Award-winning actress and new mom Rosemary Zimu-Mnguni opens up about her journey into motherhood in an exclusive interview. Rosemary Zimu graces the cover of the Clicks Baby SA, Nov-Dec 2025 digital issue, sharing a sweet glimpse of her baby girl and personal insights about her new life as a mom.
Balancing newborn moments while preparing to return to the screen, Rosemary is embracing motherhood with grace, faith, and intention. Interestingly, becoming a mom wasn’t on her 2025 plan. Known for her roles in hit shows like Savage Beauty and My Brother’s Keeper, Rosemary had decided to focus on her career before starting a family. But when she and husband Isaac Mnguni welcomed their baby girl in April, everything changed.
“It’s been a beautiful surprise,” she says. “The best surprise of my life, if I’m being honest.”
Motherhood, of course, came with its challenges. “Nothing can really prepare you for motherhood,” she admits. “It’s been a season where I’ve had to learn a lot for my child and learn about myself too—and also just believe in God, because it’s His timing that everything happened the way that it did. It was a surprise for me, but He knew what He was doing, and because it’s His plan, it was perfect.”
Pregnancy was an unexpected gift. “It’s not that I wanted to sleep; I was just always sleeping, but it was the best sleep I’ve ever had,” Rosemary laughs. Instead of fighting her fatigue, she gave herself grace. “Exercising, I could not do. I was just a lazy couch potato. I enjoyed the growth, feeling the butterflies in my stomach, and the kicks.”
At the time of the interview, Rosemary hadn’t revealed her baby’s name or shared her face on social media, keeping the focus on the joys of bonding rather than public attention. Her self-care now comes in small luxuries: five quiet minutes for prayer or meditation, a hot cup of tea, dancing with her baby to music, a long bath, or even shaving her head. “I love the feeling of the shower water on my scalp!” she says.
She is grateful for her support system. “I am super, super grateful and so blessed to have the family and friends in my life helping me navigate motherhood, but also reminding me to take care of myself. In the first month, when I couldn’t leave the house, my friends told me to step outside, sit in the sun, and fill my cup. I’ll never forget it.”
Her husband has also been an incredible support. “It’s been beautiful to watch him step into fatherhood. I feel like I’ve just fallen in love again, probably even deeper than before. He’s soft, and that’s exactly what he was made for as a girl dad.”
Rosemary is eager to continue her career and take on challenging roles, but for now, it’s all about being a mom. Even when she’s off camera, her joy is evident. “It’s her first moments, little moments, even just the sounds that she makes,” she says. “It’s the purest love I’ve ever experienced.”
When it came to naming their daughter, the process was thoughtful and spiritual. “It took so long to name her. We wanted a name that was a bit exotic, but also vernacular, and with spiritual meaning. We included her grandfather and mother-in-law too.”
Her favorite milestones so far? “Her giggle—she hardly laughs, but when she does, it’s beautiful. And when she reached for me for the first time, I cried. I was holding her in my sister’s arms, and she lifted her little arms toward me.”
On meeting her daughter, Rosemary says, “Most people talk about Velcro babies… I think I’m a Velcro mommy. From the first moment I saw her, I couldn’t stop holding her. She was the cutest, most fragile, softest little person.”
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