Sithelo Shozi has celebrated her lobola in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, formalising her engagement to businessman Kudzaishe "James" Magura months after his Lake Como proposal.
Sithelo Shozi has celebrated her lobola in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, formalising her engagement to businessman Kudzaishe “James” Magura. Picture: Screenshot, X
Durban-born socialite, media personality and The Masked Singer SA detective Sithelo Shozi is officially “off the market,” celebrating her lobola in early August 2026 in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, with her fiancé, South Africa-based Zimbabwean businessman Kudzaishe James Magura.
The traditional ceremony, held in her home town, marks Shozi’s formal step into customary marriage as a new makoti, following Magura’s dreamy international proposal earlier this year.
From Lake Como to Newcastle
Magura popped the question during a lavish birthday holiday in Italy in April 2026, around the time of Shozi’s 32nd birthday, proposing on a boat on Lake Como with a Tiffany & Co. oval-cut solitaire diamond ring. The social media sensation confirmed the engagement on Instagram at the time, captioning a photo “…and suddenly I’m left-handed,” after images of the ring began circulating online.
The couple reportedly dated briefly in 2018 before splitting, then rekindled their relationship more privately in the years since.
Shozi is mother to three children: a son from her previous relationship with Makhosini Maseko, known as Lord Phil, and two daughters with Royal AM chair Andile Mpisane, son of businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize.
Pregnancy rumours also surfaced around the time of the engagement and resurfaced during the lobola celebrations after a figure-hugging outfit drew attention in videos online, though Shozi had previously denied being pregnant, saying she and Magura hoped to expand their family in future.
In the months following the engagement, Shozi announced she was stepping away from DJing to focus on her television career and family.
A glowing celebration
Videos circulating online showed Shozi in three different outfits as she celebrated the conclusion of her lobola negotiations with friends and family, several of whom shared moments from the day on Instagram. Shozi herself had not posted official photographs from the celebration by the time major reports emerged during the Women’s Day long weekend.
Congratulations poured in from fans on social media, many referring to Shozi by her popular nickname “iMayor yeTheku” as they celebrated her new chapter as a makoti.
Some commentary around Magura’s Zimbabwean background was critical and xenophobic in tone, though it did not define the overall reception, which remained largely celebratory.
Some of the criticism was, in part, due to the fact that Magura and faced tax-fraud-related charges in 2020 followed by a court appearance for the same charges. There have been no prominent updates on the outcome in recent months.
