Who are the Gcaba brothers? Age, wives, taxis, education, profiles, net worth
The Gcaba brothers are a prominent family business empire in South Africa. Mandla, Sthembiso, and Mfundo are the most famous Gcaba siblings. This article unveils the Gcaba Durban transport empire's history and the assets and lifestyles of some Gcaba family members.
Source: Facebook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Profiles summary
- What is the history of the Gcaba brothers?
- How many Gcaba brothers are there?
- Who are the Gcaba brothers?
- Why are the Gcaba brothers feared?
- How many taxis do the Gcaba brothers own?
- How are the Gcaba brothers related to Jacob Zuma?
- Who is Mandla Gcaba?
- How old is Mandla Gcaba?
- Who is Sthembiso Gcaba?
- Who is Mfundo Gcaba?
- Who are the Gcaba brothers' wives?
- Gcaba brothers' wedding
- What is the Gcaba brothers' net worth?
- The Gcaba brothers' bodyguards
- What is the Gcaba brothers' Instagram account name?
- Facts about the Gcaba brothers
The Gcaba brothers are also known as Abafana BakaGcaba in Zulu. The headquarters of this alleged transactional crime ring is in Umlanzi, e Thekwini, KwaZulu Natal. Mandla Gcaba is the face of the organization. He owns various businesses and brands in South Africa, like his family.
Profiles summary
| Organization's name | The Gcaba brothers |
| Known as | A KZN black family business empire |
| Founder | Simon Mkhulekelwa Gcaba (late) |
| Year of establishment | 1970s |
| Type of business | Taxi transportation service providers |
| Number of vehicles | Over 500 taxis |
| Headquarters | Umlanzi, e Thekwini, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa |
| Publicly known members | Mandla, Sthembiso, Mfundo, Nkosikhona, Mpilo, Mfana Kamoses, Khanye Juhgcaba, Mxolisi, Nana, Junior, Wandile, Thembinkosi, Thembelan |
| Occupations | Businessmen |
| Nationality | South Africans |
| Ethnicity | Zulu tribe |
| Former CEO | Mandla Gcaba |
What is the history of the Gcaba brothers?
The late Simon Mkhulekelwa Gcaba established the Gcaba brothers organization 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' organization 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 organization. The family keeps most information about them private, including the number of children Simon sired with his five wives and how many joined the family business.
Source: Twitter
Who are the Gcaba brothers?
Publicly known Gcaba brothers' family members are:
- Mandla
- Sthembiso
- Mfundo
- Nkosikhona
- Mpilo
- Wandile
- Thembinkosi
- Mfana Kamoses
- Khanye Juhgcaba
- Mxolisi
- Nana
- Junior
- Thembelan
Why are the Gcaba brothers feared?
The Gcaba brothers' organization has been linked to various criminal activities, including murder, extortion, weapon trafficking, and illegal business. They are known throughout SA for being ruthless to many who have dared to cross their path.
It is believed that the Gcaba brothers have used their wealth to buy the loyalty of several police officials and powerful politicians. Their biggest rivals are the oGumede organization, and they don't befriend gangs/gang members from the Cape.
Source: Instagram
How many taxis do the Gcaba brothers own?
The Gcaba brothers are taxi owners. They have a fleet of over 500 taxis, including buses. The organization owns one of the largest taxi operations in the country.
How are the Gcaba brothers related to Jacob Zuma?
The Gcaba brothers have close family ties (blood relatives) with Jacob Zuma. It was alleged that they financed the former SA president's political 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.
Who is Mandla Gcaba?
Eric Mandlakapheli Gcaba used to head and manage the Gcaba brothers' taxi empire. He is probably the most prominent in the family. The Zulu businessman played a key role in transforming South Africa's taxi sector.
Taxi tycoon Mandla left the family business to start his. He owns a sizable fleet of 15 four-seaters and 22-seater minibus taxis and 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.
How old is Mandla Gcaba?
Mandla's age ranges from 55 to 56 years in 2023. He was 42 years old, according to an October 2009 WordPress publication in October 2009. At that time, he had three wives and twelve children. He was also a foster parent to his late brothers' twenty-two children and several siblings, cousins, nephews, and nieces.
Who is Sthembiso Gcaba?
Source: Twitter
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 his 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.
The Durban Central District Task Team had been conducting investigations on the then-47-year-old. The North Beach taxi association chairperson was taken to court and charged with fraud, theft, and possessing stolen property.
The charge sheet showed that Sthembiso Gcaba made 133 withdrawals on Saturday, R1 800 each time. The money amount accumulated to R239 400. The Durban magistrate's court granted him R5 000 bail because the Covid-19 pandemic had greatly affected the taxi industry.
According to the TimesLIVE report, some SASSA cards were loaded with lots of money and 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 couldn't confirm or deny if his nephews and brothers knew the arrested taxi boss.
Source: Facebook
Who is Mfundo Gcaba?
Jacob Zuma's nephew, Mfundo, is another popular member of the Gcaba brothers organization. He was 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. Gcaba 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.
Mfundo revealed his luxurious cars during a Durban Magistrate’s court hearing. He had 24 taxis worth R300 000 each. His business had 24 drivers and three managers and generated approximately R400 000 per month.
The man also revealed that he owned a 2010 Audi RS6, 2014 Golf 7, and 2009 Audi Q7 worth around R300 000 each, an 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; three boys and five girls. His children lived with their mothers, and the oldest was age 11.
Who are the Gcaba brothers' wives?
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.
Source: Instagram
Gcaba brothers' wedding
One of the Gcaba brothers, Nkosikhona, married Sithandwa Khumalo in 2021. The lustrous private ceremony happened in the beautiful Brahman Hills of the KZN Midlands. The bride drove to the venue in a Rolls Royce.
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. Besides the massive family taxi empire, the public knows a bit about Mandla, Mfundo, and Sthembiso's properties and individual taxi businesses because they are always in the limelight.
The Gcaba brothers' bodyguards
A video of the Gcaba Brothers making a majestic entrance at Durban Umlazi went viral on Twitter in January 2022. They arrived with fancy cars like Ferrari, G63 wagon, and Bentley. Bodyguards armed with rifles were seen walking next to the cars.
People had conflicting opinions about the trending video. Some believed it was a display of the power to scare off rivals. Others questioned how taxi owners could afford that lifestyle and wondered why they needed tight protection when most SA billionaires don't usually parade around such heavy security.
What is the Gcaba brothers' Instagram account name?
Most of them are off social media, and those on these platforms might need official verification for the public to identify their accounts quickly. For instance, Mpilo Gcaba's unverified Instagram page, @gcabampilo, has 3,970 followers as of March 2023.
Facts about the Gcaba brothers
- The family organization has other businesses across the country 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.
- Mandla and Sthembiso are in their 50s. The ages of their siblings are unknown to the public.
- 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.
READ ALSO: Who is Tracee Ellis Ross' boyfriend? Learn about her dating history
Briefly.co.za published an article about Tracee Ellis Ross. The American actress is known for acting in Girlfriends and Black-ish TV series.
Her mum, Diana Ross, is a famous actress and Motown recording artist. Tracee's dad, Robert Ellis Silberstein, is a music executive. He managed Diana Ross and other legendary musicians.
Source: Briefly News
