Bishop Israel Makamu's biography: All we know about the controversial preacher
Bishop Makamu is one of South Africa's most famous preachers. The pastor, TV host, and reality star is the founder of the Endless Hope Bible Church, which has 14 branches across South Africa. Besides being known as a man of God, Bishop Israel Makamu is often embroiled in controversy. Get to know all the details here.
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Profile Summary
- Bishop Israel Makamu's biography
- Bishop Makamu's contact details
- What is the name of Bishop Makamu's church?
- Where is Bishop Makamu originally from?
- Who exposed Bishop Makamu?
- Is Bishop Makamu from Mozambique?
- Bishop Makamu's latest news
- FAQs
Bishop Israel Makamu has been married to Hlonifile Makamu for almost 20 years. He is a controversial preacher who has ruffled feathers a couple of times, including allegations around sexual assault of minors. So what is his story?
Profile Summary
| Full name | Israel Makamu |
| Date of Birth | 25 May 1978 |
| Age | 46 as of January 2025 |
| Birthplace | Katlehong, Guateng, South Africa |
| Current residence | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Gender | Male |
| Education | Theology |
| College | Christian Family Church International Bible College |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Hloniphile Makamu |
| Ethnicity | African |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Black |
| Profession | Preacher, entrepreneur, TV show host, motivational speaker |
| Shows | I Am Bishop I Makamu, Rea Tsotella |
Bishop Israel Makamu's biography
Bishop Israel Makamu is a preacher, TV host, empowerment speaker and author. The pastor is also a relationship coach.
He became a very successful pastor whose church grew into 14 branches in South Africa. Here is a closer look at the pastor's life and controversies.
Source: Original
What is Bishop Makamu's age?
Bishop Israel Makamu is 46 as of January 2025. He was born on 25 May 1978 in Katlehong, Gauteng, South Africa.
Bishop Makamu's parents
The Bishop was raised in Katlehong, Gauteng. His father was a pastor, which placed a lot of pressure on him.
He said he did not indulge in terrible behaviour but felt burdened by attending church. However, he immersed himself in the church by the time he reached secondary school. He preached and prayed for students, earning him the nickname Bishop.
Israel's parents are Titus and Rophinia Makamu. His father, Titus Makamu, died in 2017, but his mother is still very involved with the church.
Educational background
After completing high school, Israel attended Bible school to study Theology. He went to the Christian Family Church International Bible College. He believes his gift to preach is inborn and comes naturally, and the college was just a way to supplement his God-given talents.
Source: Facebook
Bishop Israel's career and professional life
It may surprise many, but Israel was not always a pastor. Before returning to the church, he worked as an operations manager.
The Bishop as a preacher
After his stint in the corporate world, he founded the popular Bishop Makamu church, Endless Hope Bible Church. Since its inception, the church has grown and has more than 10 branches nationwide. He has revealed that he receives a salary like his 84 employees across his 14 churches.
His unconventional preaching style has landed him in hot soup before, but the famous pastor has no apologies for his method of getting his message across.
The Bishop as a TV show personality
His boisterous nature landed the popular pastor several gigs in the entertainment industry. He hosts the TV show Rea Tsotella on the DStv channel Moja Love. The reality TV star briefly stepped down from this position because of some controversy he faced trying to solicit s*x from a minor.
He also has a reality show I am Bishop I Makamu on Moja Love. It is a 13 part reality TV show that shows his followers the challenges he faces as a pastor, his day-to-day activities, family life, and more. You can catch a glimpse of Bishop Makamu house on the show.
Bishop Makamu business
He also has a funeral home service that operates within the borders of South Africa. iMakamu Funeral Home, launched in 2013, offers all funeral services to South Africans.
Bishop Makamu's wife and kids
He met his wife, Hlonifile, in 2003, and they tied the knot two years later in 2005. He attributes winning his wife's heart to his persevering nature.
The pastor saw her standing under traffic lights after he had dropped off a friend. She instantly enamoured him, so he got out of his car and spoke to her.
Hlonifile was only 19 when they met and was studying nursing at Ann Latsky Nursing College in Johannesburg. She reportedly works as a nurse.
She was the first in her family to be born again, so she and the pastor understood each other well. She was nervous about being a bishop's wife because of the spotlight it came with, but she said she could not refuse God's calling.
Apart from nursing, she has also studied theology. The couple is blessed with three children; Ntwanano, Ntokozo, and Ntsumi Makamu.
Bishop Makamu controversies and divorce rumours
Bishop Israel Makamu has made headlines several times due to controversies. Allegations of attempted child sexual exploitation threatened to end his career. Another sexual assault allegation also put him back in the headlines.
In May 2021, the prominent pastor faced backlash from the public after a voice note from 2017 resurfaced where he allegedly asked a teenager for sexual favours.
The lady at the centre of this controversy shared more details about the event. She alleged that the Bishop tried to give her father R 1,000,000 to silence the matter. They reportedly refused his money, and she said she ended up leaving her work at the church because she felt unsafe.
Bishop Makamu refuted the claims, saying he was asking for his keys. Following the scandal, he stepped down as the host of the TV show Rea Tsotella on Moja Love channel on DStv.
He was back to hosting the program in July 2021 after the channel reported that both parties had reconciled. Moja Love's head of channel, Bokani Moyo, said in a statement to the public:
After careful consideration and evaluation, the channel decided to reinstate Bishop Makamu to continue hosting Rea Tsotella. This follows a mediation between the parties involved, where they reconciled and agreed on an amicable way forward.
In another scandal, a former employee of his church accused him of sexual assault. The employee alleged that the pastor assaulted her in September 2018 in his office in Alrode, Alberton.
Bishop Makamu was arrested, and a case was opened against him. He was detained and later released on R2,000 bail after appearing in court. Several interested parties mediated between the pastor and the woman. In August 2021, the case was withdrawn after the woman dropped it.
Bishop Makamu's divorce rumours
Following the sexual allegations against him, many anticipated Bishop Makamu's marriage to collapse, but his wife stood by his side to support him.
On 16 May 2021, he apologised to his wife during a sermon about forgiveness. In it, he asked those with no mistakes to throw the first stone. He said in his sermon that those without God do not know how to forgive.
iMakamu Funerals scandal
Source: Facebook
In July 2024, Bishop Israel Makamu's funeral services company, iMakamu Funerals, was in the headlines. A family from Thokoza, Ekurhuleni, said they received "horrible service" from the company.
The Khambule family shared pictures showing torn tents with dirty drapes. They said that the service was 'very poor.' The family alleged they had tried to address their concerns but in vain.
The post went viral on social media platforms X, TikTok, and Facebook. Makamu's legal representative responded to the media saying:
It was difficult because the family did not approach the client to report the problem. No investigations of disciplinary can be carried because there is not formal complaint.
He reportedly advised the client to file a complaint at their offices. The Khambule family refuted the claims that they had not used legal channels. Bishop Israel Makamu did not personally respond to the matter.
Bishop Makamu's contact details
The official social media accounts for the Bishop are:
- Twitter: @Bishop_Makamu
- Instagram: @bishop_makamu
- Facebook: @Bishop Makamu
- Email: eezymakamu@gmail.com
What is the name of Bishop Makamu's church?
Bishop Israel Makamu's church is Endless Hope Bible Church. It has 14 branches throughout South Africa and 84 staff members.
Where is Bishop Makamu originally from?
The pastor was raised in Katlehong, Gauteng. He currently lives in a mansion in Johannesburg.
Who exposed Bishop Makamu?
Bishop Israel Makamu was exposed by Lerato Mabuza, an X (Twitter) user named Lady_L Mabuza-Thaanyane. The user shared the audio clip of the Bishop talking to a minor.
Is Bishop Makamu from Mozambique?
No, Bishop Israel Makamu was born and raised in South Africa.
Bishop Makamu's latest news
Bishop Makamu is continuing his vocation as a preacher at his Endless Hope Bible Church. He has stated that he plans to expand his church. The reality star is also actively marketing the iMakamu funerals on social media.
FAQs
- What is Bishop Makamu's age? He is 46 years old. He was born in 1978.
- Who is Bishop Makamu's wife? His wife is Hlonifile Makamu.
- When was Bishop Makamu's divorce? He is not divorced and is still married to his wife.
- What is Bishop Makamu's net worth? He has an estimated net worth of R9 million to R15 million.
- Where was Bishop Makamu born? He was born in Katlehong, Gauteng, South Africa.
Bishop Israel Makamu has faced multiple controversies and allegations that have threatened his career. Despite all these, he has stood firm to his Christian obligations and work of spreading the gospel.
Bishop Israel Makamu has faced controversies and allegations that threatened his reputation but have not shaken his faith. He has stood firm to his Christian obligations and work of spreading the gospel.
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