Someone once asked a journalist how rich Nelson Mandela was. The reply? “I must confess I couldn’t answer that question.” There might not be exact figures and estimations, but one thing’s for sure: the Mandela family is living the lux life!

When Nelson Mandela passed away in 2013, he didn’t own a lot. His net worth at the time was estimated to be one million dollars ($1,000,000). Back then, the exchange rate sat at ten rands, fifty cents (R10.50).

If we compare that to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is worth over six billion (R6 Billion), well, how could he? Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison. Some say that almost three decades of being cut off from the world made Madiba kinda naive when it came to money. He wasn’t concerned with wealth and luxury at all!

Tata cut his presidential salary when he came to power in 1994. He handed over a third of it to a children’s fund as a regular donation. His homes in Johannesburg and his ancestral village of Qunu are grand by local standards but hardly deluxe. And what he did have was divided among 40 beneficiaries after Madiba’s passing.

Firstly, Madiba made sure to look after his family, specifically the grandkids. His late son Makgatho had four children: Mandla, Mbuso, Andile, and Ndaba. They received just over three million rands (R3,122,220) each.

Tata’s daughter, Pumla, had three children: Dumani, Tukwini, and Kweko. They received one hundred thousand rands (R100,000) each. Zenani Dlamini-Mandela had four children: Zaziwe, Zamaswazi, Zinhle, and Zazuko. They, too, received one hundred grand (R100,000) each. As did Zinzi’s children; Zoleka, Zondwa, Bambatha, and Zwelabo.

Madiba allocated a large amount of money to the children of his third wife, Graça Machel. Josina and Malengande each received three million rands (R3,000,000). He also left a hundred grand (R100,000) each to Samora Machel’s six children born from a previous marriage.

Among the many beneficiaries, Mandela also left some cash for his former staff members. Included were his long-time driver, Michael Maponya, his personal assistant, Zelda La Grange, and Thoko Mavuso, who worked with Tata for 21 years. Each of these people got fifty grand (R50,000).

Lastly, Madiba left one hundred thousand rands (R100,000) each for Fort Hare University, the University of Witwatersrand, Qunu Secondary School, and Orlando West High School. And with the help of his trusted lawyer, Ismail Ayob, Tata was able to set up at least 24 trusts for his family. Some of the trusts even owned expensive properties in some of Jozi’s upmarket neighborhoods.

In 2013, Makaziwe Mandela lived in a 575-meter squared house in Hyde Park. Did you know the house was actually owned by the Makaziwe M Trust? A property valuation at the time said the home was worth about thirteen point six million rands (R13,600,000)! Although, to fully understand the Mandela family’s wealth ain’t that easy. That’s mainly because of their network of trusts. And there’s no public documentation with all the info.

That being said, as Tata’s clan has grown older, they’ve also been making names for themselves! His granddaughters Zaziwe and Zamaswazi had a reality TV show and launched a Mandela clothing range.

Zoleka, on the other hand, was a writer and activist. Some sites claim she was worth between one and five million dollars ($1-$5 Million). Zoleka’s most notable works are her writing about her addictions, her thirteen-year-old daughter’s death, and her personal battle with cancer.

Zoleka’s brother, Zondwa, is a seasoned businessman. He is the CEO and founder of the Mandela Global Brands. The company sells Madiba-branded products. He is also the co-founder of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

His net worth is kept on the down-low, but Zondwa did have some drama in his career. Back in 2015, Zondwa and his business partners were in court for Grootvlei mine charges. He was a director for Aurora Empowerment Systems, a company that managed the Grootvlei mine.

After seven long years of investigations, he and his business partners were laid with a stack of charges! The charges included environmental damage to the mine area and using water unlawfully. The reports basically explained that while Aurora was in charge of the mine, the water sources became heavily polluted! Not an ideal work setting, huh? Eventually, the mine was forced to shut down.

More than five thousand people lost their jobs! Someone even wrote a book about the fiasco. You’ll never guess the title! ‘How to Steal a Gold Mine: The Aurora Story.’ And can you believe that up until now, the case was never settled?

Speaking of grandsons, Mbuso Mandela also had some drama with the law. Mbuso is a professional brand builder. It’s unclear how much he is worth, but remember his three million inheritance? Mbuso is considered the black sheep of his family for many reasons.

In 2022, he was arrested for the possession of an unlicensed firearm and drugs! He was granted bail of one thousand rands (R1,000), which his brother Ndaba paid. Mbuso also got the side-eye for being a deadbeat dad. Yikes.

And then there’s the older boetie. Ndaba is an author, mentor, spokesperson, entrepreneur, and political consultant. Talk about an impressive resume! Rumor has it Ndaba is worth five million dollars ($5,000,000). That’s over ninety million (R90,000,000) in local currency! And even though Ndaba might be considered the more responsible brother, he did have some money drama.

In 2023, it was reported that BMW wanted to repossess Ndaba’s one million rand (R1,000,000) car. This came after he missed some installments. The outstanding balance? Over six hundred thousand rands (R616,937)! And Ndaba’s comment? “I have already paid them. You can call BMW,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ndaba’s aunt, Makaziwe, has been a director of at least 16 companies! Did you know she was a director for Nestle? And a shopping center in Kimberley, two railway engineering companies, and at least four companies that specialize in mineral exploration. Makaziwe’s net worth isn’t public info. But with a resume as impressive as hers, we bet she’s worth quite a bit!

Tata’s other daughter, Zenani, has a special personality too! She’s currently our Mzansi Ambassador to South Korea. Before that, she was the South African ambassador to Argentina and Mauritius.

Oh, and FYI, she’s a princess. That’s an official label, mate. Zenani met Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini of Swaziland while she was studying. And her net worth? Somewhere between one and five million dollars ($1-$5 Million)!

Do you think Nelson Mandela’s family is doing well to uphold his legacy? Share your thoughts in the comments! That’s it for this episode of “The Lux Life.” Join us again next time when we’ll be looking at another who’s who. Like and subscribe! See you!

Video