Meet the 'heads' of the lion empire: Robert and Portia Gumede live large
From free star studded concerts to a lavish wedding- Robert Gumede goes all out when it comes to living large.
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The head of Gijima is enjoying all the finer things in life, and with a bank balance worth billions there is no stopping him.
Taking to social media, Gumede's son, Themba, shared how lit his parents are.
"The heads of the Lion empire. My parents are too cool lol," he captioned a couple of photos of Gumede and his wifey, Portia.
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So, Briefly.co.za decided to take a look at the life and career of Robert Gumede and his wife, Portia. Here is five facts about the South African entrepreneur.
1. A hard worker from an early age
Gumede was born in 1963 in Nelspruit and was one of seven children. According to a report by Mail and Guardian, Gumede got his first job as a golf caddy at the age of just seven.
2. Gumede's career
In the 90s Gumede registered several Gijima companies, with his first major deal coming in 1997. The billionaire landed founded joint venture with PQ Africa, called Phambili Information Technologies.
However, it was not until 2005 when he really made it big time, when he bought 37% shares of IT company, AST.
After obtaining the shares, Gumede changed his company's name from Gijima to GijimaAST. Two-years later he was named the CEO of GijimaAST.
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3. Ties with the ANC
Gumede is bffs with the ruling party's Mathews Phosa and he has over the span of his career landed several major tenders with the government- including a R2-billion "Who Am I Online" tender for systems integration, which was later deemed illegal.
On social media, several posts indicate Gumede often back the ANC.
4. His extravagant 50th birthday bash
When Gumede turned half a century in 2010, he threw one of the most memorable birthday parties.
The billionaire rented out the Kanyamazane Stadium in Nelspruit, where he threw a free birthday concert, which consisted of famous musical acts such as Rick Ross, Keith Sweat, Kuli Chana and Zahara.
5. A wedding to remember
When Gumede and Protia tied the knot in 2010, their wedding was the talk of the town. According to an article by The Sowetan, the pair held the most extravagant wedding in Nelspruit.
"Nelspruit has never seen anything like this. I have never attended a glamorous wedding like this one in my entire life. We have presidents of countries, politicians, musicians and all the who's whos from all walks of life under one roof," said ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa when he addressed the guests.
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Top 5 richest men in South Africa on Briefly. Everyone, quick: off the top of your head, name a billionaire. Now, think hard and name two or three South African billionaires. How about more? Don’t worry, we have gathered this extremely interesting information for you!
Source: Briefly News
