Robert Gumede’s wife is Dr. Portia Mkhize. The businessman got divorced from his first wife, Zongi Ndlela-Gumede, with whom had two daughters, in 2007. Robert Gumede has a total of 8 children from his two marriages and previous relationships.
Robert Gumede’s family is quite famous for their exorbitant lifestyle. The IT tycoon has a penchant for lavish parties, and his wedding to Portia Mkhize in 2010 was a testament to that. Imitating their father, his children have become well-known for their spending spree on the finest things in life. Though a few of Robert Gumede’s family members are leading a private life, including his wife Portia, some others unapologetically show off their massive wealth on social media.
Who is Robert Gumede Married To?
Robert Gumede is married to Portia Mkhize, a medical aesthetic doctor. The two dated for a while before tying the knot in an extravagant wedding celebration that took place in March 2010, and the occasion reportedly cost the couple about R50 million. The talk of the town wedding was held in Nelspruit Golf Club in Mpumalanga and emceed by comedian Trevor Noah. About 2,500 guests attended the occasion and came from different countries, including Germany, the US, Madagascar, and China.
Dali Mpofu, Julius Malema, Fikile Mbalula, Solly Mokoetie, and Yvonne Chaka Chaka were among the guests that graced the extravagant wedding. Robert Gumede and Portia Mkhize’s traditional wedding subsequently took place on Sunday after the civil wedding. It was held at Gumede’s hometown, KaBokweni, and 25 cows were slaughtered.
Robert Gumede's surprise four-night birthday party in three countries for his wife Portia https://t.co/fi7fgIedVH pic.twitter.com/ACJXtKrRui
— City Press (@City_Press) April 18, 2016
The cute couple have been married for over thirteen years and seem to be enjoying marital bliss. In March 2016, when they celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary as well as Portia’s 40th birthday, Robert Gumede ensured that it was quite a memorable occasion. As part of their anniversary celebration, he organized a four-night birthday party for his wife in three countries.
The events were attended by 60 of their closest friends. With Portia Mkhize coming from an average family who couldn’t afford to throw lavish parties for her on birthdays, Gumede ensured that his wife got accustomed to over-the-top birthday celebrations, starting with their wedding weekend, which coincided with her birthday.
Portia Mkhize’s four days 40th birthday celebrations took place at the five-star Constance Ephelia Resort in Seychelles, Nosy Be Hotel in Madagascar, and Poolana Serena Hotel in Maputo, Mozambique. The surprise party brought Portia to tears. She said it was a surprise indeed, as she cried and had no more tears.
Robert Gumede and His First Wife Separated in 2005
Robert Gumede married his first wife, Zongi Ndlela-Gumede, in 1999, though they had been together for a long while before the marriage. The two welcomed two daughters named Jabu and Roberta before the union collapsed. Robert and Zongi called it quits in the year 2005 and immediately started the divorce proceedings.
They eventually got divorced in mid-2007, and it was an acrimonious one for the ex-wife of the billionaire businessman. Three years later, the former couple made headlines again when Zongi told Mail & Guardian publication that she helped her ex-husband transfer R100,000 to Mr. Thapelo Petje, who was the head of procurement at Telkom and was part of the committee that signed off the contract that was awarded to Gumede’s company, Gijima Afrika Smart Technologies by Telkom in July 2002.
Robert Gumede was a target of criminal allegations of which the National Prosecuting Authority declined to prosecute him thrice. However, his ex-wife served as the source for the M&G story, which they published, accusing him of giving Mr. Petje certain benefits after awarding his company a tender.
Gumede denied the accusations and explained that he asked Zongi to make the payment to Le Monde, a business owned by Thapelo’s wife, Nomzamo Petje, as he wasn’t in a place where he could use online banking at the time, and the payment was urgent.
He added that he had previously purchased jackets and luxury traveling bags for his wife and daughters from Le Monde before the tender was awarded. He then had to transfer R100,000 to Le Monde’s account because he made a donation of that amount for the Kapano Conference after the chairman of Aloga Financial Services, Moss Phaga, approached him. He maintained that his donation was solely used for the purchase of the memorabilia (conference bags, T-shirts, etc.) shared at the conference.
Meet Portia Mkhize, Robert Gumede’s Wife
Dr. Portia Mkhize is a KwaZulu-Natal native who was born on March 25th, 1976. The 48-year-old grew up in Clermont, a township in Durban. Though her parents wanted to train her and her siblings in school, the funds weren’t there. Hence, they applied for bursaries, and Robert Gumede’s wife was lucky to win one from the Mercury Newspaper, which saw her complete her high school education at Durban Girls’ College.
After being influenced by her mom, who was a nurse, Portia Mkhize decided to study Medicine. Thankfully, she gained another bursary from the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department and was able to complete her studies. During her internship, she made the decision to specialize in dermatology and aesthetics. Upon her graduation in 2001, she worked in several hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, including Saint Mary’s Hospital, King Edward Hospital, and KwaDabeka Clinic.
Family Life and Launch of Her Aesthetic Clinic
Before getting married in 2010, Portia also practiced at the Albert Luthuli Hospital. Afterward, she started a family with her husband and had three children, a son and two daughters, and then became a stay-at-home mother for some years. At the time, she worked as the chief executive officer of the Robert Gumede Family Keni Foundation. In addition to supporting healthcare initiatives, Portia Mkhize ensured that educational campaigns were supported by the Foundation.
With Portia being a benefactor of bursaries that impacted her life and family, Gumede Family’s foundation offered bursaries to kids who are academically gifted but lack funds to attend school. Later in 2015, Robert Gumede’s wife returned to work. She enrolled for a Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine at the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. And to learn from the best, she did courses and attended classes around the globe.
In April 2018, she launched Dr. P Aesthetic Lifestyle Centre at Hyde Park Corner Mall in Johannesburg. Its services include chemical peels, skin analysis, and treatment, as well as hair loss treatment. Portia Mkhize hopes to launch more branches of her aesthetic center across the country.
Robert Gumede’s Family
Robert Gumede and his family are one of the publicly known South Africa’s wealthiest families. They never fail to show off their latest acquisitions (luxurious cars, designer wears, and wristwatches) and expensive vacations on social media. In January 2019, the Gijima Group founder bought a Porsche GT3 worth over R2.8 million for one of his sons―Robert Gumede Junior, for passing Matric.
Then in February 2023, Robert Gumede’s eldest son, Simphiwe Gumede, aka Sim Dope, was reportedly spotted with a designer wristwatch worth at least R5 million. Furthermore, during Gumede’s 50th birthday celebration in August 2013, his wife and children gifted him a private jet, Bombardier Challenger 604, valued at over R50 million. Every year, Robert Gumede’s family hosts an annual ‘Guma’ family gathering in Mpumalanga, and it’s usually a no-expenses-spared affair.
Meet Robert Gumede’s Children
GijimaAST chairman Robert Gumede has eight children. His eldest son, Simphiwe Gumede, was born in 1988, and his mother is unknown. He is married to Tshego and has two kids. The businessman then had two daughters named Jabu and Roberta (born in 1992) from his first marriage.
He also shares three children: a son christened Keni and two daughters, Natana and Matana, with his second wife, Portia Mkhize. Additionally, Robert Gumede has two grown-up sons whom he likely had from previous relationships. They are Themba Gumede and Matana Robert Gumede Junior. While the former’s year of birth is not yet known, the latter was born in 2000.
Interestingly, Robert Gumede’s children seem to be united and love celebrating special occasions, such as Christmas, together as a family.
