Pearl Thusi, Happy Simelane, Penny Lebyane share to share their encounters on Netflix's 'Beauty and the Bester'

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15 hours ago

Actress, presenter and businesswoman Pearl Thusi is one of the South African figures who feature in Netflix's new true crime limited documentary series, "Beauty And The Bester".
Image: Supplied
Netflix has released the trailer for a new true crime limited documentary series, 'Beauty And The Bester'.
The limited series chronicles the dramatic rise and fall of Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, a celebrated celebrity doctor whose involvement with convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester sent shockwaves across the nation.
Friends and family open up in exclusive interviews, each trying to make sense of the strange and unsettling bond between a respected doctor and her convicted criminal partner, Bester.
The trailer shows: actress, DJ, presenter and businesswoman Pearl Thusi, 'The Mommy Club' reality TV star and businesswoman Happy Simelane and broadcaster and multi-hyphenate personality Penny Lebyane.
Penny Lebyane, a South African media personality, was among several local celebrities who visited Magudumana's Sandton-based beauty business Optimum Medical Aesthetics Solutions.
Image: Supplied/Netflix
Lebyane, a South African media personality, was among several local celebrities who unknowingly visited the practice of the criminally-accused skin doctor. She has previously been featured on Showmax's "Tracking Thabo Bester.
Magudumana was the owner of Optimum Medical Aesthetics Solutions, a Sandton-based beauty business.
Model and TV personality Thusi had an encounter with Bester, the 'Facebook Rapist,' in June 2011 and almost became one of his victims.
Simelane previously shared her experience meeting the criminal and claimed she was almost trafficked by him. On Showmax's 'The Mommy Club', Simelane showed videos of their meeting where Bester asked her to 'find people producing luxury content'.
Happy Simelane previously shared her experience meeting the criminal and claimed she was almost trafficked by him.
Image: Supplied/Netflix
Once revered as a successful businesswoman and social media influencer with a seemingly perfect life, Magudumana's meticulously crafted image began to crumble amidst suspicions of her role in Bester's elaborate prison escape and his clandestine double life.
The three-part series delves into the events of late 2023 that captivated South Africa, leaving the public to ponder: how did one of the country's most admired women become embroiled in one of its most significant criminal scandals?
From staged celebrity conferences and lavish living to the shocking escape of Thabo Bester from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison, it all began to unravel with one viral photo of the pair casually shopping at Sandton City, sparking a nationwide manhunt that ended with their dramatic arrest in Tanzania and extradition back to South Africa in handcuffs.
Disgraced celebrated celebrity doctor Dr. Nandipha Magudumana's father Zolile Sekeleni features on the documentary.
Image: Supplied/Netflix
'Beauty And The Bester' features courtroom footage and never-before-seen investigative material that peels back the layers of a story where love, manipulation, and corruption collide, culminating in a jaw-dropping incident that stunned the world.
The individuals include Marecia Damons, one of the journalists who broke the story and Magudumana's father Zolile Sekeleni. 'Beauty and the Bester' launches on Netflix on September, 12, 2025.