Ziggy Xolane Ndhlovu is an African billionaire, investor and entrepreneur, born on March 12, 1985, to a South African mother and a Nigerian father. He grew up in different African countries, but his childhood was spent mostly in the dusty streets of Burgersfort, a town in Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Growing up in poverty, he took on odd jobs including dishwashing at the age of 17 and later found modest fame as a disk jockey, which earned him the nickname “Master Ziggy.” His involvement with violent gangs led to his arrest and imprisonment in 2013 for attempted murder and illegal possession of a semi-automatic weapon.

 

Business career

While in prison, he read Richard Branson’s biography, “Losing My Virginity,” and he adopted the business philosophy of the maverick British entrepreneur. From 2016-2017, while in prison, he invested in the crypto blockchain technology which would later earn him his first billion rand fortune. Four years later, his investment in Binance (BNB) was worth R1.3 billion, making him one of the most successful crypto blockchain investors in Africa.

Inspired by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, he founded the UMEH Group valued at R500 million. As CEO of UMEH Group Ltd, he was overseeing 16 companies and 200 employees. Under his leadership, UMEH Group expanded rapidly, either by establishing new subsidiaries or acquiring other blue-chip companies, including among others, UMEH Media, Daily Afrika, WIF Global, Royal IVY South Africa, OMAHA Hotels, UMEH Motors, and Star Magazine Africa. In 2020, DafriGroup PLC merged with UMEH and Ndhlovu became the Chairman of the conglomerate.

 

DafriGroup Plc 

By 2021, DafriGroup Plc, headquartered in South Africa, has an estimated asset of R2.9 billion and 20 subsidiaries in five countries and on two continents.

SOUTH AFRICA: DafriTechnologies (PTY) LTD; DafriXchange (PTY) LTD; UMEH Group (PTY) LTD; AfriGo Mall (PTY) LTD; OMAHA Hotels Group LTD; DafriPay (PTY) LTD; Lydenburg Mall (PTY) LTD; Royal IVY South Africa (PTY) LTD; UMEH Motors (PTY) LTD; B-Exchange (PTY) LTD; WIF Global (PTY) LTD; UMEH Media (PTY) LTD; DafriEstate (PTY) LTD; DafriXchange Pro (PTY) LTD; DafriAir Services LTD; UMEH Logistics (PTY) LTD; DBA Currency Trust; The South African Entrepreneurship Centre For Ex-Offenders (SAECEO).

NIGERIA: DafriTechnologies LTD; DafriCapital LTD; DafriPay LTD; UMEH Foundation.

COMOROS ISLAND: DafriBank Digital LTD; First Standard Bank LTD.

BOTSWANA: DafriTech (PTY) LTD

UNITED KINGDOM: DafriHoldings LTD

 

As chairman of the group, Xolane Ndhlovu provides purposeful leadership and direction for the various companies. He personally catalysed the take-off of Dafribank Digital in 2021. Under his  leadership, Dafribank Digital launched a liquidity generating protocol code-named ‘SafeBank,’ built on Binance Smart Chain. Launched on May 3, 2021, on PancakeSwap, the protocol was the the first BSC project to achieve a $1.6-billion market capitalization within 24 hours of launch.

 

Personal Worth

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Xolane Nhdlovu personal net worth is estimated at 1.7 billion South African Rand. His luxury property includes Rolexes, two Rolls Royce’s Phantom, a Wraith, Aston Martin DB9, Hummer H2 and several other properties.

 

Philanthropy

Xolane Ndhlovu is a notable philanthropist in Africa. His various philanthropic efforts include the South African Entrepreneurship Centre For Ex-Offenders (SAECEO), which he founded to provide entrepreneurship skill programs to ex-offenders; Education fund in South Africa and Nigeria, donation of R500, 000 to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Solidarity Response Fund during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, DafriBank Nigeria, a subsidiary of DafriGroup PLC, announced a hundred million naira Fund Kids Like Success Initiative to assist underprivileged Nigerian children with access to quality education.

Through UMEH Foundation, he supported families in South-East Nigeria to the impact of Covid-19 with donations of a 16-ton truckload of food supplies consisting of 250 bags of rice, 800 cartons of tomato and 600 bottles of cooking oil. He also gave out the sum of N3, 000 cash to 500 families each.

 

 

He is renowned for his benevolence to his followers on social media. He trended in September 2021 when he gave N1.6 million to a Nigerian, Victor Iken who was deported back to the country after a futile effort to migrate to Europe.

 

Family life

Xolane Ndhlovu is not married but he has adopted two Nigerian kids,  Ada and Chisom.

 

 

Education

Xolane Ndhlovu holds a diploma in Media Management, B.Com Economics, and Masters in Business Administration from Georgia Institute of Technology.