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Pakalitha Mosisili. photo by Lawrence Jackson

Top 10 Most Famous People from Lesotho

Lesotho is a country in southern Africa. It is home to a Zulu minority a small population of Asian of mixed ancestry and a European community. That has been dominated by expatriate teachers, missionary Aid workers, technicians, and development advisers.

Sotho which is also Basotho has formed the overwhelming majority of the country’s population in the country. All the main languages apart from English are spoken in Lesotho which are the members of the Niger-Congo language family. Sotho which has been a Bantu language is spoken by the majority of the population. Though both Sotho and English are the official languages.

1. Desmond Dube

Dube has been a singer, actor, mime artist, and entertainer. He is known for his work, especially in The No.1 Ladies’ detective Agency, Hotel Rwanda, Friends Indeed, Suburban Bliss, and Joburg Blues.

Desmond Dube is a trained theatrical actor and has appeared in both commercial and street theatre. He has starred in the feature film Inside a Tarzan; The Epic Adventures. And also alongside Leon Schuster in Panic Mechanic and Millennium Menace.

Dube won the Avanti Award for Best Comedy Actor for his performance in Joburg Blues. And also was nominated for an Avanti Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Suburban Bliss. Including the Best Supporting Actor and Promising Writer Awards at the Stellenbosch Festival. Dube also received the Loerie Award for Best Contribution for his work in the SASOL “Amaglugglug” commercial.

2. Pakalitha Mosisili

Mosisili who was born in 1945, is a former Mosotho politician. He was the fourth prime minister of Lesotho from 1998 to 2012 and also from 2015 to 2017. Pakalitha Mosisili led the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) to a near-total victory in the 1998 election.

In both 2002 and 2007, his party won the elections under his leadership. When he was serving as Prime Minister Mosisili was a minister of Defence. During the snap election which was held on 28 February 2015, he formed and led a coalition government. And he was sworn in in 2015.

3. Tsidii Le Loka

Tsidii Le Loka, an actress, vocalist, and composer originally from South Africa and The Kingdom of Lesotho. photo by Tsidii Le Loka

Loka is an actress, vocalist, and composer from South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho. She is best known for originating the role of Rafiki in the original Broadway production of Disney’s stage Musical The Lion King.

In addition to Law & Order, Le Loka had roles in two made-for-television films: Rose Red and The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer. She won an Iris Award for the outstanding local program for her television special “Caught In The Act” on WGBY. TBS broadcast the TV special Tsidii Le Loka In Concert.

4. Mosita Lehata

Lehata has been a Mosotho athlete competing in sprinting events. He holds the 100-meter national record for Lesotho with a time of 10.11 seconds, and on shorter tracks. Mosita Lehata has consistently won national track championships.

In the opening round of the men’s 200 m race at the 2012 Summer Olympics, he was disqualified. At the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, Lehata achieved victory in the 200-meter race by finishing first overall, beating Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, and moving on to the semifinals.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he ran the 200 meters while setting a new national record. He came in fourth place, four-hundredths of a second behind the bronze medalist.

5. Bokang Phelane

Phelane is a Lesotho- born south African actress, producer, and scriptwriter. She was featured in the comedy Tv series, single guys, and played the role of Fezeka in 2016. Bokang was also featured in the Tv series, Shuga, which was released in 2018. She played the role of Andile’s Wife Fezeka.

Phelane played the role of Pula in season 1 of the South African telenovela, keeping scores showing on SABC2 in 2017. Also played the role of Lily’ in the Zulu Langauge sci-fi tv mini-series. She portrays “Zazi,” a tough teenage princess, in the African mythology epic TV series Blood Psalms, which will be released by the co-producers Showmax and Canal+ International in 2021.

6. Sheila Khala

Khala has been one of the best-known poets from Lesotho. She is considered a pioneer of poetry in Lesotho and also founded a nationwide organization where poetry is alive. Sheila Khala has been active in the South African poetry community.

 At the age of 19, Sheila published her first book Formula in 2009. It brought her new recognition in Lesotho and South African poetry communities.

7. Masenate Mohato Seeiso

Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho photo by Minerva97

Mohato has been the queen consort of Lesotho and the wife of King Letsie III of Lesotho. She was the first commoner in modern history to marry into the royal family of Lesotho. Masenate became the patron of several charities since she was the queen. And has worked to promote the work project related to HIV/AIDS.

In addition to serving as the patron of the SOS Children’s Village, the Lesotho Red Cross Society, and the Machabeng International College, where she studied before being crowned queen, Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso is involved in a number of charity endeavors.

Queen ‘Masenate has experience working with the nonprofit People with Disabilities, but she is also generally interested in working on initiatives that aim to increase the voices of disabled people in Lesotho.

8. Lehlohonolo Seema

Seema is a retired Lesotho football, defender and midfielder. He holds South African citizenship. Lehlohonolo has been the manager of Lamontvillie Golden Arrows in the South African Premier Division.

Seema who has been the outstanding player for Lesotho’s national team, was the only one of them to play club football outside in 2003. He gave Lesotho a renowned victory in 2001 by scoring the go-ahead penalty kick in the 87th minute of an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

9. Tom Thabane

Tom Thabane photo by Amanda Lucidon / White House

 Thabane is a Mosotho politician who was the fifth prime minister of Lesotho from 2012 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2020.  In 2006 he founded the All Basotho Convention (ABC) and led the party until 2022.

As a member of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Thabane served in the administration of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili from 1998 to 2006.  Following the 2012 Lesotho parliamentary elections, he formed a coalition of 12 parties after more than five years in opposition, and as a result, he was made prime minister.

10. Mosotho Chakela

Chakela was born in 1963 in Lesotho, South Africa. He has been a cultural music singer in popular Lesotho Musical traditions called Famo.

With the release of his debut album, Motsamai le Chakela No. 1, Mosotho Chakela gained popularity. The Shear Record Company published the album in 1999, and it sold enough copies to be certified platinum.

Hits like “O ka nketsang,” “Ha ke noa joala,” and “Mosali” can be found on the album. The following year, Motsamai le Chakela no.2, another smash album, brought him back into the public eye. Since then, he has consistently put out hits. [