Who is Mashudu Shandukani?: All you should know about the millionaire
Mashudu Vincent Shandukani is an engineering geologist and one of the greatest entrepreneurial minds in South Africa. The father of two has had quite an interesting journey balancing work and family. While many respect him for his intelligence and creativity, the entrepreneur's reputation is hanging on the balance. His company was mentioned in a Lottery fraud scandal and investigations are still underway.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mashudu Shandukani lived a private life, avoiding scandals by all means, until his company was mentioned in the controversial R28.3 million Lottery grant intended to rebuild Vhafamadi school in Limpopo in 2016. The money was looted, and Mashudu's company is said to have participated in the mess. Read on to understand Mashudu Shandukani's lottery fraud story.
Profile summary
| Full name | Mashudu Vincent Shandukani |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | South African |
| Ethnicity | African |
| Residence | Limpopo, South Africa |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Pretty Shandukani |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Qualification | Geology and Environmental Sciences degree |
| Profession | Engineering geologist and entrepreneur |
| Company | M. Shandukani Holdings |
Mashudu Shandukani's biography
Mashudu Shandukani is an experienced engineering geologist and the founder/CEO of M. Shandukani Holdings, a South African construction company.
Educational background
Shandukani has a degree in geology and environmental sciences from Tshwane University of Technology.
Career history
Mashudu worked as a Geologist in Debeers' mining and exploration operations and later joined Bombela CJV (Gautrain Project) as an Engineering Geologist. He was also involved in the ESKOM hydropower scheme.
Currently, Mashudu Shandukani runs his company, M. Shandukani Holdings, where he offers consultancy services to mining and engineering companies involved in projects such as geotechnical investigations and foundation design for roads, mining and exploration projects, buildings and pilling projects, and environmental works.
M. Shandukani Holdings is a reliable, quick-service company with a solid infrastructure and dedicated workforce. The firm was established in 2008 as a Ck and converted to (Pty) Ltd in 2010.
Source: Original
Mashudu Shandukani's wife
The South African millionaire is married to Pretty Shandukani. They are a lovely couple who, in the modern social media age, would be referred to as 'relationship goals' based on what they do.
While the talented geologist transforms basic ideas into extraordinary structures, his wife epitomizes the supportive woman. Mashudu Shandukani's wife is an engineer with a National Diploma in Civil Engineering from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Mrs. Pretty Shandukani is the co-founder and Managing Director of M. Shandukani Holdings, a construction company. She previously worked as a trainee for the Power Group of Companies.
Afterward, Pretty joined Bombela Civil Joint Venture as a Junior Design Engineer and then moved to GIBB, one of South Africa's leading engineering consulting companies with a solid footprint all over Africa. She currently works for Rainbow Constructions as an Earthworks Site Engineer.
Based on their qualifications, Mashudu and his wife's diverse expertise and over a decade of experience are highly valuable in managing M. Shandukani's civil engineering and construction works.
Pretty and Mashudu Shandukani's children
Mashudu Shandukani and his wife, Pretty, have two daughters, Afunwaho Shandukani and Oritonda Shandukani.
Source: UGC
Mashudu Shandukani's house
Mashudu Shandukani's Top Billing video showcased his house in Limpopo, South Africa. He built his glamorous dream house with his wife. Beautiful views of all the hills surround the mansion, while the inside is furnished with eye-catching antique features.
What is Mashudu Shandukani's house worth?
Sources estimate Mashudu Shandukani's mansion was worth R40 Million at the time it was featured in the Top Billing houses of 2019. The home matches his millionaire status.
Shandukani's house has a wine cellar, unique interior architecture walls, a movie theater room, a swimming pool, and other luxury features. In addition, its patio faces the hilly areas of Limpopo, the interior gets adequate natural light, and fresh from nature circulates the rooms freely.
What is Mashudu Shandukani's net worth?
It is challenging to tell his exact net worth because most of his assets and investments have been kept out of the limelight. Nonetheless, he is too successful to hide his affluence status from the public.
For instance, the grand house Mashudu showcased on Top Billing and his renowned engineering and construction consulting company imply he is relatively wealthy. In addition, the multi-million ZAR scandals his construction company has been mentioned in suggest that his business is well-established.
Source: UGC
Although he is wealthy, you will rarely see Mashudu Shandukani's cars and other properties flaunted everywhere. It seems the entrepreneur and his family prefer a quiet life where they can enjoy their wealth in private.
Mashudu Shandukani's fraud allegations: The looted Lottery grant
It was reported in July 2022 that M. Shandukani Holdings allegedly participated in siphoning millions of Rands from an R28.3-million Lottery grant intended to rebuild the Vhafamadi School in Limpopo. The school had been destroyed by fire during protests the previous year.
On 29 August 2016, the Simba Community Development Foundation received R28.3 Million to rebuild the school after a recommendation from Thabang Mampane, the commissioner of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC).
NLC and Mampane did not comment on media inquiries about grants awarded between 2014 and 2020 and related transactions. Bank statements showed that Simba made three payments totaling totaling R15 Million to M. Shandukani Holdings after receiving the first tranche of R28.3 Million to rebuild Vhafamadi School.
The non-profit organization also paid millions to companies that had nothing to do with the school. According to reports from Groundup, some funds were channeled through the Upbrand Properties company, which was linked to the NLC's Chief Operating Officer, Phillemon Letwaba.
Upbrand Properties was registered as a company on 22 January 2016 and issued a certificate as a National Home Builders Registration Council member three months later, on 26 April 2016.
Source: UGC
Simba paid R4 Million to Upbrand Properties on the same day it received R28.3 Million from NLC. Phillemon Letwaba's brother, Johannes, was the company's sole director at that time. Upbrand made numerous payments, including R100 000, for the roof slab for Letwaba's village home in Marapyane, Mpumalanga.
In addition, on 13 September 2016, Upbrand received three payments from M. Shandukani Holdings—R68 600, R20 000, and R24 240—for some construction work done at the school.
M. Shandukani Holdings’s owner, Mashudu Shandukani, said:
2016 is the year we were building Vhafamadi Secondary School. Upbrand Properties were the nominated civil and earthworks contractor. We paid them for the work done.
On 22 August 2016, Simba paid the Mishone Trading 11 company R1.5 million to buy an R27 million mansion owned by former NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
GroundUp had previously reported that Mishone paid R9.2 million towards the cost of the mansion. Non-profit companies that received lottery grants had already partially paid for the property.
On 29 August 2016, Simba paid R2 million to the Iron Bridge Travelling Agency, of which Karabo Sithole, Letwaba's cousin, was the sole director then. Rebotile Malomane, Letwaba's wife, was later made the sole director.
Furthermore, on 22 August, Simba paid R160 000 to Ndavha Management, of which Collin Mukondeleli Tshisimba is the sole director. Ndavha Management, Make Me Movement, Lethabong Old Age, and Mbidzo Development Program received R53 million in Lottery funding.
Source: UGC
Within 12 days of Simba receiving the Lottery grant, the balance in its bank account had dwindled to R2,4 million, implying that the organization used R3.6 million from the Lottery money to buy Thabang Mampane a house in Pecanwood Estate, North West province. It also covered the transfer duty and lawyer's fees, but all the payments must have been made through Upbrand Properties.
In October 2023, the Pretoria High Court froze Alfred Nevhutanda's R6.3 million Rolls Royce and an R1 million property in an office park. Both were bought using Lottery grant money. The car and the property were included in a preservation order granted by the court against several people.
The alleged diversion of more than R4.5 million Lottery money to pay for Nevhutanda's Rolls Royce Phantom followed a similar pattern to how he funded his luxury mansion in suburban Pretoria.
More properties were frozen in August 2024 in connection to the Lottery money. Among them was a property in Sable Hills in Pretoria registered to the Malwandla Siweya Family Trust, a house in Louis Trichardt registered to Collin Tshisimba, and a Toyota Hilux registered to Preldon Construction (Pty) Ltd, represented by Pretty Shandukani.
Facts about Mashudu Shandukani
- His wife is the co-founder and MD of his company.
- His company did most of the reconstruction work at Vhafamadi School in Limpopo.
- His company worked with Upbrand Properties, NCL's nominated civil and earthworks contractor, to renovate the school.
- The SIU identified Mshandukani's company and foundation as having participated in laundering tens of millions of Rands misappropriated from Lottery grants.
- The SIU was granted an order to freeze a Toyota Hilux belonging to a company linked to his wife.
Mashudu Shandukani is an accomplished businessman. Through his engineering and construction consulting company, he has created a fortune and a reputation that precedes him.
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Source: Briefly News
