“From uMama to iMama”: Sandton Makeup Artist Drops 54kg and Now Looks Half Her Age

• A Sandton makeup artist from Johannesburg shed a remarkable 54kg and completely transformed the way she looks and carries herself today
• Her weight loss has turned back the clock on her appearance, leaving followers convinced she now looks years younger than her age
• She turned her personal journey into a business, offering a weight loss course online for women ready to start their own transformation today
• Briefly News spoke to a trusted fitness expert, who shared insight into the woman's incredible weight loss

She was overweight, tired of how she felt in her own body. Eventually, she was done with making peace with the way things were. So she did something about it, and the results have left Mzansi completely stunned.

Nthati, a makeup artist and content creator based in Sandton, Johannesburg, took matters into her own hands and shed an extraordinary 54kg. The transformation did not just change her size or how her clothes fit. It changed the way she carries herself and how people see her. The woman who once carried the weight of years on her body now looks like she reversed time.

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From the mirror to the movement

Before she got here, her journey looked like what many South African women quietly go through. Excess weight does not arrive overnight, and it does not leave quickly either. It builds slowly until it becomes something most people simply learn to live with.

Research shows that obesity affects mental health just as deeply as it affects the body. Many people report lowered self-esteem and a loss of identity long before they ever step on a scale. Nthati clearly reached that turning point, and when she did, she went all in.

She shed the weight through sheer discipline until she was unrecognisable from who she once was. The change in her face alone has had people across social media doing double takes. Where she once looked like a woman well into her years, she now carries the glow of someone much younger.

Mothusi Maepa, a fitness expert and certified personal trainer, explained to Briefly News journalist Moroba Maepa how long it would take one to lose 54kg.

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"It would take a year. The healthiest amount of weight to lose is 1kg a week."

The clip that took over TikTok

On 18 March 2026, Nthati posted a before-and-after video on her TikTok account @nthatiandlineo, and Mansi paid full attention. Her account is packed with content from across her entire weight loss journey. Followers have had a front-row seat to the work that went into every kilogram she lost along the way.

See the before and after in the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi reacts to the transformation

Briefly News compiled some comments from the post below.

@Saiden_23 commented:

“From uMama to iMama. 😭”

@Nthabiseng Mimiza said:

“I'm not ugly, guys, I'm just overweight. 😁”

@Simmy noted:

“Losing weight is at the top of my to-do list this year.”

@KgomotsoMorweng asked:

“Why am I seeing this after having a slice of cake. 🥺”

@Tshedza the light commented:

“There is no way, girl, you look gorgeous.🔥🤏🏽”

@Mbalenhle Ntshangase said:

“I need to save this video and watch it every day for motivation.”

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More body transformation on Briefly News

• Briefly News previously reported that a TikTok post sparks nationwide curiosity as viewers notice a striking change in one man’s skin, challenging habits about sugar consumption and hydration.
• A woman shared before and after scenes showing how she went from 86kg to 78kg.
• A South African woman shared her impressive weight loss journey, inspiring thousands online.

Source: Briefly News