Leanne Manas’ age, family, education, cries on Morning Live
Leanne Manas is a household name in the South African media space. She is a television presenter best known as the anchor of SABC's Morning Live. She has been in the media industry for over two decades now. Besides being a television personality, she is a successful businesswoman.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Profile summary
- Who is Leanne Manas?
- How old is Leanne Manas?
- Where is Leanne Manas from?
- Is Leanne Manas Greek?
- Educational background
- Career
- Who is Leanne Manas' husband?
- How many children does Leanne Manas have?
- Leanne Manas cries on SABC Morning Live
- Sakina Kamwendo joins Leanne Manas on SABC
- What happened to Leanne Manas?
- Leanne Manas' cryptocurrency scam
- Where is Leane Manas today?
- Trivia
Leanne Manas has established herself as one of the most sought-after guest speakers and MCs in South Africa. Using her skills and profession, she has been able to work for numerous local and international corporations, including Toyota, Telkom, Vodacom, Sasol, SAA, Mercedes, Lufthansa, ABSA, Cell C, Nedbank, Audi, BMW, MTN, FNB, and Standard Bank, among many others.
Profile summary
| Full name | Leanne Manas |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 14 October 1978 |
| Age | 45 years (as of September 2024) |
| Place of birth | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Current residence | Northcliff, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Ethnicity | Lebanese |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Marc Menelaou |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Trinity College London and Rhodes University |
| Profession | Journalist, speaker, and MC |
| Leanne Manas' Instagram | @leannemanas |
| @Leanne Manas | |
| X | @LeanneManas |
Who is Leanne Manas?
Leanne Manas is a seasoned journalist, speaker, and MC. She has been in the media industry for over two decades now. She currently anchors Morning Live on SABC.
How old is Leanne Manas?
Leanne Manas' age is 45 years as of September 2024. She was born on 14 October 1978, and her Zodiac sign is Libra.
Where is Leanne Manas from?
The seasoned media personality is from South Africa, and her nationality is South African. She was born and raised in Johannesburg. She lives in Northcliff, Johannesburg, with her family.
Source: Original
Is Leanne Manas Greek?
Leanne Manas is of Lebanese descent, not Greek. Her mother is a Keyrouz and Chehab, while her father is an Abboud and Manas. She believes she has some family members living in Bcharré and Meziara. Talking about her ancestry, she said:
To say I’m not South African is very difficult because I AM South African. I’m born here, and bred here. My umbilical cord is tied to South Africa. But, as much as I am South African, the DNA and the blood flowing through my veins are Lebanese.
Her spouse, Marc Menelaou, is of Greek descent.
Educational background
The celebrated South African journalist has a BA (Hons) in English and Communications from Trinity College London. She also has a Diploma in Speech and Drama teaching from the same institution. She also completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics Journalism from Rhodes University.
Career
Leanne Manas' broadcasting career started in 2001. She started her career in TV as an anchor on Essential Business Channel Summit TV.
While still working at Essential Business Channel Summit TV, she started hosting two shows on SABC3. These were Business Update and Business Focus. Around the same time, she was selected to be the National Anchor for the 2004 elections, as well as the Presidential Inauguration.
Manas has worked for radio stations, including Radio Algoa, Jacaranda FM, SAfm and East Coast Radio. In fact, she began her radio career at Radio 702 as a news anchor.
Later on, she joined the Johnnic Publishing’s African Business Channel, where she served as a news anchor for Classic FM.
Throughout her career, the sought-after media personality has interviewed highly respected people, including top entertainers, business people, and politicians.
Some of the famous people she has interviewed are Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Celine Dion, Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Ronan Keating, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Diana Ross, Seal, Joan Armatrading, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Jane Seymour, and Sir Richard Branson.
Away from SABC, the journalist is the Director at Manas Life. The firm offers media training for corporates and aspiring television presenters.
Who is Leanne Manas' husband?
The celebrated media personality is married to Marc Menelaou. The couple exchanged vows in 2005 and has been married for close to two decades. Marc Menelaou is the Head of Money Market at Sanlam Capital Markets. He is a graduate of the University of South Africa.
How many children does Leanne Manas have?
The famous media personality and her husband are blessed with two children. Their names are Alexandro and Gabriella.
Her children have had the opportunity to work alongside their mom on a couple of occasions. In February 2023, Alexandro and Gabriella went to the studio to lend their voices for CHOC Childhood Cancer SA, an organisation that creates awareness about childhood cancer and helps those affected.
Leanne Manas cries on SABC Morning Live
Following the sudden death of Vuyo Mbuli, who had hosted SABC's Morning Live show for 14 years, nine of them with Leanne, the media personality cried on air. It was a tough time for the show’s team back in 2013.
After Vuyo Mbuli's demise, Manas had to continue anchoring the show the next Monday. Her voice trembled with sadness as she spoke about his demise. She sat next to Mbuli’s empty chair with pink flowers on top of the desk.
A highly emotional Leanne Manas addressed South African viewers on Morning Live.
This morning as we mourn our loss, we also celebrate the life and times of Vuyo and for the past two days (...) it's been very tough for us here at Morning Live as we come to terms with this massive shock and loss... Our thoughts are with his family, his wife, his two children, his friends, his colleagues, and you out there - the millions of viewers out there who watch Morning Live and who have supported Vuyo through his journey and his life... I feel like I've lost my morning husband. It's very sad.
Sakina Kamwendo joins Leanne Manas on SABC
In July 2018, Palesa Chubisi was abruptly fired from SABC's Morning Live. When she joined the show, there were rumours spreading that she got the job due to close ties with former SABS COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Palesa was replaced by Sakina Kamwendo, a journalist who has proven to be one of the best talk show hosts over the years. She brought her remarkable journalistic skills to the table, thus making a great team alongside Leanne.
Marking twenty years on the show, Leanne Manas had positive words to say about Sakina Kamwendo and the show.
When we came together here it was a brilliant turnaround. The one thing that people have always said about Morning Live is the consistency of it. You become a family. And when that consistency gels with a brilliant partnership, then you know you're in for success.
What happened to Leanne Manas?
Back in 2007, Leanne Manas was attacked by four armed men after getting home right before 6 pm. It was on a weekend, and she had just left work for her home in Northcliff, Johannesburg.
Each of the robbers pulled out a 9mm pistol and instructed her to get out of her car. The goons entered Leanne Manas' house and tied her with a necktie. They took electrical appliances, clothes, a laptop, a cell phone, and money.
She managed to free herself after they left and rushed to the bathroom, where she locked herself up. Her parents, who had been trying to reach her to no avail, decided to drive to her house that day. They discovered what had transpired and contacted the police for investigations.
Leanne Manas' cryptocurrency scam
The seasoned journalist has been associated with cryptocurrency trading, especially on TikTok. In reality, scammers have been using her pictures and videos to promote trading. Some people have been scammed in the process.
It is prudent for all South Africans to know that all Leanne Manas' trading videos and clips are not authentic. The journalist has been dealing with identity theft for sometime now.
The journalist has had to be escorted to her car at work after being approached by scam victims. She has also dealt with a barrage of emails and calls from people saying they had lost money on online platforms.
Manas said the deepfake adverts started with manipulated images of her marketing weight-loss gummies. The adverts them became about fake investment opportunities.
Where is Leane Manas today?
In 2004, Manas became the presenter of the live morning show on SABC. Her show is the longest-running breakfast programme in South Africa. To date, she is still a dedicated host of the show. During her spare time, she teaches TV skills at On Cue Communications.
Trivia
- In January 2019, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency.
- In 2022, Leanne was honoured with a Knighthood of the French National Order of Merit from the French Government.
- Her definition of success is using your God-given talents to the best of your ability, nothing more and nothing less.
- Kebbé is her favourite Lebanese dish.
- She worked as an Ambassador to Nelson Mandela’s 46664 campaign, which was a huge achievement for her.
- She is a hands-on mom who describes herself as "very possessive about her children."
- She has two Doodle dogs: one golden and the other black.
- She is passionate about self-care and has urged professional women not to neglect their own needs.
- She tries to use social media to promote what she does in the world, specifically her travels.
Leanne Manas is truly a force to reckon with in the South African media industry. She has a ton of experience in the field and is one of the most sought-after female journalists in the country.
Briefly.co.za recently published Penny Ntuli's biography. Penny has a flourishing career on radio and has also proven to be a great MC, actress, and brand ambassador.
She became a household name in South Africa after joining Gagasi FM and is currently ruling the airwaves on Jozi FM. Growing up in Umlazi, Durban, Penny always dreamt of working on radio.
Source: Briefly News
Ruth Gitonga (Lifestyle writer) Ruth Gitonga has a background experience in Mass Communication for over six years. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in Mass Communication in December 2014. In 2023, Ruth finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She has worked for Briefly.co.za for five years now. She specializes in topics like lifestyle, entertainment, travel, technology, and sports. Email: gitongaruth14@gmail.com.
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
