Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu: her story of resilience, reinvention, and influence
Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu is a former South African radio and TV talk show host and philanthropist. She is best known for hosting the SABC daily talk show 3Talk. Her story is a vivid illustration of how determination can propel anyone from humble beginnings to reach the pinnacle of their aspirations and even beyond.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Noeleen attended John Bisseker High School in the Eastern Cape. She then studied law at the University of Transkei in Umtata.
- Noeleen started her media career at the Radio Transkei in 1986. About nine years later, she moved to Johannesburg, where she got a job at Radio 702.
- She stands out as a sharp and incisive presenter, credited with connecting radio and television audiences, especially during her time hosting SABC3 TALK.
- In October 2002, she received the Population Institute's Global Award for her excellence in radio presentation at a ceremony in Havana, Cuba.
Profile summary
Full name | Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu |
Date of birth | 14 September 1967 |
Zodiac sign | Virgo |
Age | 58 years (as of 2025) |
Gender | Female |
Marital status | Married |
Husband | Andile Sangqu |
Children | 3 |
Known for | Former talk show host |
Biography
Born on 14 September 1967, the former radio & TV talk show spent most of her formative years in Umtata, Eastern Cape Province. Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu's age is 58 as of 2025.
Education
Noeleen attended John Bisseker High School in the Eastern Cape. She then studied law at the University of Transkei in Umtata.
Career
Bubbly and enthusiastic, Noeleen started her media career at the Radio Transkei in 1986. About nine years later, she moved to Johannesburg, where she got a job at Radio 702.
Despite her experience, Noeleen joined Radio 702 as a humble junior reporter. She was soon promoted to a co-host.
Source: Original
Noeleen naturally engaged her audience, fueling her rapid ascent at the station.
One thing that stands out in this lady’s character is her unrelenting desire to learn and know more. While serving at Radio 702, she enrolled and completed a course in the Management Advanced Program.
Noeleen also appeared on the South African TV in 2003 with a substantial promise to break the existing routine and monotony. And sooner than anyone could expect, she was the industry’s reigning Queen of talk.
She stands out as a sharp and incisive presenter, credited with connecting radio and television audiences, especially during her time hosting SABC3 TALK.
Achievements and Awards
- In October 2002, she received the Population Institute's Global Award for her excellence in radio presentation at a ceremony in Havana, Cuba.
- In 2004 and 2005, she took home the Crystal Award for Best Talk Show Host for her show 3Talk.
- In 2008, Noeleen won the Stars of Mzanzi Award as the Best TV presenter.
Retirement
We all agree that, however long the journey may be, it must have a destination. After more than a decade of scintillating episodes of the 3Talks show, Noleen Sangqu in 2016 bid farewell to the show the rolled out her television career. The Queen of talk felt that 12 years of service were enough for her to vacate the throne and create room for younger talent to thrive as well.
During the teary send-off, Noeleen said,
"The past 12 years haven't been easy, but it's been an absolute blast,"
She shared that for those 12years, 3talk had literally turned into her home, and the team had become her second family.
…. and I have absolutely no idea what tomorrow holds for me," she said.
As expected, her live farewell show was attended by her famous friends, including Trevor Gumbi, Somizi, Kenny Kunene, and more.
Source: UGC
Business endeavours
This mama is ambitious, and because her breakthrough in the mainstream media did not sound good enough, she gathered knowledge in other fields as well. For example, she also offers consultancy services in marketing, PR, and strategy, and is the director of HIRS Women’s Development Consultancy.
In a holistic sense, Noeleen’s main areas of specialization or expertise are
- Public speaking
- Self-marketing
- Dealing with the media
She teaches the importance of self-branding, exploring one’s intuitive intelligence, and effective public speaking. Mrs. Sangqu is fully persuaded that for women to excel in the corporate world, they need assistance to free their trapped potential.
Body transformation
After her retirement, the former talk show Queen hit the gym and started working hard at shedding extra weight. In several Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu Instagram posts, she displayed amazing photos of her summer body transformation. The results are quite encouraging because she gives hope to so many women who have tried and failed to lose their weight.
Marriage and family
Source: UGC
Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu's husband is Andile Sangqu, and together they have been blessed with three children. The first Noeleen Maholwana baby was a boy, after whom the twin girls were born.
Rumours have been rife in the media to the effect that Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu's marriage is on the rocks. Some say their marriage is just hanging in the balance, while others claim that they have already separated. There have been many rumors about Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu's divorce as well.
Are these reports true, or are they a mere product of their doomsayers' favorite pastime? Well, according to one Daily Sun’s report, at one point, the strain on the marriage took such a heavy toll on her that she became sick and even got admitted.
The rumour mill largely blames Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu's husband as the reason for the divorce; for perpetually cheating on his wife. However, when contacted for a comment, each of them vehemently denied the claims.
"My husband and I are still together. People are so vicious! maybe they envy our 23-year marriage, " Noeleen said
Andile swiftly supported her statement and said,
My wife is right! I very happy in my marriage and I have no idea who is busy spreading these falsehoods
Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu's parents and ethnicity
Very little information is known about Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu's parents. The former talk show host is often perceived as being coloured. However, in a past interview with News24, she insisted:
I'm black and if you want to put me into category 'coloured', go ahead. I'm a black South African and I'm proud to be a black South African. I'm not getting into the debate about 'Your mother's mother was coloured and she married a black man and what did that make her?
So, it seems that Noeleen is proud to be a black South African.
What is Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu doing now?
It has been a while since Noeleen left the screens, and many of her fans were left guessing how she is spending her retirement days. Well, not much information is out there regarding her latest exploits, but if her Instagram pictures are anything to go by, then she is having a blast.
According to some of her recent posts, the former queen of talk spends time in her rural and urban homes. In this recent Instagram photo, she is busy travelling while on the grind.
Noeleen captioned:
I’m so sad the weekend is over. Back to the Jburg grind.
Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu is leading a healthy life
She has also given her health a high priority. Lately, she likes sourcing fresh vegetables from the garden. In a recent post, she captioned:
Nothing better than getting vegetables from the garden.
Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu likes to spend time with her family
Otherwise, of late, when she is not traveling, on some official duty, or on the farm, she loves hanging out with her family.
Sunday lunch braai loading
Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu's recent news
According to kaya959, Noeleen was recently hospitalized due to a health scare.
The former talk show host took to social media to share the concerning update with her fans. She shared an image of herself on a hospital bed and a bandage wrapped around her head. Noeleen had the following words to say:
At my age, health scares are inevitable. Hospital stay until the doctor can establish what’s wrong
Apart from her marriage struggles, the former TV queen has worked hard to steer clear of scandals and lead a quiet life. At home, Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu shares excellent moments with her family. She spends quality time with them while cooking and generally making sure that everyone is happy.
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Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo has vast experience in search engine optimization through digital content generation, research, editing, and proofreading. She joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019 and completed the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
Justin Williams (Editorial Assistant) Justin Williams joined Briefly News in 2024. He is currently the Opinion Editor and a Current Affairs Writer. He completed his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Film & Multimedia Production and English Literary Studies from the University of Cape Town in 2024. Justin is a former writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa: South African chapter. Contact Justin at justin.williams@briefly.co.za
