Gogo Maweni real name Makhotso Lee-Anne Makopo has marked her 40th birthday with a major personal transformation, revealing that she travelled to Turkey for cosmetic surgery.
The traditional healer, reality television personality and businesswoman appears to have undergone a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) as part of the transformation, with social media posts linking her birthday celebrations to the procedure in Turkey.
The revelation has sparked fresh interest in Maweni’s appearance, particularly following her well publicised weight loss journey.
From traditional healer to television personality
Born Makhotso Lee Anne Makopo, Maweni has become one of South Africa’s most recognisable celebrity traditional healers.
She rose to wider public prominence through reality television, where audiences were introduced to her life as a sangoma, mother and entrepreneur.
Her career has since expanded beyond traditional healing. Maweni has built a strong social media presence, appeared in entertainment and reality television spaces and developed businesses connected to her spiritual practice and wellness interests.
Her public life has also frequently attracted attention because of her relationships, motherhood, spirituality and outspoken personality.
Earlier this year, Maweni reflected on her journey in traditional healing, saying she had been practising professionally for about a decade.
Motherhood and family
Away from the spotlight, motherhood remains an important part of Maweni’s life.
She has five children, including her older children from previous relationships and twin boys, Simakade and Somandla, whom she welcomed with her husband, Sabelo Mgube, in 2025.
The arrival of the twins followed an emotional fertility journey. Maweni previously spoke publicly about undergoing IVF and experiencing miscarriages before eventually becoming a mother to the boys.
The birth of the twins also came with its own challenges, with one of the babies requiring neonatal intensive care because of a low birth weight.
Maweni has continued to balance motherhood with her career, business interests and public profile.
The weight loss journey
Her latest transformation follows another significant change in her appearance.
Maweni previously addressed questions about her dramatic weight loss after followers speculated about how she had achieved the change.
She revealed that Mounjaro and a healthy diet had played a role in her weight loss.
The disclosure helped explain some of the changes to her body before her latest cosmetic procedure.
Weight loss and cosmetic surgery, however, serve different purposes. While weight loss reduces overall body fat, procedures such as liposuction and fat transfer can be used to reshape specific areas of the body.
For Maweni, the Turkey trip appears to have taken her transformation a step further.
What happens during a BBL?
A Brazilian Butt Lift, commonly known as a BBL, involves removing fat from one part of the patient’s body and transferring it to the buttocks.
The procedure generally begins with liposuction, during which fat is removed from areas such as the stomach, hips, thighs or lower back. The fat is then processed before being carefully transferred into the buttocks to increase volume and alter their shape.
Unlike buttock implants, a BBL uses the patient’s own fat.
The procedure is major surgery, however, and carries potentially serious complications. BBL surgery has attracted particular medical scrutiny because of the risk of fat entering blood vessels, which can cause a potentially fatal fat embolism.
Patients undergoing the procedure therefore need proper medical assessment, a qualified plastic surgeon and appropriate post operative monitoring and aftercare.
Why Turkey?
Turkey has become a major destination for international cosmetic surgery, with patients travelling there for procedures ranging from liposuction and BBLs to rhinoplasty and tummy tucks.
The country has developed a large medical tourism industry, with clinics often offering packages that combine surgery, accommodation, airport transfers and aftercare.
The trend has also attracted South African celebrities and influencers who have openly documented their cosmetic procedures abroad.
Maweni’s decision to undergo surgery in Turkey therefore places her within a much broader international cosmetic surgery trend.
Turning 40 on her own terms
For Maweni, the surgery revelation comes at an important milestone.
Turning 40 represents another chapter for a woman whose life has unfolded publicly across traditional healing, reality television, motherhood, relationships, business and social media.
Her transformation has also generated renewed conversation about the pressures placed on women, particularly public figures, to maintain particular body shapes and appearances.
But Maweni has generally been unapologetic about making decisions concerning her appearance and career.
As she enters her fifth decade, the Turkey surgery appears to form part of a broader process of reinvention.
