Gcaba brothers: the rise that placed them at the centre of attention

The Gcaba brothers are a prominent family business empire in South Africa. Mandla, Sthembiso, and Mfundo are the most famous Gcaba siblings. This article reveals the history and assets of the Gcaba Durban transport empire and the luxurious lifestyles of some of the family members.

Key takeaways

• The Gcaba brothers are also known as Abafana BakaGcaba in Zulu.
• The headquarters of this alleged transactional crime ring is in Umlanzi, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.
• Led by Mandla Gcaba, this organisation has left an indelible mark on South Africa's business landscape.
• Mandla is a nephew of former President Jacob Zuma.

Profile summary

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What is the history of the Gcaba brothers?

The late Simon Mkhulekelwa Gcaba established the Gcaba brothers in Umlanzi in the 1970s. The affluent businessman owned several enterprises in Umlazi township, including Sonke and Mama's Bakery.

Mkhulekelwa had five wives and many children. The Abafana BakaGcaba leader was assassinated in February 1996 via a brazen hit, but his demise did not stop the organization from growing.

Simon's sons took over the family business and made it grow and spread throughout the KwaZulu Natal province. Twenty-seven years later, the Gcaba brothers' organisation has become a household name in South Africa.

How many Gcaba brothers are there?

South Africans only know a few people associated with the Gcaba brothers. The family keeps most of the information private, including the number of children Simon sired with his five wives and how many have joined the family business after his demise. As a result, the Gcaba brothers' family tree remains unclear in the public domain.

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Who are the Gcaba brothers?

The publicly known Gcaba brothers' family members are listed below.

• Mandla
• Sthembiso
• Mfundo
• Nkosikhona
• Mpilo
• Wandile
• Thembinkosi
• Mfana Kamoses
• Khanye Juhgcaba
• Mxolisi
• Nana
• Junior
• Thembelan

Why are the Gcaba brothers feared?

The Gcaba brothers' organisation has been linked to various criminal activities, including murder, extortion, weapon trafficking, and illegal business. They are known across South Africa for being ruthless to many who have dared to cross their path.

It is believed that they have used their wealth to buy the loyalty of some powerful police officials and politicians. Their biggest rival is the oGumede organisation, and they don't befriend gangs or gang members from the Cape.

How many taxis do the Gcaba brothers own?

The Gcaba brothers' taxis are an interprovincial and domestic fleet of over 500 cars, including taxis and minibuses. Their organisation owns one of the largest taxi operations in the country.

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How are the Gcaba brothers related to Jacob Zuma?

The Gcaba brothers allegedly have close family ties with the former South African president Jacob Zuma. It was alleged that they financed his presidential campaigns by transporting his teams countrywide. In July 2021, the Gcaba brothers denied sponsoring or financing unrest in the country over Zuma's arrest and imprisonment.

What is Mandla Gcaba known for?

Mandla Gcaba's full name is Eric Mandlakapheli Gcaba. For many years, he headed and managed the Gcaba brothers' taxi empire. He is arguably the most prominent in the family. The Zulu businessman was key in transforming South Africa's taxi sector.

Mandla left the family business to start his own. He owns a sizable fleet of 15 four-seaters and 22-seater minibus taxis and has made numerous investments in SA's construction and property development sectors.

In 2012, Mandla denied using political influence and being Jacob Zuma's nephew to get an R300 million Port Shepstone transport contract. The contract went to Ugu Transport, which is 80% owned by taxi operators and 20% owned by smaller bus operators, including Mandla's Amandla Emicabango Trading Company. Mandla said:

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We have nothing to do with the Port Shepstone tender. A group of taxi operators won the tender, then hit a snag. We were approached to help and we came in at that time. I came in long after it had been awarded.

How old is Mandla Gcaba?

Mandla's age is between 58 and 59 years in 2026. He was 42 years old, according to an October 2009 WordPress publication. At that time, he had three wives and twelve children. He was also a foster parent to his late brothers' twenty-two children, several siblings, cousins, nephews, and nieces. The Gcaba family is quite large.

Who is Sthembiso Gcaba?

Sthembiso is another famous Gcaba brothers associate. He has over 30 taxis in his fleet and bought two new Quantum minibus taxis for his firstborn son in October 2020.

In March 2021, the Durban taxi boss was driving a recently purchased Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 63 S, valued at R3.4 million, when the police arrested him. The car did not have registered license plates.

They found Sthembiso possessing 70 stolen SASSA cards and R7,640 in cash. The cops confiscated the items and the car before arresting him for allegedly withdrawing money at an ATM in the CBD using the stolen SASSA grant cards. A USB stick was found after allegedly being thrown out of the car window.

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The Durban Central District Task Team had been investigating the then-47-year-old. The North Beach taxi association chairperson was taken to court and charged with fraud, theft, and possessing stolen property.

A charge sheet showed that Sthembiso made 133 withdrawals on Saturday, each for R1 800, thus accumulating the money to R239,400. The Durban magistrate's court granted him R5 000 bail because the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the taxi industry.

According to the TimesLIVE report, some SASSA cards loaded with lots of money were swapped out of a police station exhibit room and replaced with blank SASSA cards.

Eric Gcaba Mandla told TimesLIVE that he left his brothers to their devices in the taxi industry and walked away from the family empire. He could not confirm or deny if his nephews and brothers knew the arrested taxi boss.

Who is Mfundo Gcaba?

Sydney Mfundo Gcaba, Jacob Zuma's nephew, is an alleged member of the Gcaba brothers' organisation. He has been in the limelight for many years now and has been linked to controversial issues.

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What company does Mfundo Gcaba work for?

The South African businessman started Umhlanga-based Bright Circle in 2017 and owns several other companies in agriculture and logistics.

Mfundo Gcaba implicated in AKA's murder

In March 2024, Mfundo Gcaba was linked to people who allegedly killed Mzansi rapper AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes. AKA and his close friend, Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane, were gunned down on 10 January 2023 outside a restaurant in Durban.

Seven suspects, all under 36, were arrested in connection with the murder and are on trial. The KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner told the press that the killers were paid. They had monitored AKA from the airport, and Tibz was not their target.

In addition, state prosecutor Elvis Gcweka told Durban Magistrate's Court that a day after AKA and Tibz were murdered, Bright Circle, a company owned by Mfundo, allegedly paid over R800,000 to the bank account of Harvey Mziwethemba Gwabeni, one of the murder suspects.

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The prosecutor also claimed that Harvey called Mfundo before the money got into his account and a day after the murders. The money may have been split equally among the seven suspects.

The Gcaba family denied the prosecutor's accusations with a statement:

It is important to note that financial transactions between Mfundo and Mr Gwabeni were purely for business purposes. These numerous transactions over a long period of time can be verified through bank records and were neither unique nor isolated. We are concerned that the authorities have not yet approached Mfundo to share his side of the story.

Social media users have tried to find a connection between Sydney Mfundo Gcaba and Moses Tembe, the father of the late Anele Tembe. Anele Tembe was AKA's girlfriend, and she died from injuries sustained in a fall from the 10th floor at the Pepper Club Hotel in Cape Town.

It is said that Tembe took the Gcaba brothers under his wing when their father was assassinated in the mid-90s in Umlazi. In April 2024, he issued a statement requesting people to stop accusing him and his family of AKA's murder.

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The same month, police minister Bheki Cele dismissed social media posts suggesting he was frightened of the Gcaba brothers. People questioned why Sydney Mfundo Gcaba had not been arrested in connection with the AKA and Tibz's murder case.

People misinterpreted a video of Cele speaking to JJ Tabane on Frank Dialogue about a feared businessperson in KwaZulu-Natal. He had to clarify that he was talking about Inanda taxi boss Siyabonga Gethsemane, not the Gcaba family.

Gethsemane was suing for R100 million because he was arrested in November 2023 alongside his 12 bodyguards for allegedly marching onto a construction site and threatening to take over.

The Gcaba brothers' shootings in Durban

The Gcaba family name also came into the spotlight when one of their own, Mfundo Gcaba, was mentioned among the eleven men accused of participating in a shooting at the Brook Street minibus taxi rank in 2015, which killed 15 people.

The shooting was believed to have been provoked by a long-standing dispute between Sonke and Zamokhule Long Distance Taxi Association over a specific route. Mfundo was the main driving force behind Sonke's illegal invasion of minibus taxi routes that allegedly caused the shooting at the Brook Street taxi rank.

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Mfundo revealed the value of his luxurious cars during a Durban Magistrate’s court hearing. His business owned 24 taxis worth R300 000 each; it had 24 drivers and three managers and generated approximately R400 000 monthly.

The Durban businessman also revealed that he owned a 2010 Audi RS6, a 2014 Golf 7, and a 2009 Audi Q7 worth around R300 000 each, a R350 000 2014 Range Rover Evoque, and an R200 000 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class.

Mfundo said he was single and the sole breadwinner of his eight children, three boys and five girls. His children lived with their mothers, and the oldest was 11.

What is the Gcaba brothers' net worth?

The Gcaba brothers have not publicly declared their wealth, but many believe the family is worth billions of South African Rands. Sources like Africansmag.co.za report they are worth $10 million, but the Gcabas have not confirmed this.

Besides the massive Gcaba family taxi empire, the public knows a bit about the properties and individual taxi businesses of the three famous Gcabas, Mandla, Mfundo, and Sthembiso.

Who are the Gcaba brothers' wives?

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The Gcaba brothers do not disclose the identities of their close relatives to the public and keep their children and wives out of the public eye.

One of the Gcaba brothers, Nkosikhona, married Sithandwa Khumalo in 2021. The lustrous private ceremony happened in the Brahman Hills of the KZN Midlands. The bride drove to the venue in a Rolls-Royce.

Where do the Gcaba brothers live?

The general public is not provided with information about the locations of the Gcaba brothers' houses. The family often shows off their luxurious lifestyles but does not expose their homes online.

The Gcaba brothers' bodyguards and cars

A video of the Gcaba Brothers' cars making a majestic entrance at Durban Umlazi went viral on X (formerly Twitter) in January 2022. They arrived in fancy cars like Ferraris, G63 wagons, and Bentleys, as bodyguards armed with rifles walked next to them.

People had conflicting opinions about the trending video. Some believed they were displaying their power to scare off rivals, while others perceived it as a mere showoff.

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The public questioned how the taxi owners could afford that lifestyle, with many wondering why they needed tight protection when most SA billionaires rarely parade around such heavy security.

Trivia

• The Gcaba brothers are nephews of former South African president Jacob Zuma.
• Their family organisation has other businesses in SA besides taxi transportation.
• Some of the Gcaba brothers have been charged in court for unlawful conduct.
• The Gcabas have never been convicted of any crimes directly linked to them.
• The educational qualifications and ages of the Gcaba brothers are unknown to the public.
• Mandla and some of his brothers are polygamous because it is a traditional practice. He also needed three wives to help look after his late father’s various homesteads.

The Gcaba brothers are millionaires living luxurious lifestyles. Being mentioned in court cases and controversial political news has exposed some of their posh cars, businesses, and powerful associates/relatives in government.

Briefly.co.za recently published Will Sonbuchner’s wife's biography. Will Sonbuchner, popularly known as Sonny Side, has captivated millions with his travel and food channel, Best Ever Food Review Show.

Will is married, but details of Will Sonbuchner's wife remain unknown. He has chosen not to share details about his spouse and has avoided public appearances or social media presence together.

Source: Briefly News