Meet Zeenat Simjee: The Springboks' dietitian who went viral
Springboks dietician Zeenat Simjee shot to superstardom in September 2022, becoming a household name for rugby fans and the general South African public. Unfortunately, she went viral for a highly controversial reason. What did the Springboks' dietitian do?
Source: UGC
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Zeenat Simjee’s affair with Elton was an explosive story that placed the dietitian front and centre of the prying eyes of the media, with many wanting to know as much as they could about who Zeenat is. Here, Zeenat Simjee’s biography is summarised before we discuss what happened between Zeenat and Elton, along with details on her career and personal life.
Zeenat Simjee's profile summary
| Full name | Zeenat Simjee |
| Date of birth | February 10, 1995 |
| Age | 29 years old in 2024 |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Birthplace | Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Romantic orientation | Heterosexual |
| Religious beliefs | Muslim (most reported) |
| Current residence | Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa |
| Current nationality | South African |
| Ethnicity | Mixed (most widely reported) |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair colour | Brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Profession | Sports dietitian |
| Education | Greenside High School |
| Social media profiles | InstagramLinkedIn |
Zeenat Simjee's personal life was thrust into the spotlight when the news broke that she was romantically involved with a married South African rugby player. She has laid low since the controversy but has documented her world travels online. What do we know about the individual behind the headlines?
Zeenat Simjee’s age
Zeenat's birthday is most often reported as February 10, 1995. She is 29 years old in 2024, and her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
Zeenat Simjee’s religion
The sports nutritionist is reported to be a Muslim. Her Instagram page says'Alhamdullilah' in her bio, further confirming these reports.
Source: Original
Zeenat Simjee’s family
Details on Zeenat Simjee's parents are limited, but it is commonly reported that she was born to South African parents. Zeenat comes from a mixed ethnicity, but no other information on her family life is available.
Is Zeenat Simjee married?
Zeenat's involvement with Elton deepened public curiosity regarding whether Zeenat Simjee has married herself. Despite online buzz regarding who Zeenat Simjee’s husband may be, there is no confirmation of her romantic life, and she is otherwise presumed to be single.
What is Zeenat Simjee's job?
Zeenat is a sports dietitian. She has been the Springbok's dietitian since 2019, but she was reportedly momentarily dismissed when South Africa was in Argentina. She soon joined the team again.
Source: Getty Images
Who is the current Springbok dietician?
Fans have been wondering whether Zeenat was permanently kicked off the team following the controversial news of the affair. However, based on Zeenat's social media posts, she will still be the dietitian for the Springboks in 2024.
What did Zeenat Simjee do?
Elton Jantjies and Zeenat Simjee were embroiled in controversy in September 2022 when news broke that Elton was having an affair with the team's dietitian, made more controversial because the flyhalf is married with children.
The SA rugby team said the Springbok player and dietitian will be sent home before a rugby championship fixture against Argentina in Buenos Aires. The team acknowledged the issue yet felt no rules had been broken professionally. Rugby SA said:
'No team protocols were breached, but the individuals are returning to South Africa to attend to these personal reports and to eliminate any distractions to the team’s preparations for the Test against Argentina.'
Source: UGC
Elton went on to confess the affair during an interview, saying the duo had an affair for various months when the news broke. He wished to make it work with his wife, Iva Ristic, but she was hesitant to work on making their marriage work.
The couple called it quits in December 2022. They remained friends throughout the separation, and Iva mentioned how proud she was of the former couple for keeping their friendship going. Elton reportedly began dating content creator Ashleigh Ogle in September 2023, a month after posting about his wife and kids online.
Zeenat Simjee alleges a mistaken identity
In November 2022, IOL reported that Zeenat's lawyer, Frikkie Erasmus, publicly stated that Elton Jantjies was involved in Zeenat Simjee’s doppelganger instead of her. Frikkie claims mistaken identity regarding the issue despite fans being sceptical. Frikkie said:
This is a case of mistaken identity. She wasn’t there. Someone said at that time it was her, but it wasn’t. She showed me her last three conversations with Jantjies. In all of them, she asks him to leave her alone, that she doesn’t want to talk to him and that he is a bad friend.
Social media profiles
As of February 11, 2024, Zeenat Simjee’s Instagram page has 57.4K followers. She also has a LinkedIn page with 398 connections.
Zeenat Simjee is one of the Springbok team members who works behind the scenes and has reached massive heights of stardom for the wrong reasons. Like Elton, Zeenat has since placed the controversy behind her and continues to work for the national team and celebrities.
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