Dr Nandipha Magudumana's Cars and Exotic Trips: A Look at the Luxury Lifestyle She Sacrificed for Thabo Bester
- Doctor Nandipha Magudumana was named one of Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans in 2018
- Dr Nandipha is a surgeon and businesswoman who founded Optimum Medical Aesthetic Solution
- Magudumana's success in the medical field earned her a massive nett worth that funded a lavish lifestyle
- She gave up everything to flee the country with Thabo Bester, whom she met while studying BSc in Health Sciences at Wits University
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Doctor Nandipha Magudumana was forced to show her face in court for the first time since her arrest. The disgraced doctor wore a light blue hoodie drawn around her face to hide from the cameras. She also sported a face mask.
Before being forced to reveal her face, Dr Nandipha hung her head - the image is a far cry from the powerhouse stance she sported in a Mail & Guardian article back in 2018.
Source: Instagram
In a country where people who hail from a disadvantaged background rarely get the opportunity to succeed, Dr Nandipha Magudumana was the poster child of hope.
She obtained a medical degree, became a surgeon, and started a successful aesthetic clinic in Sandton - all before 30!
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Dr Nandipha Magudumana gave up everything to be with Thabo Bester - her career, children, and reputation. Briefly News looks at the princess-like life Dr Nandipha Magudumana lived before she got tangled up with a criminal.
Who is Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and how did she meet Thabo Bester?
Dr Nandipha Magudumana is a medical doctor, surgeon, and businesswoman. She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) in Biomedical Sciences and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), which she obtained from Wits University.
In 2017, Magudumana founded Optimum Medical Aesthetic Solution, "a skincare and aesthetic clinic based in Morningside Sandton, providing non-surgical treatments to its clients," according to its website. She was featured on the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans list a year later.
Mail and Guardian reported in 2020, as part of their "Powerful Women" project, that Magudumana was passionate about fighting GBV in Mzansi. Ironically, she fell in love with a man who committed crimes against women.
Dr Nandipha reportedly met Thabo Bester in 2006 while pursuing her medical degree at Wits. According to The South African, Magudumana was a promo girl for Thabo Bester's agency.
Dr Nandipha Magudumana lived a luxurious lifestyle before her arrest
Exotic trips, flashy cars, and a stunning home that boasts modern architecture - these were some of the perks Dr Nandipha enjoyed due to her successful business ventures and career in medicine.
And she showed it off. Nandipha's Instagram account was filled with photos showcasing her lavish life - until a couple of days ago.
Whoever has access to the Optimum Medical Aesthetic Solution's founder's Instagram profile made sure people could no longer take a look into her lifestyle.
@drnandipha is Magudumana's verified Instagram handle. A week ago, anyone could glimpse her life, but now only 155 000 followers can see the lavish lifestyle snaps Dr Nandipha posted before her arrest.
Source: Instagram
However, details about her lavish life had been circulating online before the profile was made private.
The disgraced celebrity doctor was no stranger to wanderlust. The South African reported Magudumana visited Bali, Southeast Asia, and the United Emirates - to name a few.
In 2018, Briefly News reported Magudumana often posted snaps of what was presumed to be her home.
The modern design of the house screamed money. Like her exquisite decor taste, Nandipha's clothing style always looked fresh off the runway.
She would round off her look with expensive makeup and perfume.
Dr Nandipha also made headlines when she bought two luxury cars within six months of each other.
Her fame led to the doctor being suspended by the SA medical board, The Health Professions Council of South Africa.
Source: Facebook
Briefly News previously reported Dr Nandipha Magudumana allegedly abandoned a Mercedes-Benz at the Beitbridge border post in Zimbabwe.
The vehicle reportedly has more than R1 million in unpaid fines and has since been impounded.
Take a look at a video by Mzansi Scenes showing Nandipha's luxury lifestyle below:
Is Dr Nandipha still married to Mkhuseli Magudumana?
In 2013, the celebrity doctor said "I do" to Mkhuseli Oscar Magudumana, aka Mac, at a fairytale wedding. To this day, Dr Nandipha still uses her ex-hubby's surname, as her maiden name is Sekeleni.
Here is where it gets confusing.
According to GroundUp - who also broke the news that Thabo Bester was not burnt to a crisp in his prison cell in 2022 - Mac and Nandipha are still married.
The publication reported the disgraced doctor and Mac, who is also a doctor, entered into a civil marriage, and the Home Affairs database still reflects the same information.
However, Redi Tlhabi revealed in a tweet that the Magudumanas divorced in 2022.
According to The South African, Tlhabi is friends with Dr Nandipha and her ex-hubby.
Dr Nandipha Magudumana reached out to Thabo Bester while he was in prison
How does a successful doctor become involved with a convicted killer?
Kaya959 reported Magugumana reached out to Bester in prison in 2017. According to an affidavit, the mother of two stated she and Bester got engaged in 2020.
IOL reported that throughout the years, Bester enlisted the help of corrupt G4S officers to arrange rendezvous with Dr Nandipha at five-star hotels.
Following his alleged death in 2022, Dr Nandipha claimed his "body" as his customary wife. Magudumana has been charged now for the part she played in his escape.
After his prison break, Bester lived large with his doctor bae in a Hyde Park mansion and was spotted several times shopping with her. The sightings led to GroundUp uncovering the truth about his staged death.
The rise and fall of Dr Nandipha Magudumana is a sad one
A couple of weeks ago, Dr Nandipha still inspired so many women in South Africa.
She's intelligent, successful, and lived a life most people could only dream of. And she gave it all up for a man who was supposed to spend the rest of his life in prison for heinous crimes committed against other women.
Dr Nandipha Magudumana sacrificed her career, family, and life for Thabo Bester. Did love blind her, or did Bester unlock a dark side of Magudumana that no one else ever knew? Mzansi has to wait and see her true story unfolding in court.
Thabo Bester: Video of Dr Nandipha Magumana's mother crying in court garners SA's sympathy
Briefly News reported Dr Nandipha Magudumana's mother broke down in court on April 17 as her daughter and husband, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, faced charges of helping Thabo Bester escape from prison and other crimes.
The emotional scene was captured on video and has gained attention across South Africa. Many people sympathised with the elderly woman, believing Magudumana brought trouble to her family through her relationship with Bester.
Magudumana remains in custody, while Sekeleni was granted R10 000 bail but still faces charges related to the escape and other crimes. The state withdrew the murder charge against Sekeleni on the same day.
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Source: Briefly News
