Hamilton Ndlovu is a South African businessman who gained notoriety for allegedly stealing millions of Rands that were supposed to be used to acquire Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to help mitigate Covid-19.
It is not unusual for people who have acquired new things most especially cars and houses to splash them across their social media for all to see. That, may, in fact, be the beginning of problems for Hamilton Ndlovu who got the attention of the social media communities and then the tax authorities and subsequently Hawks after he took to Instagram to show his fleet of exotic cars that cost up to over R11 million.
Not long after the glitzy infamous businessman started showing off his newly acquired cars on social media, he was visited by the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) who have since seized some of the prized cars, frozen his company accounts, and continue to investigate him. Needless to say, it is for this reason that Hamilton has got a place for himself in the news, and may remain in the headlines for a while to come.
Summary of Hamilton Ndlovu’s Personal Profile
- Full name: Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: 1990
- Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Hamilton Ndlovu’s Age: Use Age Shortcode
- Ethnicity: Mixed
- Nationality: South African
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christian
- Marital Status: Married
- Hamilton Ndlovu’s Wife: Felicia Sekete
- Siblings: 2
- Schools attended: Highveld Park High School, UNISA
- Occupation: Industrialist, engineering, and entrepreneur
- Hamilton Ndlovu’s Height in Inches: 5′ 8″
- Hamilton Ndlovu’s Height in Centimetres: 172
- Hamilton Ndlovu’s Weight: 75 kilograms (165.34 lbs.)
- Eye Colour: Black
- Hair Colour: Black
- Hamilton Ndlovu’s Net worth: $300 to $450
- Famous for: Being the Instagram millionaire who stole millions meant for PPE kits
- Twitter: @hamiltonndlovu_
A Closer Look At The Early Life And Shocking Rise of Hamilton Ndlovu
It was as Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu that the young controversial businessman was born in 1990, in Johannesburg, South Africa. His actual date of birth is not known, neither is any information about his parents and childhood. However, it is known that he was brought up in the country of his birth and is said to have a few siblings, although he has kept his family away from the public domain.
Hitherto Ndlovu is a very private person; he was said to have attended Highveld Park High School, and from there, he went to the University of South Africa (UNISA), from where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.
After his education, Hamilton took a job with ACTOM Electrical Products from 2012 to 2016 when he left to found HamiltonN Holdings (Pty) Ltd. A husband and father, he describes himself as an entrepreneur, industrialist, and engineer.
The Travails Of Hamilton Ndlovu Began After A Social Media Post
Now touted as a good lesson for young people who are still in the eager class of sharing everything on social media, Hamilton Ndlovu has pretty much enjoyed his luxury in silence for quite a while, until 2020 when he made the wrong decision of showing off the five cars he acquired for himself and family members in a single day.
The Johannesburg businessman shared a video showing off the flashy cars on his timeline and revealing the brand and model of each of the five cars. In the video, he was been asked by someone what was wrong with him, getting so many cars in one day, to which he replied he didn’t know.
Sharing the video at a time when South Africa was coming to terms with Covid-19 attracted some backlash for him from the public, but more than that, the more serious questions were relating to how he came about his fortune. The young man has come out to apologize for the video, which was of “poor taste” and unfortunately timed, but that was not enough to get him out of trouble with both the SARS and the Hawks.
— Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu (@hamiltonndlovu_) May 25, 2020
Hamilton Ndlovu Has Lost Some of His Cars To SARS
Not long after the cars hit the social media, SARS came at the doors of Hamilton knocking. They were interested in finding out many details about him such as the source of his income, his properties, as well as if he kept to his part of the tax bargain with the South African government.
It was in the process of this that the authorities seized three out of the five cars, namely the Porsche 911 Convertible, Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, and the Porsche Cayenne Coupe. Nothing was said about the two remaining cars. According to sources, the cars, which were deemed “proceeds of crime,” were seized following an investigation by the authorities.
In addition to that, his bank account, which has over R6 million, as well as that of his company, HamiltonN Holdings (Pty) Ltd, have also been frozen after a provisional preservation order was granted against him by the North Gauteng High Court. The properties were seized in September 2020, months after the public display of his affluence.
This is not the first time that such a display of wealth, and cars to be specific, would put young South African businessmen in trouble with the law; the story of Sam Chabalala of Sam Holdings, his fleet of cars, and how the hawks fed on him remains fresh.
The Eye-catching Cars That Attracted The Eyes Of The Hawks
As he continues to face the hammer of the authorities who are trying to unravel all the mysteries behind his wealth, and if he has fulfilled his duties to the state in terms of taxes, here is a quick look at the cars he acquired:
1. Porsche 911 Convertible
The businessman splashed his car in acquiring the Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet to go to either his wife or one of his kids that may still be very young considering that he is only in his early 30s.
Specs:
- Maximum engine speed- 7,500 r/min
- Top speed- 306 km/h
- Fuel consumption combined (PDK)-Â 9.8 l/100 km
- Engine- Has a twin-turbo configuration
Price: R2.2 million
2. Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
Yet another beast that has become a talking point; this car was intended to be used by himself or his wife or even kids. The black beauty is one of the most complete cars among the five.
Specs:
- Max. engine speed- 6,800 rpm
- Top track speed- 188 mph
- Fuel consumption- May vary
- Engine- 4.0 Twin-turbocharged v8
Price: R2.5 million
3. Porsche Cayenne Coupe
This has a sleek look, but it is not the most exciting ride in the fleet, looking at the specs. It is the one that the young businessman got for his mother.
Specs:
- Max. engine speed- 5,300 – 6,400 r/min
- Top speed- 263 Km/ph
- Fuel consumption- 9.4 – 9.3L/100 Km
- Automatic transmission- 8-speed Tiptronic S
- Engine- 2.9L Twin-turbocharged v6
Price: R1.7 million
4. Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
This may be the least expensive among the five cars bought by Hamilton Ndlovu, but it is in no way for the dustbin. He acquired the car for his father.
Specs:
- Max. engine speed- 6,400 r/min
- Top speed- 257 Km/h
- Fuel consumption- May vary
- Automatic transmission- 8-speed
- Engine- 6.5l Hemi V8
Price: R1.6 million
5. Lamborghini Urus
The last and the toast of the fleet is the exotic Lamborghini, which gulps in the larger part of the money he spent in buying the car. Needless to say, this is probably the one he got for himself or his wife. In the same way that it cost him so much to acquire, this beast also has some of the best features one would get in a car.
Specs:
- Max. engine speed- 6,800 r/min
- Top speed- 305 Km/h
- Fuel consumption- 12,7L/100 km
- Engine- 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8
Price: R4 million
A Look At The Real Sources Of The Fortune Of Hamilton Ndlovu
The true net worth of Hamilton Ndlovu is not known, but it will not be out of place to speculate that it is in the tune of tens of millions. On papers, the young South African made his money as an engineer and a business owner, who has a growing professional services company, HamiltonN Holdings (Pty) Ltd, which he started in 2010. The company is located at Melrose, Johannesburg.
According to his LinkedIn account, the company is into many multidisciplinary engineering practices, including electrical engineering, transformer services and maintenance, and Mini-Sub installation and maintenance, among others. Also, it is into Civil Infrastructure and Structural Engineering, Project & Contract Management, as well as Mechanical Engineering. That’s not all; the company is also into consulting that covers aviation, shipping, railway, mining, and more.
Off papers, however, the South African authorities have reasons to believe his fortune might not all be legal, prompting them to go after him. He was linked to the controversial Eastern Cape PPE contract, which sources claimed the HamiltonN Holdings (Pty) Ltd CEO got through corrupt means. It was alleged that David Makhura, who was said to be his friend, helped him to secure the contract illegally, which the Premier of Gauteng has since denied. Although some sources claimed he got up to R125 million worth of the personal protective equipment contract, there is still yet to be any concrete link.
He Caused A Serious Division Among South Africans On Social Media
In the heat of all that he was going through, the travails of Hamilton Ndlovu caused a serious division among South Africans on social media, most especially among the blacks. While some were insisting his sources of wealth must be probed considering his age and how he was able to acquire five cars a day, others thought that he was only being persecuted because he was black.
At the center of the argument was Somizi Mhlongo, who revealed that he was vexed with the pull-him-down syndrome of the black Twitter must stop. He claimed that people were only trying to bring the young man down simply because he was black and successful.
The assertion did not go down well with so many who forced a #SomiziMustFall campaign to trend number 1 on Twitter. There were still many who appreciated him for speaking “the truth.”