Moshe Ndiki
From star to superdad: Moshe Ndiki’s fabulous take on fatherhood
He’s stepping into parenthood with all the charm, chaos and cheeky flair we’ve come to expect — because doing things the ordinary way has never been Moshe Ndiki’s style.
He’s a man of many talents – actor, presenter, entrepreneur, life of the party… and now he’s added one more to the list: dad. In true Moshe Ndiki fashion, he’s rewriting the parenting playbook as he spills the tea on diapers, dad jokes and doing things his way. Think fatherhood but make it fabulous.
With Moshe around, there’s never a dull moment. He oozes sass and sparkle and has a sense of humour sharper than a tailor-made suit. Being on set with him is like stepping smack-bang into your favourite comedy special, with just an extra splash of glam. He walks through the room like he owns it – because, let’s be honest, he kind of does -greeting everyone with a hug and a dazzling smile.
In some shape or form, art healed me, and it also helps me heal others… For a little bit of time, a person forgets about their own life
Just being Moshe
Before the cameras, before the cookbooks and long before the dad jokes, Moshe was just a drama graduate with a wicked sense of humour that he wanted to share with the world. He began his journey on YouTube, where his skits and unfiltered brand of humour turned him into an internet sensation.
From there it didn’t take long for him to gain the attention of a mainstream audience – he moved on to presenting shows on television, landing roles on soapies such as Gomora on Mzansi Magic, and carving out a space for himself in the entertainment world. He is also the founder of Moshe’s Kitchen, a catering company born out of his love for food and family.
Through every part of his journey, one thing has remained constant: Moshe’s charm, wit and signature sparkle that simply cannot be faked.
When we sit down to chat, with a frozen margarita in hand and the beautiful Cape Town sunset serving as the ultimate backdrop, it’s no surprise that Moshe brings the same unfiltered realness to the conversation. The only difference is that this time the topic isn’t about his next big project or latest acting role. He’s still in full storytelling mode, though, pausing only to sip, laugh and pull up adorable videos of his twin baby boys, because this time around we’re delving into something a little softer, a little deeper and more personal. Becoming a father.
Before you know it, we’re already mid-story. That’s the wonderful thing about getting to know Moshe — the conversation just flows. Between dramatic pauses and snappy quips, he begins to reflect on this new phase of his life.
“I think, right now, I’ve got the best community when it comes to the kids. I’ve got two of the best nannies ever. They are absolutely stunning with them. My friends are also a very good support structure. Now, it’s no longer which club are we going to… Instead, it’s which paediatrician is best? How life changes!” he laughs mid-thought, then says: “I’ve gone from baddie to daddy now.”
When it comes to his parenting style, Moshe is quick to describe himself as an anxious parent. “I’ve been so afraid of taking my kids outside. I keep thinking to myself: “What if I get hijacked?” That’s not something I want to experience with my children. And I’m always telling them not to run because they might end up hurting themselves. I never want to see my kids’ blood or bruises.”
But scraped knees are a part of life and Moshe says he does want his boys to go out and experience the world. “The one thing I can definitely wait for, that I never want them to go through, is heartbreak. There are stages I’ve gone through in my life that I just don’t want them to go through, but I know that I can’t shelter them from it.”
These anxieties are amplified by the difficulties of parenting solo. While he would love nothing more than to keep his kiddos close and homeschool them, the complexities of parenting aren’t quite so linear.
“Homeschooling would be great if I was not a single parent. I could lessen the load on myself because, as a freelancer, I have to go wherever the work is. It would be great if I had a partner, because that means at least it’s a dual-income household, and I wouldn’t need to work so hard! But right now I need to work super hard because there’s two of them and I’m the breadwinner.”
He shares that this sense of responsibility didn’t just manifest itself with fatherhood – it’s been with him since his student days. In his final year of university, he studied and worked in retail part- time. “My mom handled the rent and basics and I handled the big one — the school fees. Those 10 months taught me so much about resilience. I worked hard and even graduated second in my class with a degree in performing arts.”
It’s no longer which club are we going to… Instead, it’s which paediatrician is best? How life changes! I’ve gone from baddie to daddy now
Moshe Ndiki
Born for the spotlight
As a youngster navigating his way in the world, Moshe toyed with the idea of becoming a doctor, but after discovering that he’s squeamish around blood, it became obvious that this wasn’t the best path. He considered becoming an actuary, too, but this didn’t suit his strengths.
Instead, his destiny was ultimately shaped by his dad’s side of the family, where a flair for the dramatic seems to be hereditary.
“They’re very humorous people. Full of jokes, different characters, personalities that are just amazing and a big ball of fun to be around!” he says. “More than anything, it was my personality that decided my future. I’ve always had a love of the arts, especially comedy.”
He sees entertainment as a form of healing. “For a little bit of time, a person forgets about their own life and they invest in the story of whatever they’re watching, whether a movie or a comedy special or even those little clips on social media. So, in some shape or form, art healed me and it also helps me heal others.”
When everything changed
No one forgets the moment they find out they’re going to be a parent. Moshe, who chose to become a father with the help of a surrogate mother, shares that it was a moment wrapped in emotion, uncertainty and, surprisingly, physical symptoms too.
We implanted the embryos at the beginning of December, and after a week I suddenly felt so sick! The smell of fish made me feel ill and I even had stomach cramps that were so bad I had to be admitted to hospital. Not long after I was admitted, my surrogate phoned to let me know that she was pregnant!”
There’s nothing quite like a parent’s intuition.
“I could never express the magnitude of that feeling because it’s a whole lot of feelings and anxieties mixed up together. You ask yourself: Is she going to carry full term? Are they going to be okay? What type of parent am I going to be? How am I going to protect them?” There are so many hurdles. Surrogacy is not the easiest journey… You need the right people around you and you need a whole lot of patience.”
@moshendiki Being a dad to twins has been the most beautiful and humbling😅 journey of my life. Every giggle, every cuddle, every late-night moment… I wouldn’t trade it for the world. That’s why it means so much to me that our family is part of the Huggies #WeGotYouBaby crew this year. 🧡 With @huggies_sa, I know my boys are cared for, protected, and comfortable and that kind of peace of mind? Priceless!!! What’s your go-to product from the Huggies range? #Huggies #NdikiTwinsxHuggies #MosheNdikixHuggies #HuggiesSA #WeGotYouBabyCrew ♬ original sound - Moshe Ndiki
Nevertheless, it was joy that took centre stage. “I was literally the happiest person! The fact that it’s actually happening… I’ve worked so hard for it, I’ve cried over it, I’ve prayed over it, and the fact that it’s happening means that God actually loves me and trusts me enough to give me these kids.”
Moshe admits that fatherhood has totally changed the way he sees the world. “It’s given me a new purpose and feeling about life. No matter how hard life gets, now I need to make it for these two. In my darkest hour, I have to tell myself to get out of this funk, because there are two human beings who are here on Earth that are relying on me.”
With fatherhood comes a new outlook on the special occasion that is Father’s Day, too. “It means that I get to celebrate it because I’m the dad that has stuck around. Unlike my own dad – he was never around. So, for me, Father’s Day is not wallowing in what I didn’t have as a child. It is celebrating what I can give to my children.”
For me, Father’s Day is not wallowing in what I didn’t have as a child. It is celebrating what I can give to my children
Moshe Ndiki
Looking to the future
If he could sit down with his younger self, still wide-eyed, hopeful and figuring out the complexities of life, Moshe says that there’s just one piece of advice he would share:
“Take it easy when it comes to love. Because my heart is open and loyal and trusting, and maybe a little naïve as well. I’ve been through experiences in relationships that I feel like I could have been more alert to… When I love, I love fully. So I would say, just take it easy.”
The same wisdom now shapes his approach to fatherhood. To other dads, his advice is simple yet powerful: “Just be present. Nothing beats being present in the moment with your child. Even through the challenging parts of your bond, just make sure that you’re present in everything”
FOLLOW MOSHE
By: Rughsaar Bibi Ismail
Text courtesy of Jet magazine
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