The Wife Season 1 and 2: Things you didn’t know about Kwenzo Ngcobo

Showmax’s original telenovela The Wife is filled with plenty of twists and turns, and the Season 1 finale didn’t hold back on delivering jaw-dropping moments.

Update: Want to know more? Watch the behind-the-scenes special The Wife: Behind the Veil. Plus, binge all of Season 1 and 2 of The Wife on Showmax.

There were gruesome murders, a well-executed prison break, and a marriage that spiralled out of control. The biggest bombshell, though, was when Kwenzo Ngcobo’s beloved character Qhawe landed in bed with his sister-in-law Hlomu (Mbali Mavimbela). The tryst followed after Hlomu discovered that her husband Mqhele (Bonko Khoza) murdered her ex-boyfriend Sandile (Kay Sibiya). Overcome with rage, Hlomu had one too many drinks, one thing led to another and she had sex with Qhawe.

What’s worse is that Hlomu’s twin brother, Langa (Linda Majola), walked in on Hlomu and Qhawe’s rendezvous, and fans of The Wife know very well that Langa can’t keep a secret to save his life.

In Season 2, Qhawe and Hlomu’s secret is exposed and Mqhele spirals into a rage of anger.

Breaking the bro code

Usually, Qhawe is the most rational of the Zulu siblings, but when it comes to Hlomu, he can’t think straight. Because he met Hlomu before Mqhele, Qhawe is convinced that he is the right man for her. In Season 1, Hlomu made it clear that Mqhele was her choice but when she saw his true and abusive colours, she quickly realised that she chose the wrong brother. Now she finds herself in a very tricky situation with both the Zulu brothers.

For now, while we wait to see how this situation will be resolved, we get to know Kwenzo Ngcobo, whose character has stolen the hearts of many South Africans.

Here are 7 interesting things that you probably didn’t know about Kwenzo Ngcobo

1. Kwenzokuhele Ngcobo was born and bred in Izingolweni, a small town near Port Shepstone.
2. The 29-year-old explains that his interest in acting was sparked at a young age. His father would return home from work with a range of action movies and the next morning, Kwenzo and his friends would imitate their favourite action heroes. “The movies included 90s stars such as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal and Sylvester Stallone. We wanted to be just like them,” recalls Kwenzo.
3. After completing high school, Kwenzo studied psychology, but he dropped out of the course after two months. He took the rest of the year off from varsity and he later studied drama at Durban University of Technology.
4. Kwenzo’s dream to star in an action movie turned into reality when he played assassin Nkanyamba in 2019 short film Saloon, where he acted alongside The Wife’s Mbali. In the movie, she had a small role as a waitress.
5. Kwenzo’s big break was in 2019 as Themba in local soapie Imbewu: The Seed.
6. He reveals that he auditioned to play Mqhele, but he lost the role to Bonko. “A few weeks after my audition, I was asked to try-out for Qhawe and I landed the role,” says Kwenzo, before adding that “what I like about Qhawe is that we have plenty of similarities. He is reserved and he cares deeply about his loved ones.”
7. A fun fact about Kwenzo? He collects die-cast model cars.

The Wife Season 2 is streaming on Showmax. The Wife S3 is landing on 10 November 2022.