Cannes and caviar: Who is SA's Second Lady Humile Mashatile?

The Citizen

3 days ago

Since Humile Mashatile tied the knot with our deputy president, SA's second lady has become known for her style and globe-trotting lifestyle.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile and his wife Humile Mashatile at the Presidential Inauguration at the Union Buildings on 19 June 2024 in Pretoria. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Humile Mashatile, the wife of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, is no stranger to the spotlight, not only as the top government official's spouse but also for her taste for luxury.
The couple, known for indulging in expensive imported red wines, caviar and high-society events like the Cannes Film Festival, has recently come under fire for allegedly digging deep into taxpayers' pockets to fund overseas trips amounting to millions.
Who is Humile Mashatile? Background check
Humile Mashatile makes a fashion statement on the red carpet at the 2024 State of the Nation Address ceremony in Cape Town. Right: The Second Lady addresses the Paul & Humile Mashatile Foundation. Pictures: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images and Facebook/ Paul & Humile Mashatile Foundation
Humile married Mashatile in 2023 following the loss of both their spouses in 2020.
The 39-year-old Humile (née Bogatsu) is 24 years younger than the deputy president.
She previously worked as the personal assistant of Athletics South Africa (ASA) boss Leonard Cheune and was once spotted licking his fingers at a party, according to iHarare.
Humile also ran a security company in Cape Town at the time of her marriage to former ANC provincial secretary in the Western Cape, Songezo Mjongile, in 2011.
The star couple celebrated their wedding at an exclusive estate in the Western Cape with 450 guests and a five-tier cake. Guests included Julius Malema, Fikile Mbalula and Tokyo Sexwale.
Mjongile lost his battle against colon cancer in 2020, with Humile launching a cancer foundation in the late activist's honour — the Songezo Mjongile Foundation.
It appears that Humile has since ghosted the foundation, as per TimesLIVE, with the Mashatiles since having launched the Paul & Humile Mashatile Foundation in aid of autistic children.
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Mr and Mrs Mashatile
According to Briefly News, Mashatile and Mjongile were close friends, which is believed to be how the duo met before tying the knot with no less than three traditional wedding ceremonies.
Humile and Paul held a third traditional wedding ceremony in N'Wamitwa, Tzaneen, a village in Limpopo, at the home of Mashatile's adoptive mother, Chief Tinyiko N'wamitwa-II. Picture: X
Their 'white wedding' took place in October 2023, with a source telling Zimoja:
'The new Mrs Mashatile will henceforth be guarded 24 hours a day by the elite police unit, and chauffeur-driven everywhere she goes. She will … accompany Mashatile around the world while raising her and Mashatile's children in a blended family.'
Humile and Paul Mashatile's 'blended family'
The deputy president has four children — Palesa, Thabiso, Tinyiko, and Ayanda — from his late wife, Manzi Ellen Mashatile, who passed away due to Covid-19 complications in July 2020.
Humile has reportedly had two children from her marriage: Zondwa Songezo Jr and Goapele Zenani Mjongile.
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Controversial international trips
Deputy President Paul Mashatile with his wife, Humile, at the official launch of the Ronnie Mamoepa Foundation at the Freedom Park National Heritage Site in July 2023 in Pretoria. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Their overseas excursions have recently been scrutinised for their cost to taxpayers:
London (September to October 2024): A working visit combined with spousal events, costing approximately R5.475 million, with accommodation worth R346,000 per night.
Tokyo (March 2025): The trip cost R2.319 million, including R117 518 in flights and R956 057 in accommodation for the Mashatiles. Luxuries such as laundry and restaurant services added another R59 426.
In total, their travel tallies to nearly R8 million since mid-2024, spiking concern from public watchdogs about fiscal responsibility.
Diamond 'gift' from Carat King?
The couple's lavish image also took a hit when it emerged last year that Humile had been gifted a polished diamond by 'Carat King' Louis Liebenberg, the controversial businessman facing trial for his alleged involvement in a diamond Ponzi scheme.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has come under fire for an 'unsolicited gift' to his wife, Humile, from diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg (top right). Pictures: Gallo Images, Facebook and iStock
The Citizen previously reported that while the gift was initially declared and underwent valuation for compliance, it was later returned amid ethical concerns:
The DA has since announced probes into whether the gift complied with parliamentary ethics declarations and whether it was declared correctly. Allegations also suggest that the diamond was originally intended for the deputy president, not Humile.