“I’ve Lost My Soul”: MaMkhize Opens Up About Losing Royal AM Football Club

Businesswoman and reality TV star Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize has shared the emotional pain she’s going through after losing her football club, Royal AM.

The club was recently auctioned off—along with 10 of her 14 luxury cars—to help settle a R37 million tax debt, according to News24. The auction only raised R8.2 million.

According to The Citizen, speaking to Andile Ncube on Metro FM, MaMkhize said it wasn’t just about the money. “I’ve lost my soul. I think my soul and my heart were invested in that brand. Money—put it aside. We work, we make money every day, but I’ve lost my soul. I think that was my baby,” she said.

She explained that what hurts the most is how many people were affected by the fall of the club. “Sometimes when you do something, you must look at the people and the lives of the people that you are affecting. There were people who depended on Royal AM. And what hurts me the most is not the money. It’s about the families that I believe were affected by something that could have been controlled.”

Even though she’s still hurting, MaMkhize is not giving up on football. She’s now the new president of Mbabane Highlanders, a football club in Eswatini. Reports say she didn’t buy the club, but she signed a three-year contract to run it. She’s already added her signature gold colour—taken from Royal AM—to the Highlanders’ black and white kits.