Malaika Mahlatsi Biography

Malaika Mahlatsi born Malaika Lesego Samora Mahlatsi is a South African writer, blogger, political commentator and TV presenter. She is a self-proclaimed feminist and had her first book,’ Memoir of a Born Free’ published in 2014.

Early Life and Education

Malaika is a famous writer born on the 19th of October 1991 in Soweto, South Africa. She was raised and taken care of by her single mother Dipuo Mahlatsi, a student activist who was part of the Congress of South Africa National Congress Youth League (ANCYL).

Malaika started her educational career at Tshimologo Junior Primary in Zone 9 Meadowlands until grade five. Thereafter, she went to Melpark Primary School in Melville, Johannesburg. She went ahead to Florida Park High School where she completed her high school education. Thereafter, she attended Rhodes University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Geography. She obtained another Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree cum laude also at Rhodes University.

In 2021, she completed a Master of Public Affairs at the Tshwane University of Technology under the supervision of an eminent Public Administration Scholar, Professor Mashupye Herbert Maserumule. In the same year, she opted for a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Johannesburg.

Career

Malaika sees her mother as a strong influence during her childhood. She became exposed to politics when visiting her mother who worked in Braamfontein at SANGOCO, where read books. In her late teens, Malaika’s family relocated to Dobsonville, Soweto. In 2010, after she completed her matric, she relocated to Cape Town where she interned at the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC).

The following year, she worked at the Jozi Book Fair division of Khanya College.  Between 2012 and 2017, Malaika lived in Grahamstown where she obtained an undergraduate and postgraduate degree at Rhodes University. She continued her activism by serving several organizations such as the African Youth Coalition, SADC Food and Nutrition Security Committee and the South African Students Congress, where she served as the Branch Secretary of Rhodes University from 2012.

In 2017, Malaika worked in the Ministry of Communications before her political supervisor was moved to the Ministry of Science and Technology. Because of personal feelings, she resigned from her work and moved to the local government in 2019. She was eventually suspended from the local government for unprofessional conduct in the City of Ekurhuleni.

Shortly after, she was reinstated and continued working as a speechwriter for Executive Mayor Ekurhuleni, Mzwandile Masina. Malaika is a television presenter of the youth talk show, Bua Fea, on Moja Love, to mention but a few. She also writes a weekly column in the Sowetan newspaper and a bi-monthly column in the Herald newspaper.

Achievements

Malaika has written for several outlets such as the Mali and Guardian, The Thinker as well as DestinnyConnect among others. She is the former African Union African Youth Charter ambassador for the SADC region. Maliaka also doubles as the youth representative in the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Committee.

Also, Malaika served as the Secretary General of the African Youth Coalition, founded by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation in South Africa in 2013. She is the former African Union African Youth Charter ambassador for the SADC region and a former youth representative in the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Committee.

In 2015, she was selected as one of the top young South Africans in the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans. She was also awarded the Youth Making It Happen Award by the former Miss South Africa, Joan Ramagoshi in 2016. Malaika Mahlatsi is the director of her own company Pen and Azanian Revolution (Pty) Ltd.

 Publications

• Memoirs of a Born Free: Reflections on the Rainbow Nation (2014)
• Corridors of Death: The Struggle to Exist in Historically White Institutions (2020)

Personal Life

The 41-year-old writer grew up with only her mother and had a younger brother, Lumumba, who was named after Congolese leader, Patric Lumumba. Malaika and her brother live in Johannesburg but the rest of her family stays in Soweto.

In June 2017, she lost her beloved mother whom she wrote about in her book, ‘Memoir of a Born Free” to gastrointestinal cancer. After her mother’s death, Malaika retreated from public events and engagements but still writes her weekly column in the Sunday sun newspaper.

In March 2020, she dated Katlego Mamabolo, the chief director at Rectitude Private Prosecutions for two weeks. The relationship was brought to a sour note with Mamabolo accusing Malaika of writing PhD dissertation for Mzwandile Masina.

Malaika Mahlatsi Net Worth

Malaika is a reputable writer and one of the richest writers in South Africa. Her major income is from writing and she has an estimated amount of $1.5 million.

Social Media Handles

Twitter;  @MalaikaWaAzania