Former ‘Big Brother Mzansi’ Winner Mandla Hlatshwayo Opens Up on Receiving Less Money Than Expected

• Former Big Brother Mzansi Season 1 winner Mandla Hlatshwayo has opened up about receiving less money than he anticipated
• In a candid interview, Manda said the cash prize that he received was not a million rand, despite what the competition claimed
• Mzansi has offered mixed reactions to the interview, seeing how Manda and Lexi Van carried the show

Mandla Hlatshwayo has always been a TV favourite on Big Brother Mzansi season 1. His storyline with Lexi Van won hearts, but their relationship reached its end in 2025.

After winning the first season of Big Brother, Mandla revealed in an interview with TshisaLIVE that he anticipated winning millions; however, when the bank notification hit, it was not what he expected.

"The day eventually comes, huh, what's happening here?" he recalled. "How many zeros are these? It wasn't a bar," he told the reporter.

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On what plans he had with the money, he said he would set it aside and live off his salary, but that was not the case. During COVID-19, he opened up about losing his and Lexi's home due to the hardships that came with the pandemic.

Watch the interview clip here.

Mzansi reacts to Mandla's interview

Below are some of the reactions:

@Mncubemp shared:

"I wish next year there can be a BBM All-stars and he becomes a part of it. He deserves to be spoiled by fans, too, during his season. Bbfans spoiling their faves was not a thing back then."

@sisanda_be stated:

"We will see him on I blew it soon. Busy singing weird songs."

@TalkThatTalkMan said:

"Naaaah, it’s been 12 years, and he had a reality show."

@mngomezulu_welz shared:

"Nah, he’s just mad that the current housemates are receiving donations from fans, something that never happened back then."

@arewanga3 said:

"You can't be an adult and not know about tax i was a strong fan of him, and I know how he misused that money with his girl instead of investing that money."

Mandla and Lexi break up

Mandla and Lexi welcomed two children together, making them one of the longest-standing Big Brother couples. In 2025, they confirmed their break-up, with cryptic and chilling messages online.

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Mandla Hlatshwayo claimed that he almost ended up like Flabba, who was murdered by his girlfriend, Sindisiwe Manqele. The allegation raised eyebrows. Below is what he said:

"Almost went out like Flabba. There were red flags from the start, but I am glad we gave it a shot," he reportedly wrote.

Lexi focused on healing from the relationship, but the reality TV star refrained from spilling the real reason for their breakup. Judging by their cryptic posts, it was a toxic situation.

"Finally, walking away from something that you thought would work out. Investing every ounce of self, hope, and belief and then getting disrespected, lied to, gaslit, and betrayed is probably the most messed-up thing I have endured in a long while. But let me gather my crazy self and heal," she was quoted as saying.

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Source: Briefly News