Who is Ratile Mabitsela? Everything to know about 'The Mommy Club' star
Ratile Mabitsela is an influential figure in South Africa's beauty pageantry. She is also making waves as a businesswoman and mentor, but nothing was handed to her on a silver platter. The Tembisa native, who lives by the motto "You never lose anything from trying", told Drum in August 2024:
I take every experience and turn it into gold. I don't take any opportunity presented to me lightly.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Ratile Mabitsela is passionate about women's empowerment through pageantry and entrepreneurship.
- The beauty queen was crowned Miss Tembisa in 2012, leading to opportunities in business and reality TV.
- Ratile Mabitsela's 44-year-old husband, Lehlogonolo Elias Mabitsela, tragically passed away in February 2025 in the middle of their divorce.
Ratile Mabitsela's profile summary
| Full name | Ratile Boitumelo Mabitsela (née Mabotja) |
| Date of birth | 1991 |
| Age | 33 years old (as of 2025) |
| Place of birth | Tembisa, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Current residence | Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Husband | The late Lehlogonolo Elias Mabitsela |
| Children | Thoriso, Tumiso, Tlotliso |
| Education | University of Johannesburg (Operations Management) |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, model, mentor, reality TV star |
| Social media | InstagramLinkedIn |
Ratile Mabitsela grew up in the township
The reality TV star was born and raised in Tembisa, one of South Africa's largest townships in Gauteng. She has described herself as being a shy kid who was body-shamed and bullied, but she told the Daily Sun in July 2023 that she kept herself out of trouble.
Growing up, I was very sheltered because I always felt the need to protect myself from common issues that girls in the township experienced.
Mabitsela's academic achievements
Ratile focused on her studies. From 2010 to 2012, she pursued a Higher National Diploma in Operations Management and Supervision at the University of Johannesburg. She returned to school in 2018 to obtain her Bachelor's Degree in Project Management from Cranefield College. She also holds an Honours degree in Programme Management from Cranefield, according to her LinkedIn.
Source: Original
Ratile Mabitsela's mark as a beauty queen
Mabitsela was crowned Miss Tembisa in 2012/2013. She later reached the semi-finals in the Mrs. South Africa 2023 competition. Ratile shared in her May 2024 with True Love that participating in beauty competitions opened doors for her.
I've grown so much from pageantry. I've broken out of being this person who is so closed in, who is not so confident, and it really did open greener pastures for me in terms of the kind of person that I am today.
Ratile is still actively involved in pageantry as a coach and mentor to young women from her township. She established Beauty Ballot in early 2025 to empower women through fair and inclusive pageantry. She has also been serving as director for the Miss Thembisa pageant since 2019 and makes significant contributions to the Miss Thembisa Foundation.
Source: Instagram
Ratile Mabitsela became a reality TV star
Ratile starred in the Showmax reality series The Mommy Club seasons 1 and 2 as one of the five Johannesburg-based mothers who share their experiences about motherhood and womanhood. She feuded with Happy Simelane and Mrs. Mops on the show, but revealed that she harbours no hard feelings and saw each fight as a learning curve.
The beauty queen chose to step back from the show in early 2025 to focus on her family and personal growth. In her June 2025 Glamour interview, she said leaving reality television was the best decision for her well-being.
Stepping away from reality TV gave me the space to breathe, reflect, and reintroduce myself to myself. Personally, I was able to strip away the noise and get honest about what I truly needed — peace, healing, and alignment.
Source: Instagram
Mabitsela is a savvy businesswoman
Ratile Mabitsela has several money-making ventures in the beauty and wellness industries. She established an anti-ageing beauty and IV drip clinic called Youth Fountain Infusions & Aesthetics in Johannesburg in 2022.
The beauty queen owns the product company Ditau Media Group and has a waist trainer and fitness line. She is a director at T&T Energies and Glam Directory. She also has a brand partnership with L'Oréal Paris.
Mabitsela helps aspiring female entrepreneurs with real-life business advice through the information portal 'Be Your Own Boss Toolkit'. She told Drum in 2024 that she believes in being a girl's girl.
Pulling other women up with me is not just important; it is essential. We rise by lifting others.
Source: Instagram
What happened to Ratile from Mommy Club's husband?
Ratile Mabitsela was married to businessman Elias Lehlogonolo Mabitsela. He made occasional appearances on the first and second seasons of The Mommy Club, where Ratile portrayed him as a supportive husband and great father. However, all was not well behind the camera.
Rumours of infidelity and domestic abuse marred the couple's marriage. Lehlogonolo allegedly filed for divorce from Ratile Mabitsela in May 2024, according to the Sunday World.
The businessman unfortunately passed away on February 12, 2025. Ratile Mabitsela's husband's cause of death was said to be suicide. Lehlogonolo was the CEO of Mothapo Consulting Engineers and chairperson of the Mothapo Group.
Source: Twitter
Ratile Mabitsela is a doting mother of three kids
The Mommy Club star and her husband, Lehlogonolo, welcomed three children: Thoriso, Tumiso, and Tlotliso. She also cares for her two stepchildren, Tshego and Tshiamo, from her late husband's previous relationship. She revealed in her June 2024 interview with Glamour that her kids are "her why" as she heals alongside them following their dad's death.
Source: Instagram
Conclusion
Ratile Mabitsela has had an inspiring transformation from a township girl to a beauty queen, successful entrepreneur, and mentor. She attained her professional achievements while navigating life as a mother of a blended family, a role she says she enjoys.
READ MORE: Mshoza's death: what really caused the kwaito star's passing?
Briefly.co.za highlighted the real cause of Mshazo's sudden death. The Soweto-born kwaito star passed away on November 9, 2020, at the age of 37.
Mshoza started performing at the age of 10 and danced for the iconic kwaito group Chiskop in the late 1990s. Her debut album, BullDwagz First Lady, featuring the hit song Kortes came out in 2002.
Source: Briefly News
