Albert was born in Ladysmith, South Africa, and was the second child of six children of three boys and three girls; the others being Nontukuzo Mazibuko, Nelisiwe Mazibuko, Kholiwe Mazibuko, and his two brothers Milton Mazibuko and Abednego Mazibuko,[citation needed]. He grew up on a farm.[2] Although his father Mashumi Mazibuko believed in the importance of education,[3] Albert had to leave school early and work full-time on the farm between the ages of eight[2] and fifteen.[3] He worked as a manual labourer in a number of jobs prior to joining Mambazo,[3] including in an asbestos factory.[1] Albert joined Mambazo in 1969[4] as a tenor, with his brother Milton as an alto. Albert is the only original member left in the group and has seen many changes; whereas the early line-ups were formed of a few Shabalalas and two Mazibukos, the group largely included members unrelated to the Sbabalalas. His older brother Milton died of natural causes in 1980 after the Intokozo album.[citation needed] His youngest brother Abednego had joined in the year 1974), Albert remained in the line-up and has been a full-time member of the group since 1973. In 1957, at age nine, Albert founded his own isichathamiya choir, the Zulu Motos "SS Choir", based in Ladysmith.
He met his wife Lillian Dlomo Mazibuko in 1971 and got married in 1976. Together, they also had four children: Phumzile Gladness Dlomo (born 1970), Thobekile Goodness Mazibuko (born 1972), Nhlanhla Mazibuko (born 1982), and Khulekani Mazibuko (born 1987).
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