Lebo M’s marriage to Viveca Gipson, he married actress and singer Nandi Ndlovu in 1993. The former couple first met in 1990 during the shoot of the Broadway musical “Sarafina!” They had three children together: Refilwe, Tshepiso, and Thembalethu. Sadly, Thembalethu passed away at just 14 months in 2003.
Lebo M and Nandi Ndlovu’s relationship reportedly hit the rocks in 2004. However, they tried to rekindle their love until 2007, when their marriage ended because Ndlovu allegedly had an affair. Lebo M claimed that while he and Nandi were separated, she had an affair with the husband of their children’s dentist. He also alleged that she had a romantic relationship with one of his female employees. However, Nandi Ndlovu has since denied these allegations.
About Lebo M’s marriage to Angela Ngani
Lebo M and Angela Ngani-Casara were married twice, first in 2008 and again in 2016. During their on-and-off relationship, the couple had a daughter, Letti. Lebo M also adopted Angela’s children, Mthunzi and Ketso, from her previous relationship. In 2020, the “Circle of Life” singer and Angela rekindled their romance for the third time, but it ended the following year. Lebo later featured her in his reality TV show “Lebo M: Coming Home” in 2021.
Angela Ngani-Casara, formerly known as Angela Morake, is a South African entrepreneur. However, she is more famous for being one of Lebo M’s ex-wives.
About Lebo M and Zoe Mthiyane’s relationship
According to reports, Lebo M and Zoe Mthiyane first met in 2007 during The Lion King musical tour in South Africa. The former couple sparked dating rumors in 2014 when they attended an event in Melbourne, Australia. In 2015, Morake and Zoe Mthiyane announced that they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Lulonke, was born in July 2015.
Lebo M then proposed to Zoe during a family vacation in Cape Town in December 2015, with a custom-made diamond ring. However, their fairy-tale romance ended in 2016. The South African music composer announced their split, citing disagreements over a prenuptial agreement. Six years later (in 2022), Zoe Mthiyane revealed in an interview that co-parenting with Lebohang Morake “is impossible.”
In her words:
“Parenting with Lebo is impossible. We had to find ways to cope with that fact. However, I am lucky to have had intensive therapy, valuable advice, and support to lean on. I have been doing well since 2016, having escaped an incredibly toxic situation in which I was required to navigate a well-orchestrated smear campaign organised by somebody I loved and trusted. . . That situation helped me to better understand my own power.”
Meanwhile, Pretty Samuels, who was married to Lebo M at the time, came to his defense, accusing Zoe of being an absentee mother. In 2023, on Showmax’s “Unfollowed,” Mthiyane shared that she based her abusive character, Zitha Langa, on “Generations: The Legacy” on her ex-fiancé Lebo M.
Zoe Mthiyane is a South African actress and singer. She is popularly known for her contributions to the soundtrack of “The Legend of Tarzan.” Zoe is also famous for her role as Zitha in the TV show “Generations: The Legacy.” Before her relationship with Lebo M, Zoe Mthiyane was married to sports presenter Robert Marawa, with whom she shares a son.
About Lebo M and Pretty Samuels‘ marriage
Lebo M and Pretty Samuels were romantically linked in October 2021. At the time, Pretty held an integral role at The Lebo M Foundation. The couple tied the knot in February 2022. However, Lebo M and Pretty Samuels’ marriage was short-lived, as Lebo announced their split in August 2023.
According to the music composer, he served Pretty Samuels divorce papers because she had his electronic signature and refused to delete it. Lebo also shared that Pretty Samuels acted as his proxy to sign documents while he was on tour from April to June 2023. However, problems arose when she refused to sign an affidavit claiming that she had deleted the signature.
In a statement released in August 2023, Lebo said:
“I am consulting my lawyers to investigate and verify whether I have any fraudulent life policies in my name and/or any life covers taken to insure my life without my knowledge and consent, as this would be tantamount to fraud.”
Morake also alleged that he saw traditional medicine around Samuels’ closet. However, she has since denied these allegations describing them as a “smear campaign” and “fake news”.
Pretty Samuels is a South African entrepreneur. She is more famous in the media for being Lebo M’s most recent ex-wife. Pretty was married to Lebohang Morake from February 2022 until their split in August 2023.
About Lebo M’s kids
As of March 2025, Lebo M has a total of eight children (6 biological and 2 stepchildren) from his previous marriages and relationships. This number does not include his late son, Thembalethu.
Full list of Lebo M’s children
Here’s the full list of Lebo M’s children and everything to know about them:
- Zakiya Morake (daughter)
- Nthabiseng Morake (daughter)
- Refilwe Morake (daughter)
- Tshepiso Morake (son)
- Thembalethu Morake (late son)
- Mthunzi “Shogun” Ngani (stepson)
- Ketso Morake (stepdaughter)
- Letti Morake (daughter)
- Lulonke Morake (daughter)
1. Zakiya Morake
Zakiya Morake is the first child of Lebo M and his first wife, Viveca Gipson. According to reports, she was born in 1987 and is currently 38 years old.
2. Nthabiseng Morake
Nthabiseng Morake is Lebohang Morake and Viveca Gipson’s second child. She and her sister, Zakiya, are reportedly based in the US.
3. Refilwe Morake
Refilwe Morake is Lebo M’s third child, but his first with ex-wife Nandi Ndlovu. Just like her father, Refilwe is a singer and also a songwriter. She has performed alongside her superstar dad on stage.
4. Tshepiso Morake
Tshepiso Morake is Lebohang Morake’s fourth child and only biological son (as of the time of writing this article). His mother is Lebo M’s second wife, Nandi Ndlovu. Tshepiso married his baby mama, Ayanda, in 2021, and Lebo was reportedly not in support of their marriage.
5. Thembalethu Morake
Thembalethu Morake was Lebo M’s fifth child, but his third with Nandi Ndlovu. Sadly, he passed away in 2003 at 14 months. Thembalethu drowned in a pool at his parents’ home. An autopsy later revealed that he was sexually assaulted before his death.
6. Mthunzi “Shogun” Ngani
Mthunzi Ngani is Lebo M’s stepson. He was born to Angela Ngani-Casara from her previous relationship. Lebo reportedly adopted him while he and Angela were married. In 2022, Mthunzi’s estranged girlfriend accused him of being violent and breaking into her home. Reacting to the reports, Lebo blamed his ex-wife, Angela, for Mthunzi’s abusive behavior.
7. Ketso Morake
Ketso Morake is Lebo M’s stepdaughter. She was born to Lebo’s ex-wife, Angela Ngani-Casara, and her former lover.
8. Letti Morake
Letti Morake is Lebo M’s daughter with his ex-wife Angela Ngani. She was born in January 2011 and is currently 14 years old.
9. Lulonke Morake
Lulonke Morake is Lebo M’s daughter with his ex-fiancée Zoe Mthiyane. She was born in July 2015 and is currently 9 years old.
