Pearl Thusi Net Worth and How She Went From Teenage Mother to a Luxury House

Pearl Thusi is a South African actress, model, TV presenter, and businesswoman whose net worth is estimated at $2 million (R27million).

Celebrities from South Africa seem to be taking the lead when it comes to creating multiple income streams. One female celeb that perfectly fits this bill is the Durban beauty, Pearl Thusi. When she appears on the screen, she lights it up, the entertainer has hosted several shows alongside some A-list celebs and her days on the runway were quite eventful. As a businesswoman, Pearl has taken the hair product market by storm and we may still see more from her.

From all her endeavors, the South African is sure keeping her bank accounts fat. In recent times, her net worth became a hot topic among fans. The beauty with brains has tapped on every single opportunity she comes across and has not left any stone unturned as she continues to take a bumper harvest on her investments. However, life has not always been this smooth for the actress as she met a lot of stumbling blocks on her way up. For one, Pearl had to contend with teenage pregnancy and a whole lot of setbacks.

Pearl Thusi Teenage Pregnancy Did Not Kill Her Dogged Spirit To Make It In Life

Pearl Thusi
Pearl Thusi and Walter Mokoena: image source

Pearl Thusi just started her first year at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg when she found herself pregnant. It was reported that the then-teenager was dating popular sportscaster Walter Mokoena who works as an anchor at SABC, however, no one knows when they actually became an item. Reports also said that it was Mokoena who was responsible for her pregnancy. But getting pregnant at such a young age did not douse her ambition to attain great heights in life.

Obviously, her relationship with Mokoena was not a serious one as Pearl revealed that it was an on and off thing between them, making it impossible to decipher when they eventually called it off for good. According to the A-lister, their relationship was far from good as she had to let the tears flow while carrying her baby and eventually dropped out of school, choosing her baby over a degree. She, however, went back to complete her degree. Walter has since moved on with Nosizwe Vuso whom he later married and shares a child with. Pearl has the sole custody of their daughter Thandolwethu Mokoena and has been taking care of her ever since.

Pearl Dated Robert Marawa After Mokoena

Pearl Thusi
Pearl Thusi and Robert Marawa: image source

The actress seems to have a thing with male sportscasters as Walter was not the only one she dated from that line of profession. Another of Pearl Thusi’s more significant dalliances was with Robert Marawa yet another SA sportscaster and a heavyweight in the world of sports reporting. Marawa is best known for his work in Supersports. Pearl and Robert made their relationship Instagram official in 2016. Though they tried playing it coy at the beginning, the actress eventually went on Real Talk to confirmed the news. One thing that is noteworthy about their relationship is the wide age gap between them. Robert is way older than Pearl but that did not seem to stop them. The couple’s path crossed at a polo event when they became acquaintances and eventually, romance blossomed between them.

According to what we gathered from kept records, their relationship seemed to be really serious at least on Robert’s side. Pearl recounted a tale of how romantic he was, taking her out to her favorite restaurant on that fateful day. When a platter appeared at their table, Thusi took it to be some delicious chocolate and went ahead to open it and that was when the whole scenario downed on her. Then Robert was there, sweating profusely, and then finally he went down on bended knee; Pear said she didn’t see that coming.

It happened that things didn’t play out as expected, they went their separate ways before they could take the walk down the aisle. The split was confirmed by the sports presenter via a tweet in August 2017. In the Twitter message, Robert let on that they will continue to be on good terms even after their split. His claims that they still remain friends notwithstanding, the two exes would later take to social media to target jabs at each other.

Pearl Thusi was Quinton Jones’s Girlfriend Before the Television Producer Hooked Up With Minnie Dlamini

Pearl Thusi

Reportedly, Pearl Thusi and television producer Quinton Jones were going strong before he fell head over heels for Minnie Dlamini. Later, Pear herself came up to confirm that their relationship actually existed. There are people who are of the opinion that Dlamini snatched Quinton from under Thusi’s nose. However, the love triangle reports sounded false as Pearl was among the first people to extend congratulations to Quinton and Minnie when they eventually got engaged in 2016.

Presently, Thusi seems to be single, she does not have a boyfriend and has never exchanged marriage vow with anybody; thus, there is no record of any divorce for the South African entertainer. There are people who believe that her relationship with Walter Mokoena resulted in marriage, but that was never so. Rumors have also linked the actress to famous exes which include rapper Da Les and NBA star Serge Ibaka.

Thandolwethu

Pearl Thusi
Pearl and Thando image source

As earlier mentioned, Thusi’s daughter with Walter Mokoena is named Thandolwethu, fondly called Thando by family and friends. As the saying goes, an apple hardly falls far from its tree and Thando is a living example. The youngster did not just take her mother’s looks, she is equally following the path of entertainment. At the age of eight, the cute Pearl’s mini-me was already comfortable in from of the camera, working as a juvenile model, showcasing some really cool children’s attires in top magazines. She is already associated with big names such as Luminance.

Thando also has Pearl Thusi’s charming and charismatic attitude, but Pearl sees the young lady as a better version of herself. The mother/daughter duo shares a very special bond; they have become colleagues in the industry, appearing together in a commercial for Lays South Africa. It is not in doubt that Thando is set to become the next biggest thing on television. Pear wrote her a heartfelt message as she turned 13 in 2020.

Okuhlekonke

Pearl Thusi
Pearl Thusi and Okuhlekonke image source

Pear also adopted a second daughter whom she named Okuhlekonke and fondly calls Okuhle. The latest addition to her brood joined the family late in 2018 but the actress waited till may 2019 to confirm the news. Okuhle has featured in both local and Hollywood films including Scorpion King: Book of Souls. The actress is super proud of her children and has nicknamed herself “Mama Panther.” In an Instagram post, she eulogized mothers dubbing them heroes who are not only born but can also be made. She said motherhood is not just by blood ties, but by emotions like love, kindness, compassion, and bravery.

Thusi Was Already Pursuing A Career In Modeling Before She Set Foot In The University

After she achieved her high school graduation from Pinetown Girls’ High School, the aspiring entertainer went ahead to equip herself with a degree in Drama; this she accomplished from Johannesburg’s University of Witwatersrand. Her academic records revealed that Pearl Thusi also studied communication at the University of SA, Pretoria, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Before going in pursuit of higher academic qualifications, the South African native already launched her modeling career. In 2003, she was part of the Miss Teen South Africa beauty pageantry finishing in the position of the first runner up. While she was still doing her modeling gigs a few years down the line, the young talent went ahead to make her on-screen debut both in acting and presenting; she presented the SABC 3’s iCrew in 2006 and in 2009, appeared in a single episode of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – a comedy-drama series where she was cast opposite Jill Scott – an American acclaimed actress.

The Future Began To Look Bright For Pearl Thusi From then On

Going forward, the Durban native began to see a bright future as she increased her work portfolio with other titles like television host, radio personality, and of course businesswoman. Even as a young single mother, she was still waxing strong in both entertainment and business. Her business acumen includes the co-ownership of a modeling agency known as Ayana Africa which she launched alongside other entertainers like Nzinga Qunta that works as a news anchor and popular comedian David Kau.

Pearl Thusi’s work as a TV presenter has seen her anchoring many shows, notable among them is Lip Sync Battle Africa on both e.tv and MTV. Pearl’s most popular show was pulled off alongside one of Nigeria’s celebrated vocalists D’Banj. The show which had its run from 2016 to 2017 was actually an adaptation of Paramount Network’s musical reality contest of the same name in the United States; the American version of the TV series was hosted by Chrissy Teigen and LL Cool. Thusi has served as a host for a good number of other shows including Real Goboza which was popular in 2012.

She anchored Live Amp on SABC 1 that had its run from 2011 to 2016 (she co-hosted with Luthando Shosha and DJ Warras), and in 2013, she functioned as the host of Tropika Island of Treasure. Pear also takes the credit for hosting EbonyLife TV’s Moments talk show in 2015. More recently, she has been gracing our screen as a host in Behind the Story – an MTV Base’s show which employed her services in 2018 as the show’s third season was ushered in.

The Entertainer Commenced Acting on the Small Screen In 2009 And Has Gone On To Record Several Other Notable Roles

Thusi’s work as an actress has seen her making appearances in a plethora of local as well as international projects. After she recorded her acting debut in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency playing Patricia Kopong in the Beauty and Integrity episode in 2009, Pearl Thusi moved into other projects.

During the early 2010s, the popular actress appeared in a couple of local projects such as Zone 14 as Samkelisiwe between 2011 and 2012, and Isidingo playing Palesa Motaung in 2013. A while later, Thusi became the talk of the town after landing the lead role of Dayana Mampasi in Quantico (the critically acclaimed US drama series) sharing the screen with the likes of Priyanka Chopra. She appeared in the series from 2016 to 2017 as a series regular during the second season. Her most recent role on the small screen is acting as the title character in Queen Sono – a Netflix crime drama series; the role started after the series premiered on the 28th of February 2020 and is still on-going. When the streaming company announced that she was set to star in the series two years earlier in 2018, Johannesburg’s University of Witwatersrand alum etched her name in history and has maintained her exalted standing to date.

The plot of the series opens with the titular character (Thusi) who is an SA underground agent that battles a plethora of criminal operations in addition to personal issues. The show is Netflix’s first African original series and has been widely acclaimed by critics. Pearl Thusi received heaps of praises for her performance on set.

Pearl Thusi Equally Has Some Movie Credits In her Acting Portfolio

Thusi was already well established on the small screen before she started scoring roles in the movies. Her big-screen debut was accomplished in 2015 when she appeared as Dr. Nandi Montabu in the direct to video film entitled Tremors 5: Bloodlines. The year had not ended when she landed her second movie role in the television film Einfach Rosa: Wolken über Kapstadt where she played Nandi.

In 2017, Thusi made appearances in a couple of movies Catching Feelings (romantic drama film) and Kalushi. She was cast as Samkelo in the former and played the role of Brenda Riviera in the later. The Durban actress again grabbed headlines across the black continent of Africa when she essayed the role of Tala in the American direct-to-video fantasy lm, entitled The Scorpion King: Book of Souls in 2018. Her performance in the lm was quite remarkable and is credited as one of her best to date. She also made an appearance in a music video Pearl Thusi, released by Emtee.

The Actress Has Amassed An Impressive Fortune Through Her Years In Entertainment

When they are talking a headcount of the richest entertainers in Africa, Pearl Thusi’s name deserves a mention. Narrowing it down to South Africa, the screen goodness only takes second place after Trevor Noah who occupies the top spot with a net worth of $28 million. Pear’s wealth was last estimated at $2 million which is in the neighborhood of R27million at the current exchange rates.

Going down to how she earns her pay, the beautiful actress has created multiple sources of income over the years; these include her gigs in modeling, acting, endorsements, as well as business. With this kind of savvy mind, we would not be surprised to hear that she has launched yet another income head in the nearest future.

Modeling

The South African beauty’s rise to fame dates back to her undergraduate days when she launched her career as a model, identifying with a good number of brands. Moving forward, the runway queen diversified into beauty pageantry, joining the 2003 Miss Teen South Africa where she finished in the position of the first runner up. Thusi’s modeling career has contributed a tidy sum to her fortune.

Acting

While Pearl Thusi was still trying to create a niche for herself in modeling, she started scoring roles both in the movies and series. Pearl made the headlines when she landed the starring role in Queen Sono and has hosted a whole lot of television shows. We would not be too far from the truth to surmise that acting is responsible for a lion’s share of her wallet. Besides, the movie star has had several endorsements which also goes to boost her earning power.

Business

Thusi is also a shrewd businesswoman with Black Pearl – a haircare range to her credit. At a point in her career life, the afro hairstyle became the actress’ trademark, and starting her own line of hair product began to make business sense. Going into partnership with Afro-botanics, she launched the range that is still flying off the store shelves as of 2020. Pearl co-owns Ayana Africa modeling agency with other celebs.

How does Pearl Thusi Spend Her Money?

With that level of wealth, one expects the mother of two to be living a lavish life and knowing Pearl. She has not disappointed one bit. The screen goddess is definitely living in the lap of luxury.

Real Estate

Thusi’s success in Hollywood has exposed her to tremendous wealth which she has put to good use in acquiring a plethora of luxury assets over the years. Prominent among her acquisitions is a multimillion-rand house, though we don’t have enough info about the house’s location and value, Thusi recently took to Instagram to share a pix of the double-story mansion.

Automobiles

Needless to say that Pearl Thusi invests in automobiles and she seems to prefer the Lexus brand. The star of Queen Sono acquired a new Lexus LX570 SUV which made headlines in 2017. The mother of two just couldn’t stop gushing about the car as she took to social media to share photos of her newest acquisition. Pearl treats the swanky car like a living thing, expressing how much she misses the automobile when she’s away.

Obianuju O
Obianuju O
With over several years of professional writing experience, I consider myself an expert storyteller with a passion for connecting with audiences through the power of words. I specialize in creating engaging content for biographies, entertainment websites and other forms of visual media.

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