Much Ado About Mdu

His controversial appearance on Date My Family doesn’t faze Mduduzi Nyoni – he’s living a grand life.

- Shanaaz Prince

IT TOOK just one date for his life to change – now he can barely walk out of the front door without being swamped by crowds. And being recognised, as Mdu has discovered, can be a tad tricky.

“I can’t go to the garage, I can’t go to the Fourways Farmers’ Market as I usually do. I tried last weekend and there was a stampede. Sometimes my clients will say, ‘Let’s meet up,’ but I can’t do that any more.”

There’s no denying it: Mduduzi Nyoni has been the talk of the town since he appeared on popular Mzansi Magic show Date My Family recently.

Plenty of shade was heaped on the Joburg-based entrepreneur after he boasted that he owned several homes and, his critics claimed, exaggerated his controversial life story – all of this in a British accent that Tweeps simply couldn’t bear.

You’d expect the kind of scorn he’s been subjected to would get a man down – but not Mdu (36). Reclining in our Joburg offices in an orange African-print T-shirt and matching shorts – part of his House of Imani fashion label – he looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

And he doesn’t care, he insists. In fact, he’s thriving on all the attention.

“If people ain’t talking about you, trust me – check yourself. If someone out there is not talking about you, wake up, take your clothes off, go walk outside naked or something.