South Africa has long had a complicated and deeply personal relationship with spirituality, with many public figures openly discussing their Christian upbringing, ancestral callings and journeys into traditional healing.
But in recent years, another trend has emerged: celebrities who previously embraced ubungoma or traditional healing later publicly choosing Christianity, with some undergoing baptism and speaking openly about finding God.
Among the names associated with this spiritual shift are Dineo Ranaka, Gigi Lamayne, Gogo Skhotheni, former Generations actor Thabiso Mokhethi and actress Palesa Madisakwane. Some were formally initiated as traditional healers, while others described experiencing an ancestral calling without necessarily completing ukuthwasa. Boity Thulo, has publicly spoken about the coexistence of God and ancestors rather than announcing a conversion.
Dineo Ranaka’s journey from ancestral calling to renewed faith
Media personality and broadcaster Dineo Ranaka has had one of the most publicly discussed spiritual journeys in Mzansi.
In 2017, Ranaka explained that she had considered becoming a sangoma but stressed that she had not undergone initiation at that point. She said she ultimately chose Christianity because that path made more sense to her.
Her spiritual journey later changed. In 2021, she publicly described herself as a qualified traditional healer after answering what she understood to be an ancestral calling.
More recently, Ranaka has spoken about returning to her Christian faith. She recently shared images getting baptasied in church.
Gigi Lamayne chooses Christianity after her sangoma journey
Rapper Gigi Lamayne is another prominent name to publicly embrace Christianity after previously exploring traditional healing.
The “Ice Cream” hitmaker had spoken about her journey towards becoming a sangoma and the impact the spiritual path had on her relationships and personal life.
In 2025, Lamayne publicly took another major spiritual step when she was baptised and announced that she had dedicated her life to Jesus.
The rapper had left ubungoma following her baptism and was openly embracing her Christian faith.
Her decision placed her among a growing group of South African entertainers who have publicly discussed moving away from traditional healing and towards Christianity.
Gogo Skhotheni leaves ubungoma and gets baptised
Reality television personality and former sangoma Gogo Skhotheni, whose real name is Tumi Motsoeneng, has been particularly vocal about her decision to leave traditional healing.
After becoming widely known through her appearances as a sangoma, Motsoeneng announced that she had stopped practising ubungoma and had chosen Christianity.
She later explained that her decision was not something she made overnight. Speaking about her journey, she said there were aspects of ubungoma that no longer made sense to her.
“I did not wake up and stop; there are many things that I had to discover, things that did not make sense,” she said.
She also made a distinction between what she considers an individual’s natural gift and the practice of ubungoma, saying she no longer believed the two were necessarily connected.
In May 2025, Motsoeneng was baptised on her 33rd birthday, publicly marking another chapter in her Christian journey.
Her transformation has continued to attract attention, particularly because she has moved from being known for traditional healing to speaking publicly about Christianity and prayer.
Thabiso Mokhethi returns to his Christian faith
Former Generations actor and television presenter Thabiso Mokhethi has also spoken openly about his spiritual transformation.
Mokhethi previously became a sangoma after being raised as a Christian, but later decided to abandon the traditional healing route and return to Christianity.
In 2023, Mokhethi had denounced his sangoma calling and announced that he would no longer consult sangomas or use his gift of prophecy within the traditional healing route. Instead, he said he wanted to channel his energies into his Christian faith.
His story has also included discussions about addiction, personal struggles and rebuilding his life, making his return to Christianity part of a broader testimony about his search for purpose and spiritual direction.
More recently, Mokhethi has continued speaking about why he left ubungoma and his understanding of the Bible and Jesus Christ.
Palesa Madisakwane’s dramatic spiritual change
Former Generations actress Palesa Madisakwane is another celebrity whose move from traditional healing to Christianity became public.
Madisakwane had spent time as a traditional healer before announcing that she was ending that chapter of her life.
In 2024, she shared footage of herself destroying traditional healer garments before publicly embracing Christianity. She subsequently underwent baptism, sharing a message declaring her faith in Jesus Christ.
Her baptism became a major talking point because it visibly represented the end of one spiritual chapter and the beginning of another.
Boity Thulo is often mentioned – but her story is different
Rapper, actress and businesswoman Boity Thulo is frequently included in online conversations about celebrities and traditional spirituality, but her story should not be presented as a sangoma-to-Christian conversion.
Thulo has openly discussed her spiritual beliefs and her relationship with ancestral traditions. In 2024, she spoke about the idea that God and ancestors can coexist, challenging the notion that people must necessarily choose one or the other.
She has therefore spoken about Christianity and ancestors as part of her spiritual worldview, rather than announcing that she had abandoned being a sangoma to become Christian.
A growing conversation about faith and African spirituality
These celebrity journeys have opened up a much bigger conversation about Christianity, African spirituality, ancestral beliefs and traditional healing in South Africa.
The debate is particularly complicated because many South Africans grow up Christian while simultaneously being exposed to African cultural traditions and beliefs around ancestors.
A 2023 discussion by The Gospel Coalition Africa noted that many South Africans who experience an ancestral calling also identify as Christians, highlighting the tension that can arise between Christian beliefs and traditional healing.
For celebrities, the conversation becomes even more visible because their spiritual decisions unfold publicly. Their stories have sparked debate, criticism, support and questions about whether people can move between different spiritual traditions during their lives.
For Ranaka, Lamayne, Skhotheni, Mokhethi and Madisakwane, however, the common thread is that they have publicly spoken about a significant change in their relationship with spirituality and Christianity.
