Beauty and the Bester: Who is Mkhuseli Magudumana? Details from the Netflix docuseries, explored

Beauty and the Bester has had an effect on the audience not only because of Thabo Bester's prison escape and twisted love story with Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, but also because of the people who were caught up in the tale of it all.

One name that keeps coming up to the surface is Mkhuseli Magudumana, Nandipha's former husband and father of her two daughters. The Netflix docuseries shines a bit of light on his life, which stands in contrast to all of the chaos that unfolded around Nandipha and Bester.

So, who exactly is he, and how is he important to the story?

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A doctor who kept his distance from the storm

Mkhuseli Oscar Magudumana, often called Mac, shared a life with Nandipha that looked perfect. The two doctors married in 2013, combined their medical careers, and started a happy family. The couple had two daughters, Ayana and Aziza, and they lived in Johannesburg.

While Nandipha was a cosmetic surgeon, Mkhuseli was a pediatrician and he ran his own clinic in Benoni, Gauteng, caring for children and families.

As Netflix's Beauty and the Bester points out, things began to change for the worse around 2017. That's when Nandipha reportedly became involved with Thabo Bester, the convicted r*pist and murderer who was still in prison at the time. Their romance didn't just incite gossip, but it eventually played a role in Nandipha's own crazy downfall.

By 2022, Nandipha and Mkhuseli's marriage had cracks, though the public records still had them listed as married. It was in 2022 that they divorced.

Unlike Nandipha, who became tied up in Bester's schemes and headlines, Mkhuseli was the one living his life in silence. He did not step into the media spotlight, nor did he publicly speak out about his ex-wife's decisions.

His only role became that of a father, raising his daughters away from the circus. This distance only highlighted how far removed his world was from the chaos swirling around his ex-wife and her lover.

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Beauty and the Bester: Family ties, heartbreak, and the focus on his children

The human cost of the Beauty and the Bester story becomes clearest when we take a look at the ex-husband and the children caught in the middle of this crossfire. Nandipha and Mkhuseli's daughters now live with their father, away from the storm that consumed their mother's life.

While Nandipha was in courtrooms facing charges of fraud, corruption, and her role in Bester's escape, Mkhuseli remained the steady parent at home, caring for their two kids back at home.

Netflix's Beauty and the Bester reveals just how different his life has been by being away from his ex-wife. While Nandipha was once seen as a social media influencer and successful surgeon with a steady practice, her decisions brought her closer to Bester's world of deception and lies.

In contrast, Mkhuseli focused on pediatrics, in which he focused on nurturing and protecting children. He became the protector of their daughters while their mother spiraled deeper into scandal.

For the audience watching, this part of the story is yet another layer of tragedy. A man once married into a bright, successful partnership was forced to divorce, stand back, and build stability for his children while the world gossiped about his ex-wife.

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In Beauty and the Bester, the spotlight may be on Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana, but Mkhuseli Magudumana's role is also a reminder of the collateral damage that you face in such a huge scandal.

Once a husband and partner, he is now a single father and pediatrician raising his daughters while staying out of the media. His story grounds the docuseries, showing the ordinary life that has continued on outside.

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Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.

Also read:

Beauty and the Bester: Who is Dr. Nandipha Magudumana? Details from the Netflix docuseries, explored.

Beauty and the Bester recap: Thabo’s staged prison fire and shocking escape