Skeem Saam actress and businesswoman, Dipuo Kgaphola (28) is delighted to be expecting her first baby.
She has been praying for a baby boy for almost a year and her greatest wish has come true.
“This is my first baby, and I will name him Moetapele Morero meaning leadership and purpose,” she tells Drum.
“I have always been in leadership positions and serving my community for so long. I wanted to give him a meaningful name. As a young man, calling him a leader was so appropriate in this day in age where it’s important to raise confidence, caring and leaders either at church or in politics.”
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She kept her pregnancy a secret until she started showing.
“I don’t have a good reason as to why I kept it a secret because I was excited. Even at work, no one knew until I came back from my break with a big stomach at five months and the bump was already showing. I got into a little bit of trouble for not telling them so they could prepare wardrobe, but once they knew, they were supportive and very understanding,” Dipuo says.
Her pregnancy has been smooth sailing and she couldn’t be more grateful
“I had terrible morning sickness and was always sleepy in the first trimester, but I am so happy to have had an easy pregnancy,” Dipuo says. "Everyone’s pregnancy differs; I have been eating everything.”
Dipuo has been dating the father of her baby for just over a year and they planned to have a baby boy.
“We have been talking about having a baby since we started dating and after this one, I’d love to have two more boys,” she says.
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Raised by her grandmother in Ga Sekhukhune, Limpopo before moving to live with her three younger sisters and parents in Pretoria, Dipuo says she learned a lot from the family matriarch who taught her kindness and respect.
“My grandmother was very strict and she taught me everything I know today, respect, kindness, and discipline. That is how I wish to raise my son,” she says.
She moved to Johannesburg in 2012 and studied Drama at AFDA. Dipuo joined Skeem Saam in 2016 as a nurse, Sister Mokarati.
“I was so lucky to get work straight after I graduated,” she says.
“I worked on a show called Yala with Quizzical Pictures and had a short role on Generations before joining Skeem Saam.”
In 2016 she founded Dipuo Kgaphola Education Foundation which deals with career exhibitions and enrolling students into universities.
“We have since enrolled over 15 000 students through the foundation. It is one of the biggest foundations in Limpopo and I am so proud to be working on something dear to my heart. Making a difference is my passionate.”
She also owns D&D Fragrances, manufacturing foam baths, and cosmetics.
Dipuo has always been business-minded but chose drama.
“For the longest of time, I have been in business and construction. Everyone thought I’d study business and politics, but I went for acting. I know business will always be part of my life, it comes naturally to me. As soon as I give birth, I will carry on building my empire with my family by my side.”
