South African actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa has opened up about the emotional struggles she endured during her marriage to internationally acclaimed DJ and Grammy Award-winner Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo.
In a candid interview with Relebogile Mabotja on 702, Enhle reflected on the challenges she faced in the relationship, which ended after she filed for divorce in 2019. She revealed that despite being married, she often felt completely alone.
“I was a single married woman,” she shared. “I found myself being the foundation and the walls of the home.” With Black Coffee frequently traveling for work, Enhle said she was left to raise their two sons largely on her own.
Enhle said the final breaking point in their marriage came when she discovered her husband had fathered children with other women.
“I’m proud of how I handled my marriage. I never cheated, not once, until the day I decided to leave because I could no longer take the punishment to myself,” she said. “It’s multi-layered. But my non-negotiable was children in a marriage. Once there were two children by two different women, I said, ‘You don’t love me. In fact, you’re going to kill me.’”
She described the emotional damage the experience caused and her journey to healing. “I lost a lot of respect for my partner. I forgave him for the apologies I never got. I forgave myself,” she added.
Enhle also addressed the public’s perception of her ex-husband. “I wasn’t married to Black Coffee.
I was married to Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo. We started from the bottom, and we grew together. But sometimes, in that growth, people grow apart. And in that growth, there is control.”
Offering advice to those considering marriage, the actress encouraged individuals to approach it with maturity and independence.
“Marry when you’re older, wiser, smarter. When you’ve accumulated your own and come into a space where you will grow together. But it shouldn’t feel like one person is being followed. You must be walking the same path, side by side.”
