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Beauty and the Bester is a new Netflix true-crime series that compels you to think.
The series is based on a true story about a man named Thabo Bester, also known as the "Facebook Rapist," but it is also about a woman who shocked South Africa with her choices. That woman is: Dr. Nandipha Magudumana.
Once a well-known doctor and a social media influencer, she traded her career, reputation, and even her family for a man who was a convicted murderer and a rapist, serving a life sentence.
But who exactly is Dr. Nandipha? Beauty and the Bester on Netflix takes us through her double life, her downfall, and the shocking role she played in Bester's escape.
From a rising social media star to an infamous name
Before her connection to Thabo Bester came to light, Dr. Nandipha Magudumana had everything going for her. She was a graduate from Wits University, she was a person who was interested in dermatology and cosmetic surgery, and she soon became one of South Africa's most recognized young doctors.
Her clinic, Optimum, had a reputation, and her Instagram turned her into a lifestyle influencer with thousands of followers.
But Beauty and the Bester paints a different picture under all of the polished exterior. As her personal life kept changing, her marriage fell apart, and she was left raising two daughters.
It is here that Nandipha's world collided with Bester's life in prison. She didn't just fall in love with him; she helped design one of the most daring prison escapes South Africa had ever seen. Her life, changing from a respected doctor to a fugitive, became one of the biggest talking points in South Africa.
What the series shows so well is how sudden the fall can be. One moment, Nandipha was celebrated as a successful businesswoman, and the next, she was walking the line of crime along with a convicted murderer who was now her lover.
The prison fire and the shocking twist seen in Netflix's Beauty and the Bester
Beauty and the Bester details the turning point that shook the country in 2022 with a fire inside Mangaung prison. Officials claimed Thabo Bester had died in his cell, his body burned beyond recognition. But it was Dr. Nandipha who stepped forward to claim the remains, revealing she was his customary-law wife. This move shocked the public, as even Bester's mother hadn't claimed the body.
Soon, things didn't add up. The DNA didn't match, and the body wasn't Bester's. Rumors started coming up, and investigative reporters began digging deeper. Then came the sighting that confirmed everyone's suspicions: photos of Nandipha shopping casually with a man who looked exactly like Bester.
Beauty and the Bester captures this unraveling brilliantly. Viewers watch as what looked like a tragic prison suicide transforms into one of the boldest prison breaks in recent history. And right at the center of the entire scheme is Dr. Nandipha, orchestrating moves that blurred the line between love and criminal complicity.
How far would she go for him?
If there's one thing the Netflix series makes clear, it's that Nandipha went far beyond what anyone expected. She didn't just claim Bester's body; she allegedly sourced corpses, used her medical access to smuggle bodies out of morgues, and even brought her father into the plot, and her father unknowingly agreed.
According to Beauty and the Bester, she convinced family members that Bester was a powerful businessman but hid the truth behind the criminal mastermind.
The escape itself was cinematic. Guards were bribed, CCTV had moments that slipped through the cracks, and a body was burned to cover up Bester's absence. Nandipha stood by him through it all, even fleeing with him across borders until they were finally arrested in Tanzania in 2023.
The question that hangs over Beauty and the Bester is whether Nandipha acted out of pure love, manipulation, or something deeper. The series doesn't hand viewers a neat answer, but it does leave one clear message: Her choices not only destroyed her own life but also redefined how the country views crime, power, and loyalty.
Beauty and the Bester leaves audiences stunned, not only because of Thabo Bester's criminal genius but also because of Dr. Nandipha Magudumana's role in the saga.
Once a celebrated doctor with a thriving career, she is now facing years in prison, her name tied forever to one of South Africa's darkest scandals. The Netflix docuseries doesn't just tell us who she is, but it forces us to ask how far a person can go when love, obsession, and crime collide.
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Also Read: Beauty and the Bester recap: Thabo’s staged prison fire and shocking escape
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