Mpho's early years were spent living with her grandmother in Hebron, near Tshwane, before reuniting with her parents in Mabopane.
Born to parents who both worked as educators, Mpho was instilled with values of hard work and excellence from a young age. She completed her matriculation in 1994 and subsequently gained admission to the University of Witswatersrand (Wits) in 1995 to study Chemical Engineering. However, during her second year at Wits, Mpho decided to pursue a more people-oriented career and embarked on the path to becoming a doctor at Sefako Makgatho University and MEDUNSA.