Amanda Manku Motau (born August 9, 1991) is a South African actress, sportscaster, and businesswoman best known for playing Lizzy on Skeem Saam.
Aside from acting, Amanda is a mother to one biological child and three that she stepmothers. The actress lost her mother and grandmother in 2022 and has struggled with the aftermath.
So, in this article, we will look at 12 facts you didn’t know about her personal life. All details of this article are from her interviews, which we have listed in the article.
Profile of Amanda Manku Motau
Full name: Amanda Manku Motau
Date of birth: August 9, 1991
Place of birth: Zebediela, Limpopo, South Africa
Education: Degree in Motion Picture (AFDA)
Height: 1.62m
Occupation: Actress and Sportscaster
Known for: Lizzy on Skeem Saam
Net worth: $250,000
Spouse: Mr Motau (m. 2022)
Nationality: South African
1. Where was Amanda Manku born?
Amanda Manku was born in Zebediela, in a small village called Malatane. While that’s true, Manku claims that she was born in Magopong, another village that is technically in Zebediela. However, when her parents got married, she moved to Johannesburg but still regards Magopong as home.
2. The education Amanda Manku
According to BrieflySA’s research, she enrolled at Dowling Avenue Primary in Johannesburg, and for her high school, she attended the Hoerskool Die Burger in Roodepoort. Manku was very active in school and would participate in almost everything, including soccer and tennis.
After completing high school, the actress decided to pursue her passion of becoming an actress and being involved in the film industry. So, she studied for a degree in motion picture at the AFDA School of Arts.
3. How many children does she have?
Amanda Manku has only one biological child, whom she gave birth to in 2017. She never revealed who the father of the child was. However, some sources suggested it was Hendrick Ekstein. But Amanda has never confirmed this.
However, that’s the only child Amanda has biologically. Her child is at least 6 years old as of 2023. But since she got married to her now-husband, she is now the mother of four children in total since her own husband brought four children into the marriage.
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4. How old is Amanda Manku?
Amanda Manku was born on August 9, 1991. So, as of 2023, she is 32 years old. Moreover, Manku is the oldest child of five siblings. Her mother had her when she was 15. So, their age gap was so small that
Amanda regarded her mother as her best friend and her grandmother as her mother. Her other two younger siblings are twins, and they matriculated in 2022. It was a very difficult year for them since they lost their mother and their grandmother.
5. How did she lose her mother and grandmother?
While Amanda tried to keep her private life to herself, as her mother had advised her to, it wasn’t easy. In May 2022, Amanda Manku lost both her mother and grandmother in an assassination.
According to Manku, her mother and grandmother were called by some men and left with them, and both were shot. No one knows why this was done, as her mother never worked a single day in her life.
Neither was her grandmother a high-profile person. So, she was left with a lot of questions, and the police were failing to answer even the most basic questions she had.
When asked if she thought it was linked to her, Amanda denied it, saying she had no doubt it had nothing to do with her. While no one was arrested, Amanda had to make the difficult decision to try and move on, and thanks to her strong support systems, she seems to be coming along just fine for now.
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6. She dated soccer star Hendrick Pule Ekstein
While most don’t know her dating history, it is public knowledge that she dated a soccer star. According to Manku, she dated Ekstein before he even got big. Amanda allegedly met Manku through her sportscasting, since it was her job to interview soccer players and coaches.
While the relationship didn’t last long, they dated for three years before calling it quits. However, when asked if he had anything to say about Ekstein, she said there was nothing. And for those alleging that Ekstein is the father of her child, we don’t know, but it’s possible.
7. Who is she married to now?
To be honest, Amanda Manku’s husband’s name is unknown for now. But we managed to find his surname. Her husband’s surname is Motau or Tau. So, she married a Tswana person, and those who know him say he’s very cool.
In an Instagram post, Amanda showed much gratitude to her husband, saying she was first in line when God was handing out good men. Her husband came into their marriage with three children already, and she came with one. So, in total, she’s now a mother to four children.
8. She doesn’t prefer dating famous people
This one may come as a shock, but Manku doesn’t prefer to date people in the industry or associated with fame. According to Manku, it could be a recipe for disaster.
In fact, you could say she has some experience dating a soccer star. A high-profile one at that, of which you got to admit, soccer stars aren’t the most unknown people.
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9. Amanda Manku has over 10 years of experience on Skeem Saam
While most may not know this, Manku has been on Skeem Saam for nearly 10 years. She started playing that role when she was 22 years old in 2013. So, as of 2023, she has been part of the cast for nearly 10 years.
In fact, in the early seasons of the show, she didn’t actually like Kwaito. However, over time, he grew on her to the point that she married him. It’s indeed a very intriguing storyline that there’s still time to turn things around in life.
10. She wouldn’t recommend acting to her kids
While this may be an unpopular opinion, Amanda is part of a squad that says actors should be paid more. In an interview with Sdeni Poi and Kamo, she said that she wouldn’t recommend that path to her children because there’s no money in the industry. Manku went as far as to say that there is no financial freedom in the industry.
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11. She never dated King Monada
Most people assume that Amanda dated King Monada because she appeared in one of his music videos. But that’s simply not true; although Amanda has accepted that she was good friends with Monada, that was all.
She was also accused of being in a love triangle with another soccer star while dating Hendrick. But she denied all that, saying she had never even met Kabelo.
But every rumor has some truth. So, here’s where the claims came from. A journalist once attended a Monada party where they saw her and Monada holding hands. So, when they asked if she was going to be his second wife, she said she was his fifth, and the following day, that was the headline.
Manku met Monada through her social media, as she would always share his music on her socials. So, one day, he invited her to be in one of his music videos, and that was the beginning of their friendship. But, as you know, in this country, a man and a woman are dating.
12. She owns her own company
Among many other things Manku is proud of, she is a proud businesswoman. She owns a fragrance company named Amascent. Her company makes fragrances and colognes that are inspired by popular fragrances and therefore tend to smell similar to the more famous ones. You can follow her on Instagram, @amanda_manku, where she has nearly 180k followers as of 2023.
