Black Coffee speaks out on ‘customary union’ claims after Constitutional Court ruling

While his beats usually do the talking, DJ Black Coffee is finally picking up the mic to address the legal storm that’s been brewing off-stage for years.

In a move that has social media buzzing, the world-renowned producer took a rare, public swing at the narrative surrounding his split from actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa, specifically targeting the "customary marriage" label that could cost him half his empire.

The timing isn't accidental. On Wednesday, January 21, the Constitutional Court handed down a landmark judgment clarifying how prenuptial agreements apply to customary marriages.

The court confirmed that these marriages can be governed by antenuptial contracts, provided they are properly registered. 

While the ruling was meant to provide clarity for thousands of South Africans, it inadvertently reignited Black Coffee’s own divorce saga, which has been simmering since their 2011 traditional Zulu union and subsequent 2017 civil wedding.

Breaking his usual stoic silence, the Grammy-Award- winner took to social media to set the record straight, even admitting he was likely giving his lawyers a headache in the process.

"I’m probably going to get in trouble with my legal team for this comment, but as you said, this is not just about me anymore, and keeping quiet about this hasn’t helped me in any way," he posted in response to a follower.

The DJ argued that the "customary marriage" everyone is talking about simply didn't exist.

“Details of our case at this point are out there. The case you mentioned is different from our case because there was no customary marriage; however, here are a few important points to note and some of the reasons for my appeal.

“1. Intention (we both never intended to enter into a customary marriage). All the details supporting this are in our case, as documented by both of us. 2. Prenup: We signed this as our first step to the agreed civil marriage (even our prenup states that we were unmarried).

"I obviously will not divulge more than this, but I hope this carries enough weight to keep the conversation going for all🙏🏿," said the iconic DJ.

The drama is far from over.

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) is now set to re-examine the matter after Black Coffee was granted leave to appeal a Gauteng High Court judgment delivered in October last year.

That ruling found that the couple had indeed entered into a valid customary marriage in community of property and ordered that the estate be divided accordingly, including an award of spousal maintenance to Mlotshwa for R67,000.