Thuli Phongolo denies dating Zimbabwean politician Scott Kupa
This is not the first time Scott Kupa has been linked to a South African celebrity.
Actress and DJ Thuli Phongolo has denied rumours that she is dating Zimbabwean businessman and government official Scott Kupa.
The speculation began after controversial blogger Musa Khawula claimed that Thuli was in a relationship with Scott, alleging he had bought her a Lamborghini.
Thuli Phongolo finds love at the arms of Scott Kupa.
This comes after Thuli Phongolo dumping her abusive ex-boyfriend DJ Maphorisa. Scott Kupa who is a businessman and a ZANU PF member of parliament recently purchased a Lamborghini for his new beau Thuli Phongolo.
Scott Kupa… pic.twitter.com/e3q5KUwI8x — Musa Khawula (@Musa_Khawula) May 29, 2025
Thuli recently addressed the rumours on her Instagram Stories, asking not to be linked to people she 'wouldn't even consider dating'.
'Let me indulge you for a sec… You guys need to stop trying to link me to people I wouldn't even consider dating… I'm not dating Scott Kupa. The end,' she wrote.
Scott Kupa was previously linked to Mihlali Ndamase
This is not the first time Scott has been linked to a South African celebrity.
In December 2023, Khawula alleged that content creator and influencer Mihlali Ndamase went on an all-expenses-paid trip to London, sponsored by Kupa.
READ MORE: Thuli Phongolo lives it up in Dubai: 'A dreamy, yummy… funny experience' [PICS]
However, Kupa denied the claims at the time, telling gossip site Maphepha Ndaba that he didn't even know who Mihlali was.
It's not me, says businessman Scott Kupa denying dating Mihlali.
I'm NOT dating Mihlali, says Zimbabwean tycoon Scott Kupa speaking to Maphepha Ndaba. Scott told Maphepha Ndaba that he's too busy to be dating anyone. Scott says his only focus is his business and family that he… pic.twitter.com/vQImtHE5NR — MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) December 29, 2023
Meanwhile, Nigerian footballer Toluwalase 'Tolu' Arokodare recently denied claims that he was in a relationship with Mihlali.
This came after Maphepha Ndaba alleged that the 24-year-old Dubai-based footballer was head over heels in love with Mihlali and had been following her and her family on all social media platforms.
'Y'all are killing me with these posts… I am single, y'all please stop, abeg. These posts about me are false,' Tolu wrote on his Instagram Stories.
NOW READ: Local star shines in new global Pepsi campaign
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Hyper-realistic dolls fascinate and creep out Brazil
Brazilian youtuber Gabi Matos holds a reborn baby doll as she is seated next to her collection in Campinas, Sao Paulo state, . Reborn babies are hyper-realistic dolls that have unleashed a media, social and even legislative storm in Brazil. Handmade with silicone or vinyl, these dolls, which can cost thousands of dollars, show an astonishing level of detail: veins, tears, saliva. Gabi Matos looks the quintessential doting mum as she changes Ravi's nappy, cooing reassuringly as he stares up at her. But this Brazilian "newborn" doesn't seem to mind having his nappy changed. In fact, he has no real emotions whatsoever. Ravi is a hyper-realistic doll with an eerie resemblance to an actual infant. Some of the so-called "reborn" dolls cry, suck dummies, pee, have nails, eyelashes and veins. But what really sets them apart from traditional dolls with waxy, smooth complexion is their puckered features and blotchy skin. Blink and you could mistake the bundle in the stroller in Rio de Janeiro for the real thing. Demand for these replica babies, which first emerged in the United States in the early 1990s, targeting adults chiefly, has rocketed in the South American country in recent years. "I always loved babies and dolls, from a very young age. When I discovered these art models I fell in love," said Ravi's 21-year-old "mum". Made with silicone or vinyl, the price tag for these bundles of joy can run to thousands of dollars. Matos, who lives in the southeastern Brazilian city of Campinas, received her first "reborn" - so-called because the first editions were traditional dolls modified by artists to look more life-like - aged nine. Her collection now runs to 22 and looking after her tiny charges is a full-time job which she enacts daily for her 1.3 million YouTube followers. But in the past few weeks, the admiring comments on her posts have become interspersed with attacks. "People say I should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital because they believe that we treat them (the dolls) as if they were real children, which is not the case," she said. "It's sad." The dolls tottered into the public debate in April when a group of collectors held a gathering in a park in Sao Paulo. Footage of the event went viral, along with a separate video of a reborn "birth", in which an influencer extracts a disheveled doll from a fluid-filled bag passing for an amniotic sac and then clamps a make-believe umbilical cord. Social media erupted with posts either condemning the would-be mothers' behavior as deranged or dismissing it as a harmless hobby. "Let these people raise reborn babies. If they procreate, it will be much worse!" actress Luana Piovani wrote on Instagram, in a post that was viewed thousands of times. Alana Generoso, a longtime reborn baby collector, who now owns her own doll store, insists that her customers are perfectly sound of mind. "Many children come to the store, as well as adults that lead normal lives," the 46-year-old mother of real four-year-old triplets said. Alana Babys Maternity Hospital in Campinas is designed to look like an authentic maternity ward. Before handing over a doll to its new owner, employees in white coats take it from an incubator, weigh it, place it in a stroller and present the proud "parent" with a birth certificate. "Here, you're not buying an ordinary doll, you're buying a dream," Generoso argued. "Are there cases of people looking after the dolls as if they were real babies? Yes, but they're not a majority." The debate has reverberated all the way up to Congress. Some MPs are calling for "reborn" mums to receive psychological help, but others call for people who allegedly use their "babies" to jump the queue for public services to be punished. Last week, an MP made clear which camp he was in when he brought his reborn "granddaughter" to parliament. Playing with dolls is "not a sin," Manoel Isidorio, an evangelical pastor, argued. For psychologist Viviane Cunha collecting dolls is a hobby that is only categorized as a disorder when it causes "social, emotional or economic harm." "If for example the person skips work because 'the baby has a fever', and believes it to be true, then he or she needs professional help," she said. Cunha linked the reborn fever to a global loneliness epidemic, which the World Health Organization has tied to social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. "I think the doll comes from a search for an emotional bond or connection," Cunha said. Matos argues that criticism of the dolls is sexist. "Male hobbies like video games, flying kites, playing football are normalized. No one says that they are too old to do these things, but women cannot take care of their dolls without people thinking we are sick. | AFP
4 hours ago
'What happened to her face?': Amor Vittone questioned over new look
Singer and actress Amor Vittone is accused of overusing filters – or possibly going under the knife – after she posted a picture of her seemingly youthful face on her Facebook account. The 53-year-old entertainer is the widow of the late Springbok Joost van der Westhuizen. They share two children. In a recent Facebook post, Amor Vittone posted a picture of herself with a motivational message. In the picture, the mother of two appeared noticeably younger, with immaculate make-up, smooth, clear skin, and a wrinkle-free face. Under the post in the comments section, Amor's followers questioned her polished appearance… Christa Binedell: 'This does not look like her?' Dawn Goosen: 'What has she done to her face?' Kearns Lawrence: 'It's not you!' Annalien Matthysen: 'Is this AI?' Loving the winter sun! … Posted by Amor Vittone on Tuesday 3 June 2025 While Amor Vittone has dated a plastic surgeon, she has been adamant that she hasn't had any. Late last year, the mother of two shut down speculation about her appearance. In the comments section of one of her posts, she posted: 'Kan julle net relax! Nie Botox of fillers nie. [Can you relax! No botox or filler]. Instead, she credited her picture-perfect snaps to 'good make-up and lighting with slight filter' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Rolanda Marais reveals the real scoop in 'Die Nuusmakers': a dramatic dive into journalism
Rolanda Marais stars as television news anchor Adri Joubert in 'Die Nuusmakers.' Image: X 'Die Nuusmakers', the brand-new Afrikaans drama, has viewers on the edge of their seats as the local drama delves into the frantic world of news journalism. The kykNet show, which premiered last week, is created by Both Worlds, the production team behind the wildly successful show, 'Recipes for Love & Murder'. Produced and written by Karen Jeynes, the star-studded cast includes industry heavyweights such as Rolanda Marais, who takes on the leading role of Adri Joubert, a television news anchor whose idyllic life is turned upside down by a tragic accident. She is joined by Brendon Daniels, who is no stranger to South African screens, having starred in 'Four Corners' and 'White Lies', as well as Arno Greeff from 'Blood & Water'. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The rest of the cast includes Roeline Daneel, Lea Viviers, Chris van Niekerk, Christia Visser and Heinrich Wentzel. Together, they provide insights into what goes on inside a newsroom at one of the nation's biggest networks. The cast does a stellar job of reflecting the life of a journalist, where the stakes are high and every second counts. At the centre of it all is Adri, a seasoned anchor with over two decades of television experience. Referred to as 'the nation's darling', she lives an idyllic life in upmarket Johannesburg. She spends her mornings jogging through her leafy suburb, stopping to chat to her neighbours in her gated community along the way. She then has breakfast with her devoted husband Dawid (Herbst), her teenage son Daniel (Wentzel) and her elderly father Lourens (van Niekerk) before arriving at the television station. With her only concern around ageing and a younger anchor taking her coveted spot, Adri has the picture-perfect life. But her world is shattered when she faces a personal tragedy, making her life a news story in its own right. As her story is set to unravel as more episodes of 'Die Nuusmakers' drop weekly, Marais explained that the show is already resonating with viewers. 'Many of us watch the news every day, but we don't have a clue what goes on behind the scenes,' she explained in regards to why she believes the story has been gripping the nation. Rolanda Marais stars as television news personality Adri Joubert in 'Die Nuusmakers.' Image: Instagram. In regards to how this project is different to anything else she has worked on previously in her career, the actress said: "It felt tangible that it was a lot more real than other series or films that I've done.' 'This series touches on issues that South Africans really have, and it makes it so much more current and real.' Marais, who has several accolades under her belt, including a Fiesta Award, a Kanna prize and a Vita Award, amongst Silwerskerm Film and AKTV nominations for Best Actress, has featured in a string of productions. She is best known for her role as Stefanie Malherbe in the kykNET soapie 'Binnelanders' and is also renowned for starring in 'Boy Kills World', 'Poppie Nongena' and 'Wolwedans in die Skemer'. After landing the 'Die Nuusmakers' leading role, Marais is counting her blessings. 'I feel extremely lucky to be able to work in an industry that is really struggling.' She is also thrilled about taking on this character. 'To portray an incredibly strong, talented and focused woman is so important because young women may watch the show and feel empowered, knowing that it could be them one day,' Marais believes. She added that she decided to be part of this show because she was inspired by its story. 'I loved the concept from the word go. When I received the audition brief, I felt drawn to the character and knew I could deliver a performance that would serve her.' 'Adri was nicknamed 'ratel', which is a type of snake, because she is fearless and passionate about journalism and about getting behind the truth of every story.' 'I am, like Adri, also passionate about my work and I am a hard worker and have a wicked sense of humour. Adri loves jogging but I despise it so shooting those scenes weren't exactly fun,' Marais admitted. She also resonates with the show's themes, which she believes is 'choosing the truth, no matter what and rediscovering one's passion.' 'From great sorrow, beauty and wonder can rise, and South Africans will definitely find resonance in most of these themes.' Marais's advice for aspiring actors is profound yet simple: "Be very sure why you want to be an actor. If it is for fame, money and recognition, don't do it. "If it is a burning, yearning passion to tell stories, like fire in you, go do it, but be prepared to work hard and often get very little recognition." "Keep on trying, be curious about people and be kind and humble." ∎ New episodes of 'Die Nuusmakers' air on Tuesdays at 8pm on kykNET (DStv channel 144).
