Actress and businesswoman Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa has emerged victorious and significantly wealthier after the Johannesburg High Court ruled that her customary marriage to global music star Nkosinathi “Black Coffee” Maphumulo was valid, declaring their later civil marriage and antenuptial contract null and void.
The ruling did not just settle years of legal wrangling; it also means Mlotshwa is now legally entitled to half of the couple’s multimillion-rand estate, accumulated over a decade of their marriage.
The judgment, delivered last week, confirmed that the pair entered into a valid Zulu customary marriage in May 2011, long before their 2017 civil ceremony.
Worth the half
That ruling automatically places their union in community of property, giving Mlotshwa a 50% stake in all assets accumulated during the marriage, including luxury homes, cars, and international investments.
“The marriage enjoys full legal recognition and is in community of property in accordance with section 7(2) of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act,” the judgment reads.
The court found that lobolo was fully paid, gifts exchanged, and both families involved—the hallmarks of a legitimate customary union.
Mlotshwa’s biggest legal win came when the court invalidated the antenuptial contract (ANC) that Maphumulo claimed excluded community of property.
Signed in December 2016, five years after their lobolo ceremony, the ANC was found to have “no legal effect”.
“An antenuptial contract executed subsequent to a valid customary marriage cannot have any legal force unless the high court authorises such a change,” the court stated.
This means the couple’s civil marriage, registered in January 2017, was also declared invalid.
Court order
The court ordered Black Coffee to make significant financial contributions to Mlotshwa and their two children, including:
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R25,000 per child per month in maintenance,
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Payment of all educational, medical, and extra-mural costs, and
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Spousal maintenance of R67,167 per month to Mlotshwa ‘until her death or remarriage’.
With these amounts, Black Coffee will pay nearly R1.1 million annually in maintenance alone, excluding his children’s school and medical costs.
“The defendant has a legal and moral obligation to maintain not only his children but also his former spouse, who contributed to the welfare and stability of the household during the subsistence of the marriage,” the judge said.
Because the court declared the marriage to be in community of property, a Receiver and Liquidator will now be appointed to identify, value, and divide the couple’s joint estate.
This includes all movable and immovable property both locally and abroad acquired during their 14-year relationship.
Among these are several luxury homes, vehicles, and global music royalties tied to Black Coffee’s sprawling international career.
Adding to the financial blow, the court ordered Black Coffee to pay Mlotshwa’s legal costs, including her Rule 43 interim application and half the cost of her heads of argument.
“The plaintiff has endured a protracted and emotionally taxing litigation process,” the court said. “In the interests of justice and equity, the defendant shall bear the costs occasioned by these proceedings.”