Beloved South African actress Khanya Mkangisa is known not only for her captivating performances on screen but also for her authenticity and resilience in her personal life. Gracing the cover of BONA’s first digital edition, there’s a special glow about the bubbly star as she shares the spotlight for the first time with her beautiful baby boy.
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to officially introduce him to the world,” beams Khanya, her eyes lighting up with pride. “The timing aligned perfectly as having just turned eight months old, his little personality really shines through now.” As she navigates the journey of motherhood, Khanya opens up about her pregnancy, the joys of raising her baby boy, and the lessons she’s learned thus far as a result of adding the title of ‘mama’ to her already long list of defining roles.
For Khanya, motherhood has been a transformative experience. “There’s really nothing that could have prepared me for this,” she admits. “I’ve always known that embarking on this journey would demand everything I had – and eight months in, I can say with certainty that it absolutely has!”
“There’s no two ways about it, having a newborn is really hectic,” confesses Khanya, whose also known and loved by those closest to her for not mincing her words. “The responsibility of having someone who is reliant on you for everything is both totally awe-inspiring and overwhelming all at the same time.”
Asked what her favourite part of being a mother is, Khanya says: “For me, it’s simply the privilege of being a tiny person’s whole world. My baby boy has such a lovable spirit that being able to care for him, shower him with love and watch his personality develop right in front of my eyes is something I’ve found truly fascinating and have wholeheartedly embraced since the very first moment he was born.”
As for the most difficult part about being a mother, Khanya doesn’t even blink before answering. “Oh my goodness, without a doubt it’s the sleepless nights. I’ve always cherished my sleep. I used to love nothing more than taking an afternoon nap on the weekends, particularly if I’d had a really busy week. So adjusting to life with significantly less rest over the past eight months has been quite a shift for me. But I remind myself all the time that I’ve had plenty of time to sleep in the past and that this is temporary and all part of the adventure of motherhood,” she remarks resolutely.
Reflecting on her pregnancy experience, Khanya shares how, for the most part, hers was an overwhelmingly positive and joyful experience. “I do distinctly remember, however, one particularly hot day last December when I was around 7 or 8 months along and I thought to myself, ‘If I ever do this again, I’ll definitely make sure I have a winter pregnancy'”, she laughs.
“Apart from that and other than feeling like my pregnancy was incredibly long, because I found out very early on that I was expecting, I really was very lucky and enjoyed a smooth and uneventful pregnancy. Sure I had the odd food craving,” she confesses, “but nothing crazy or weird, just things I already love to eat, such as pasta and chocolate. I just seemed to enjoy eating them a hundred times more while I was pregnant.”
As for her enviable figure, the star is quick to stress how embracing her growing baby bump was just part and parcel of owning her pregnancy experience. “I honestly adored my bump and loved going for our 3D scans,” says Khanya whose partner, businessman Desmond Williams, was right there alongside her for each visit. “It’s hard to believe that even now, my baby looks just like he did in those images,” she smiles.
