Nonkanyiso “LaConco” Conco, reality TV star and former partner of Jacob Zuma, has opened up about her remarkable journey from humble beginnings to her complicated love affair with South Africa’s former president. In a heartfelt series of Instagram stories, LaConco shared intimate details of her life, revealing the depth of her resilience and determination.
LaConco’s story begins in a shack near Palm Ridge in Johannesburg, where she was raised by her mother. “It was so clean, and she cooked every meal with love. As a child, I saw nothing bad,” she wrote, recalling the simplicity and warmth of her childhood home. Her mother, though not a woman of many words, was a beacon of strength, showing contentment and comfort despite the challenges of single motherhood. “Hustling to provide for us was important to her,” LaConco added.
On June 16, 2015, LaConco’s life began to change when she bought her first car and started working as a journalist in Durban. It was during a Pietermaritzburg march advocating for women’s rights that her path crossed with Jacob Zuma. By 2016, their relationship had blossomed. “We were living in a bubble, and others could tell I was in love,” she recalled. “His circle felt my presence too; some did dig and find my pictures, and some waited until he was ready to introduce me.”
Their love story wasn’t without its challenges. “Sometimes I would see him for 30 minutes, and he would be fine. This time of my life was a test of being loyal to my values and principles,” LaConco confessed. After Zuma paid lobola for her, she received an engagement ring that sparked widespread curiosity and speculation.
In 2017, LaConco pursued culinary studies, motivated by a desire to provide for her family. “Staying a virgin was a personal choice; I was never a maiden who kept it for marriage or a husband,” she explained. When the time was right, she and Zuma welcomed their son, Sakhaumuzi, in 2018. “My mum has been there from 3D scans, and she met Sakha first when he was born… She has played a fundamental role of support and love in my motherhood journey.”
LaConco’s entrepreneurial spirit shone through when she started her own business, LaConco Naturals, with just R3,000 from her mother. “I had no job, just to buy raw ingredients,” she recounted.
Her appearance on “The Real Housewives of Durban” added another layer to her public persona. “I refused to be part of this show because I knew my state of emotions,” she admitted. “At the end, I was there, and some cast members provoked me to speak what they wanted to hear, this country was harsh on me.”
Despite the trials, LaConco’s journey from a shack to stardom and her unflinching honesty about her life with Jacob Zuma provide a poignant narrative of love, resilience, and the pursuit of personal dreams.
