Lucky Montana earned millions running PRASA — here is what happened to his luxury cars and fortune
Lucky Montana has experienced a rapid decline in his financial status and political career in the past few years following corruption allegations. The former PRASA CEO was accused by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) of persistent non-compliance and widespread tax evasion during his tenure at PRASA. Some of his assets have been seized, including luxury cars, to settle part of his debt.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Tshepo Montana was born on 25 April 1970.
- In October 2010, he was appointed group CEO of PRASA, where he served until 2015.
- Montana was elected to the National Assembly in 2024, and he resigned in December 2025.
- His corruption allegations have left him with an estimated R55 million tax debt owed to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
- Some of his assets were seized and auctioned, including luxurious cars and household goods.
Profile summary
Full name | Tshepo Lucky Montana |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 25 April 1970 |
Age | 56 years (as of 2026) |
Place of birth | Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa |
Current residence | South Africa |
Nationality | South African |
Ethnicity | Black |
Sexuality | Straight |
Religion | Christianity |
Zodiac sign | Taurus |
Spouse | Sefora Letsoalo |
Education | University of Cape Town |
Profession | Public administrator and former politician |
Who is Lucky Montana?
Tshepo Lucky Montana is a public administrator and former politician. He is best known as the former CEO of PRASA. He was appointed to the position in October 2010 and served until 2015.
Lucky Montana's age
Tshepo Lucky Montana was born on 25 April 1970. This means that his age is 56 years as of 2026, and his Zodiac sign is Taurus.
Source: Original
What is Montana's ethnicity?
Lucky Montana's ethnicity is Black. He was born and raised in Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa. His nationality is South African.
Educational background
Tshepo Lucky Montana is an alumnus of the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and Honours Degree in Social Research Methods. He is listed among the first blacks to be in public service.
Career
Lucky Montana has held several positions in the South African transport sector, a sector he joined in the 1990s. He was the CEO of the South African Rail Commuter Corporation. He also served as the Deputy Director-General in charge of Public Transport in South Africa.
The South African politician was the Chief Executive Officer of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) between 2010 and 2015.
In April 2013, Tshepo Lucky Montana was appointed to serve a third three-year term at PRASA. His role was to oversee the testing and commissioning of the South African new commuter rail system. He did not complete his third term because he was fired in 2015 for allegations of abuse of power.
The South African public administrator was elected to the National Assembly in 2024 as an MK Party representative. This happened via the national list. Montana resigned from his seat in December 2025. The former politician also served as political adviser to Jeff Radebe during his tenure as Minister of Public Enterprises.
Who is the CEO of PRASA?
As of 2026, Hishaam Emeran is the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Emeran is a recognised authority in the transportation industry, having nearly 30 years of dedicated service in his role.
Controversies
The former PRASA CEO made the headlines for making controversial remarks about the State of the Judicial Commission on matters Inquiry into State Capture. He accused the commission of being biased and used the state capture phrase to harm the country's social fabric.
On Friday, 16 April 2021, Tshepo Lucky Montana was summoned before the Zondo Commission to testify to his alleged contribution to state capture.
According to witnesses who had initially appeared before the commission, the former PRASA CEO was a person of interest. They alleged that Montana had abused his power by awarding tenders to his friends and those loyal to him.
As the inquiry began, Montana turned it into a tirade, claiming that the commission was flawed. He alleged that the commission was biased and that it had a predetermined plan. He also went ahead to claim that he had an ongoing battle with the Zondo Commission.
Speaking about Popo Molefe's claims against him, Montana stated that the commission had not allowed him the chance to give his side of the story. He went ahead to state that he did not have any issue with the evidence that Popo Molefe had presented, but the commission's decision not to allow him to testify.
The former PRASA CEO alleged that the decision to terminate the security services contracts had had dire consequences on the progress made in PRASA over the years. He went further to quantify the value of the infrastructure that had been destroyed at R30 billion.
Source: UGC
Lucky Montana vs The Guptas
Referring to the Guptas, Lucky Montana mentioned how they had attempted to manipulate stock rolling and how he had fought with them. He went ahead to claim that he did not stop them because of their association with Zuma. He also stated that he refused to protect the then-president.
Tony Gupta and Duduzane Zuma were there. I told them that this is our president and we have to protect him.
He added:
And I said if you guys go out of the country and want money from these companies and claim to work for the president, I will fight that, and I will convey that to the president, and I did that.
Responding to collapsing corporate governance at PRASA
Lucky Montana also pointed fingers at Popo Molefe, the former PRASA board chairperson, for playing politics. He claimed that Molefe ensured that the company did not submit supporting documents to the auditor general for particular transactions. As a result, the expenditure was classified as irregular.
Montana went ahead to defend himself, stating that the highest expenditure during his tenure was R100 million. He refuted claims of registering an expense worth R500 million, claiming the figure was cooked to justify appointing Werksmans. The former CEO of PRASA also dismissed the allegations that the expenditure had hit a high of R14 billion.
Lucky Montana vs SARS
In September 2021, some of Lucky Montana's properties went under the hammer to recover the money he owed the South African Revenue Services (SARS). Most of his luxury household items were auctioned during the occasion.
The move came months after Montana described the SARS' directive to attach his assets as vindictive. He alleged that the body was doing so to intimidate him.
However, according to records presented by SARS, Lucky Montana had unpaid taxes amounting to R1.8 million. Therefore, the body allegedly obtained warrants of execution to attach two Lucky Montana cars, among other movable property. Lucky Montana's SARS case took an interesting turn in August 2025, when the former politician offered about R5.4 million toward the alleged R55 million, which contradicted his public denials of owing any money.
Source: UGC
Who is Lucky Montana's wife?
Sefora Devereaux Letsoalo is Lucky Montana's wife. The two got married in November 2023.
Lucky Montana's latest news is that he is engaged in a legal battle to prevent SARS from joining Sefora Devereaux Letsoalo as a co-defendant in a R55 million tax dispute. His argument is that the debt predates their marriage.
FAQs
- What is Lucky Montana's real name? The former South African politician was born Tshepo Lucky Montana.
- Who is the CEO of PRASA? As of 2026, Hishaam Emeran is the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of PRASA.
- How old is Lucky Montana? The former CEO of PRASA was born on 25 April 1970, making him 56 years old as of 2026.
- Who is Lucky Montana's wife? Montana married Sefora Devereaux Letsoalo in November 2023.
- Where did Lucky Montana go to school? The former South African politician is an alumnus of the University of Cape Town.
Lucky Montana caught the country by surprise when he made the allegations on the Zondo Commission. If you wish to find out more updates on the inquest, be on the lookout for more updates on the story.
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Priscillah Mueni (Lifestyle writer) Priscillah Mueni is a lifestyle and entertainment content creator with more than 4 years of experience. She graduated from Meru University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering in 2019. In 2023, Priscillah finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She has been writing articles on Briefly.co.za since 2019. Email: pshmueni@gmail.com
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the Writer of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
