In the realm of true crime, few stories are as unsettling and perplexing as that of Thabo Bester and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana. Netflix’s latest documentary series, The Beauty and the Bester, directed by Anton Molyneux, delves into this chilling narrative, unravelling a tale that blurs the lines between love and manipulation, ambition and downfall.
The series opens with Bester, infamously dubbed the “Facebook rapist,” serving a life sentence for rape and murder. His modus operandi involved luring women under the guise of modelling opportunities, leading to heinous crimes that shocked South Africa. In a twist that defies belief, Bester faked his death in a prison fire in May 2022, escaping incarceration with the alleged assistance of Dr. Magudumana. She claimed his charred body, asserting her status as his customary law wife, despite being married with children. DNA tests later revealed the body was not Bester’s, prompting a nationwide manhunt.
Plot
The series opens with Bester, infamously dubbed the “Facebook rapist,” serving a life sentence for rape and murder. His modus operandi involved luring women under the guise of modelling opportunities, leading to heinous crimes that shocked South Africa. In a twist that defies belief, Bester faked his death in a prison fire in May 2022, escaping incarceration with the alleged assistance of Dr. Magudumana. She claimed his charred body, asserting her status as his customary law wife, despite being married with children. DNA tests later revealed the body was not Bester’s, prompting a nationwide manhunt.
Dr. Magudumana’s descent from a respected medical professional to a fugitive is meticulously chronicled. The documentary sheds light on her successful career, her ventures in aesthetics and real estate, and her eventual entanglement with Bester. Interviews with family members, including her father, Zolile Sekeleni, and Bester’s mother, provide a poignant backdrop to the unfolding drama.
Delving into the backstories of both individuals, this episode reveals Dr. Magudumana’s esteemed career and her unexpected entanglement with Bester. Through voice notes and recorded conversations, Bester portrays himself as a victim of a political smear campaign, stating, “They created a situation where I woke up and I was in the papers as the ‘Facebook rapist’… I have never even been on Facebook. The episode also uncovers their fraudulent activities, including the establishment of the 21st Century Group, which deceived numerous investors.
The episodes also highlighted the psychological aspects of the case. It features chilling voice notes from Bester, revealing his manipulative prowess and the control he exerted over Magudumana. One particularly disturbing recording captures Bester threatening her, stating, “Try me and I will break your face,” highlighting the toxic dynamics of their relationship.
In Episode 3 of Beauty and the Bester, titled Everything to Lose, the documentary shifts focus to the international manhunt for Thabo Bester and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana. After Bester’s elaborate prison escape, the couple’s flight across borders escalates the narrative into a high-stakes pursuit, culminating in their arrest in Tanzania and subsequent extradition to South Africa.
A particularly striking moment occurs during their first court appearance together post-extradition. Despite facing serious charges, the pair’s demeanour in the courtroom was unexpectedly affectionate.
The series closes on a sobering note: Thabo Bester remains behind bars, continuing his life sentence, while Dr. Nandipha Magudumana has chosen to remain silent, offering no public comment or explanation about her involvement and may serve 10 years or more in prison. Her silence leaves a cloud of mystery hanging over her motivations and role in the entire saga, a story that ends with more questions than answers.
Language
Predominantly English Language and occasionally Sotho, Zulu.
Final take
The Beauty and the Bester is gripping, no doubt. The production quality is crisp, the storytelling flows cleanly, and the documentary is visually well-crafted. But more than that, the strength of this series lies in the people it chose to platform. The voices we hear, the faces we see, from journalists to family members, were carefully selected to shape how we perceive this twisted tale. And to a large extent, it worked. It kept the story grounded. This easily could’ve turned into a sensational “Bonnie and Clyde” rebrand, but thankfully, it didn’t.
We get to see Dr. Nandipha in a surprisingly layered light. Her family speaks. Her brother shares. Her past is explored. And in that process, the narrative becomes subtly sympathetic to her. Not to excuse her actions, but to show a human, someone who once had a bright future, a thriving business, and two young daughters. And now? She’s sitting beside a man accused of the darkest crimes.
Thabo, on the other hand, remains firmly in the shadows. All we really hear is through voice notes, video recordings and his mother’s emotional testimony. There’s no real character arc. No deep dive into why he did what he did. Nothing to explain what makes a person commit such horrors, no trauma unpacked, no psychological background, no motive. Just the crimes. He’s framed as a monster, full stop.
So how do you process a story like this? On one hand, Dr. Nandipha and her father helped a convicted rapist and murderer escape from prison. She visited him behind bars. She smuggled him a laptop and Wi-Fi. Together, they created a fake company, the 21st Century Group, where they defrauded investors, public figures, and government bodies. She left her own children behind to flee with him across borders. It’s all too real.
This documentary leaves us with too many questions and too few answers. What exactly happened between these two? Was it love? Was it manipulation? What broke in both of them that made these crimes possible? We don’t get to know. And for a story so layered and so tragic, that lack of psychological and emotional clarity feels like a missed opportunity.
And yet, the documentary paints her in soft strokes. It shows her family. It shows her struggle. It subtly nudges you to see her as a victim. And for some reason, you do, at least, partly.
The trials aren’t done. Convictions aren’t final. And while the evidence is overwhelming, this series already paints its villains and heroes with permanent ink. In fact, Bester himself, in a newly surfaced court clip, criticised the documentary for declaring him guilty before the law officially has.
That’s the uncomfortable brilliance of this story. And perhaps that’s the greatest shortcoming of this series: it comes too early.
