Who Is Robert Gumede? Wife, Net Worth, Untold Facts

South African businessman Robert Gumede is one of the most accomplished business leaders and investors in Africa. He is known as the founder of the IT firm Gijima Technologies and Gijima Group.

Also known as one of South Africa’s most recognizable philanthropists, Gumede runs the Keni Foundation, which has offered several scholarships to poor South African students.

The businessman has been married to Portia Mkhize since 2010 and they have three children: Keni, Natana, and Matana. However, he has four other children from his first marriage.

Robert Gumede’s Biography

Robert Matana Gumede was born on August 9, 1963, in Nelspruit, South Africa as the fifth of his mother’s seven children. While growing up, his mother worked as a live-in domestic worker in other to cater to Gumede and his siblings. His mother was always not at home due to her kind of work so was mostly with his grandmother and 11 relatives.

By the time he was 7, the businessman had started working as a golf caddie as well as a gardener after school and over the weekend. At the age of 12, he joined his sister in selling second-hand clothes. He continued the business even when his sister went to nursing school.

After making the clothing business successful, Robert Gumede went on to study law at the University of Zululand. He fund his tertiary education from his savings and also some donations he got from some of the golfers he worked for.

He graduated in 1986 with a diploma in law. He worked as a clerk and prosecutor at the Kabokweni Magistrate’s court. He worked with the ministry of justice for some time before he resigned in 1988 and became involved in politics.

Is He Really Worth R2.2 Billion?

The African business guru has been speculated to have a net worth of about R2.2 million($116,822,429.91 million) at the moment. However, if the figure speculated is right, then Robert should be among the richest men in Africa. A chunk of his wealth is from his various business ventures.

There have been speculations that Gumede’s worth might be up to R3 billion since he might have several other assets that are not registered in his name.

Robert Gumede’s Wife And Children

1. Zongi Gumede

Zongi Gumede, from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, is the first wife of Robert Gumede. The pair were married for some time before the marriage ended in May 2007. They had four children including Jabu and Themba Gumede.

Three years after the divorce, Zongi made claims that her ex-husband made her send money into an account that was linked to Telkom procurement executive, Thapelo Petje. It was later speculated that the payment could have been a bribe from Gumede since it was done two years after Gajima Afrika Smart Technologies was awarded a multi-million rand tender by Telkom to make smart cards.

Robert denied all the claims Zongi made adding that it was just a witch-hunt.

2. Portia Mkhize

Portia married Gumede in 2010 at the Nelspruit Golf Course in Mpumalanga. Their wedding was dubbed as a lavish wedding which was attended by then-police national commissioner General Bheki Cele, former ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu and South Africa’s then-high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Zola Skweyiya.

Besides also being business-oriented, Portia is also a former Miss Durban. She is also known to be a medical doctor.

Gudeme and Portia have three children: Keni, Natane, and Matana.

In 2019, their son Matana Robert Junior Gumede made headlines after the businessman rewarded him with a yellow Porsche GT3 worth between R2.8m and R3.3m for passing his matriculation.

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Other Interesting Facts about Robert Gumede

1. The Golf Course in Nelspruit is Renamed after Him 

So much of his history is tied to the Nelspruit golf course, from being a golf caddie, he has become one of its renowned patrons.

He has invested a lot of money into remodeling the Nelspruit Golf course. From being an all-white enclave, the golf course has not only redefined its patrons but is symbolic of the gains of the post-apartheid years.

In honor of his contribution, the Nelspruit golf course has been renamed after him.

2. The Rise of Africa’s Black Knight

Against the backdrop of South Africa’s Apartheid regime, black businesses were fledgling or struggling to stand leading to the Black Economic Empowerment(BEE) initiative of the ANC government to encourage Black-owned businesses,  Robert Gumede keyed in and formed Gijima electronic and Security System, the parent company of the Guma group. He later moved the company to Johannesburg to gain more market access.

From there he built the company into the conglomerate it is today. The company was diversified to include tourism, estate, rail, and security.

In 1999, he listed the company on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and further expanded his investment portfolio.

Over the years Robert Gumede has initiated White Economic Empowerment(WEE) initiative to salvage over 2000 white jobs, hence the moniker of Black Knight given to him.

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3. Robert Gumede is a Philanthropist

Remembering where he comes from is part and parcel of who Robert Gumede is. His philanthropy work is notable as he takes social responsibility seriously.

The Keni foundation is the channel for his philanthropy work, mostly targeted at single parents and their children, his charity funds scholarships for students and the improvement of the conditions of living of underprivileged black families.

As an Industrialist, Robert aims at developing many African countries.

4. His Company Has Been Involved in Several Controversies

In 2011, Robert’s company GijimaAST settled out of court with the Department of Home Affairs following a dispute over a tender project worth R2.3 billion.

In 2014 again, the Special Investigating Unit of South Africa revealed that an R360 million tender by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform offered to the company was illegal. The news which was later made public by The Sunday Independent newspaper drew the attention of the local billionaire who in turn threatened to file an R1 billion defamation lawsuit against the publication.

5. He Is An Avid Supporter Of The ANC

Robert Gumede has always been open about his affiliation with the ANC in South Africa, he supports the party financially and is not secretive about it. one of his closest friends and allies is the former ANC treasurer, Matthews Phosa.

He has been alleged to support political campaigns in Zimbabwe even though he has denied these allegations.

Complete profile of Robert Gumede