Lerato Kganyago has recently opened up about heartbreak and online criticism.
Image: Instagram
Lerato Kganyago-Ndlala has left social media buzzing after an emotional livestream where she opened up about the difficult season she and her husband and businessman Thami Ndlala, have been navigating behind the scenes.
In a livestream video circulating online, the media personality became visibly emotional while speaking about the public pressure surrounding their marriage, personal lives and business dealings, admitting that the constant criticism has taken a heavy toll on them.
“My partner is very strong. The past couple of months have been tough. Being accused of things you know nothing about, having people look at you differently,” she said.
“It’s been tough. The last couple of months have been really tough on my family; it’s just the two of us. We felt we’re being fought from left, right and centre, and fought for something that is so silly,” Kganyago-Ndlala added.
The emotional moment comes shortly after the radio personality hosted the 2026 Metro FM Music Awards. She revealed that despite successfully hosting the show alongside Lawrence Maleka, she received little recognition for her performance and was instead met with criticism and scrutiny.
She also touched on the criticism she receives online and how she feels her hard work is often overlooked despite years in the entertainment industry.
“I kicked a** with Lawrence but no one will ever give you the credit, not that I sit here and look for credit. And I think that’s why a lot of people hate me because I don’t go out seeking validation,” she said.
During the livestream, Kganyago-Ndlala also reflected on how isolating the past few months have felt, especially when it comes to support from people within the entertainment industry.
She expressed disappointment in some of the people around her, saying many were quick to benefit from her husband’s generosity in the past but were nowhere to be found during one of the couple’s most challenging times.
“My man has helped some of your big celebrities financially, but none of them will ever protect him. In life, you must choose who is for you. There are people that we protected, but when those false allegations were made about us, they were quiet; nobody stood for us”.
The broadcaster briefly addressed the controversy surrounding 12 on Hillel Villa and Spa, the luxury Johannesburg hotel linked to her and her husband, after the establishment was previously mentioned during testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
She also shut down allegations suggesting her husband’s business success was tied to government corruption.
“If only y’all knew that my husband does not even like tenders, he doesn’t like the government. He will start from the bottom with the R1 he has and hope for a miracle; that’s how Ndlala Mall came about,” she explained.
Another personal moment during the livestream came when she revealed that she had experienced a phantom pregnancy, something she had been carrying privately while also dealing with online scrutiny.
The livestream sparked conversation online, with social media users divided between those sympathising with Kganyago-Ndlala after seeing her emotional breakdown and others continuing to debate the controversies surrounding the couple.
“The fact that she has shared this means she’s really going through it. I hope she finds healing, man,” said X user @MdingiAnathi.
Another X user @Teekeyie commented: “Victim card. No one hates you. Take accountability.