I LOST MY SISTER & DAD IN A SPACE OF 3 WEEKS, MUTALE MWANZA SPEAKS ON FAMILY, MARRIAGE, CAREER & MORE

PLEASE NOTE: This article is an adaptation from her interview on Kenny T 1 ON 1 episode seven(7) interview released March 6th, 2025.

EARLY LIFE

Born on October 22nd 1987, Mutale Mellissa Mwanza is a 37 year old socialite, enterpreneur, radio, and TV presenter. Mutale Mwanza, who is the third born in the family, has two elder siblings, Mumbi, a sister and Tinki, a brother, and one younger sister, Tiyamike. The socialite also has a late elder sister.

Mutale Mwanza was born in Kitwe, Ndeke, moved to Riverside, and finally, Parklands where her family settled. Mutale Mwanza did her primary school at Nkana Trust from which she moved to St Jones Covenant secondary school where she spent a single term before moving to Ibenga Girls, a catholic school which she says shaped most of her career because of the values the boarding school instilled in her. She completed her secondary education at the school in 2004 at the age of 17.

LIFE CHANGING EVENT

In 2002 after proceeding to 10th grade at Ibenga Girls boarding school, a tragedy hit. She revealed that she lost her elder sister on 14th of March that year and about three weeks later on the 10th April, she lost her father, events she say really changed her life.

With the father being the main provider of the home, this changed their lives emotionally and financially. She recounts moments in boarding school when her mother would not visit on days parents visited their children and brought goodies. “I would be watching from the classroom window,” she told Kenny T.

The media personality further revealed that her father’s absence really changed the course of her life as she reflected on some decisions she had made in life, “There are certain decisions I wouldn’t have made if my father was still alive,” she said.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The socialite revealed that she aspired to be a lawyer but because of the of loosing her father, her single mum was not in a financial position to finance those dreams to reality.

The multi-talented media personality revealed that because her mother worked for Zamtel, she ended up pursuing Business Administration in 2007 with Zamtel College as the organization had arrangements of cutting from employees’ salary enabling their children to further their studies with the institution.

EARLY PREGNANCY AND MARRIAGE, DIVORCE

While at Zamtel College, Mutale Mwanza became pregnant delivering her first born son Mwape Jack Huncho through caesarean section who is now 18 years old. The media personality told Kenny T that this lead her into an early marriage after she delivered in 2007 at the age of 20 years old.

She further said that there was no wedding ceremony as the husband to be just brought lobola( dowry). Mutale Mwanza revealed that she received traditional marriage teachings which she took very seriously and put into practice further attributing her success and hamorny in marriage to the teachings.

It was after she stopped applying some of the teaching that her marriage started falling apart, leading to her devorce she told Kenny T. Mutale Mwanza further gave credit to her ex husband for nurturing a business spirit in her as he gave her to manage their taxi business in Kitwe.

RADIO, TELEVISION AND MEDIA

Before landing a morning breakfast show in 2008 on a newly opened radio station ‘Flava’ in Kitwe, Mutale Mwanza was trained by Chishala Chitoshi for five months at a local radio station in her efforts to find work for herself signifying her resilience and determination.

“I needed more,” said the media personality, Mutale Mellissa Mwanza as she gave her reasons for leaving Flava FM and going to pursue a career in South Africa.

In explaining how she managed to move to South Africa and getting a role as a field presenter on African Magic’s Good Morning Africa show, the media personality told Kenny T, “I dated someone who loved me so much, someone who could move mountains for me.”

She continued, “He moved me there and I called Chuma Phiri because I have interacted with Chuma Phiri at flava FM, from my previous job. So I called up Chuma Phiri when I got to Jorbug, Chimzkey, I’m here now I, I’ve moved to SA and I need a job, so he was like really, ok!”

She further added, “Chuma was a lead presenter for Good Morning Africa, so he said to me, come to Planet Image Production. So Planet Image Production was the Production company responsible for Good Morning Africa on African Magic and that’s where Chuma was working… I called him and he said come to ranbug, here is the address. I pulled up and he said OK cool, we are looking for field presenters. I’m gonna take you to the boss’ office, audition, good luck all the best, he knocked on the door, he said hi Wale, this girl is from Zambia, her name is Mutale, here she is, pushed me in and said good luck.”

She continued, “Wale is a Nigerian business man, he said oh yeah sit down… we had a conversation, I like how you speak, you are very confident, abcd come tomorrow.” Mutale got the job and started working, a job she would quit five months later because “she needed more.”

At this point, she said she had been planning about starting her own show, a show she pitched to African Magic and they accepted. Just like moving to South Africa, Mutale Mwanza revealed that her man at the time help her financially to pursue her dream.

The show ended when things with her partner then ended as she said, “He said, girl if you are walking away from me, you gonna leave this thing,” referring to her Kumwesu TV show. The show carried on for two seasons with different presenters.

When this ended, the media personality was on to her next venture. In 2014, she was invited by Zambia Music Awards to present an award. When she came, she met Muka who proposed a job opportunity which she couldn’t take at the time.

When she came to Zambia, she contacted Muka over the previous offer. She was suggested to Hot FM and luckily at the time they had an opening hence she got the job joining the team hosting the Drive Time show with Tony Rollercoaster.

She then went ahead to host the breakfast show from which she was fired by Oscar Chavula over what she said on radio and social media posts that were deemed inappropriate. A move she said she holds no grudges as Oscar and Zach Chavula(late) gave her an opportunity and were protecting their business.

The media personality embarked on her next mission, Zambezi Magic’s Tumvange Lifestyle show which she co-hosted with Natasha, Esther Chungu and Michie Zambia’s Sweetheart. This show was filled with so much controversy due to the media mogul comments.

Speaking on her controversy on the show, Mutale Mwanza told Kenny T, “You know Kenny, showbiz is a very calculated industry… Sometimes you get paid to be the villain and you need to be okay with it, you need to be okay with what comes with it, you need to be okay with what the public will perceive you to be beside the fact that you may not necessarily be that.”

She further added, ” So if you are sitting on a panel with fourth(she actually meant three) amazing women and mitch is very cool and collected, Esther is a Christian and she carries her Christian values very loudly and proudly, which is amazing and admirable. Then you’ve got Natasha who is kinda naughty, flirtatious and spicy, you need someone who is going to be the mean girl.”

She continued, “So you need to accept to take that role and I accepted to take that role, I accepted to read the script and that was it and I enjoyed it. Sometimes you know people come at me with the you shouldn’t have said this or you did this and I’m like, but it was entertaining right?”

Mutale Mwanza’s career on TV was far from over, her next pursuit was on Honey TV were she hosted ‘WILL HE SAY YES ZAMBIA’ helping young girls propose to men.

Her career has been painted with ambitions, alway wanting more and more. The media personality, radio and TV presenter recounted her journey of having her own reality TV Show, “Mutale Mwanza Unscripted Reality TV show,” as she remembered how Zambezi Magic earlier in 2020 had turned down her three page proposal she had sent with so much courage, the first time she received a rejection she said.

Three years later the socialite received a counter proposal to do the show as then it aligned with their vision. Mutale Mwanza said because she didn’t want her life story to be in another company hands, she decided to be business smart and created a company Mutale Mwanza Media Limited which produced the two seasons of her reality TV show.

When asked what the most difficult part about the reality TV show was, she responded saying, bringing her family on the show and the thought of how people would perceive them and what they’d say about their look and clothes, especially regarding her mother was the most difficult part as they were not celebrities.

ACCOLADES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

In her conversation with Kenny T, Mutale Mwanza revealed that her show ‘Mutale Mwanza Unscripted Reality TV show’ was nominated for Best Reality TV show at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards.

HER SON HUNCHO

Mutale Mwanza in her conversation with Kenny T also talked about her son, Mwape Jack Huncho who she said they are very close because of dialog and conversation. She said their relationship was good such that her son would first come talk to her if he was bothered by anything.

Her son is signed and plays for Young NAPSA Stars, a football club. The media personality who is also her son’s manager said she is very in support of her son’s career choice as he has not shown interest studying medicine or engineering.

Because of her entire career being reliant on her talent, she is highly in support of her son as she buys him jerseys, football boots and taking him to academies as she believes he will be the best player in the world.

RELATIONSHIP WITH DANDY KRAZY

Mutale Mwanza recounted meeting late legendary artist Dandy Krazy at Flava FM in 2008 as she worked there. With the opening of the radio station, artist would bring their music to the radio station in Kitwe rather than Lusaka.

She recounted on a moment when she had to fight with a fellow coworker over a man in the presence of Dandy Krazy, while he tried to separate them. From that moment she said they clicked and became close.

When talking about his death, her tone changed as she talked in an emotional tone, “I lost a friend, I have lost a friend, and I was just there to make sure my friend had a decent send off and his family was ok. I just did what I would have loved him to do for me because Dandy used to talk to my son. Dandy used to show up for us so I needed to be there.”

Mutale Mwanza’s story has been filled with ambition, determination, and consistency, giving an impression of a goal getter. Her passion for media and entertainment has taken her places, setting herself up as a prominent and celebrated media personality in Zambia.

Beyond media, the celebrity has had great interpersonal relationships with her peers and family, a character that has propelled her into the woman she is now. Truly, she’s one to emulate.