Mpho Wa Badimo’s Bare-Face Photo Sparks Skin-Lightening Debate
- A photo of Mpho Wa Badimo surfaced on social media, showing her bare face and noticeably fair complexion
- Online users were divided, with some insisting the former Big Brother Mzansi star has always been light-skinned
- Others pointed to what they called tell-tale signs of skin bleaching, sparking a heated debate online
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Source: Instagram
A fresh photo of Big Brother Mzansi Season 3 winner and sangoma Mpho Wa Badimo has set social media alight, with followers divided over whether the reality TV star's noticeably pale complexion is natural or the result of skin-lightening treatments.
The image, which began circulating on 12 August 2026, captured Mpho without make-up, revealing visible eye bags and a complexion that struck many as significantly lighter than what audiences had grown accustomed to seeing. It did not take long for the comments section to turn into a full-blown debate.
Michelle Dimpho Mvundla, the star, first shot to fame after winning the R2 million grand prize on Big Brother Mzansi Season 3 in 2022. Post-show, she kept herself in the public eye through her high-profile relationship with fellow housemate Themba Broly, with whom she has a child. She has since leaned into her identity as a traditional healer, launching a podcast that gives audiences a glimpse into her life as a sangoma.
See Mpho Wa Badimo's viral picture below.
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Mzansi split over Mpho Wa Badimo's complexion
A number of users pointed to what they described as physical signs consistent with bleaching or lightening procedures.
sile_siba said:
"Her lips are confirming everything."
Priscill_Thato alleged:
"She uses skin-lightening products and injections."
BasetsanaKwena offered a different explanation:
"From what I gathered from her YouTube channel, she's a supplement girly; she takes collagen, ashwagandha, theanine, coconut juice. Maybe that's why she's so lighter."
Source: Instagram
Those who have followed Mpho closely were quick to push back against the skin-lightening claims, arguing her skin tone is nothing new.
simplytee23 was confused:
"Wasn't she always like this?"
Tsholo_______ argued:
"She has always been light-skinned."
TshidiPruddie added:
"Maybe it's the camera; she has always been light."
Zama Duma accused of bleaching her skin
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to a viral picture of Somkhanda Gumbi's wife, Zama Duma.
The content creator was accused of bleaching her skin, with online users pointing to her suspiciously fair complexion.
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Source: Briefly News
