Simphiwe Duma (Technology/Finance)
Managing Partner and CTO at Admond Capital venture capital firm. First CEO of Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). MIT graduate in Electrical Engineering. Registered Professional Engineer with experience including Gautrain and World Cup Stadia projects. Fellow of South African Academy of Engineers. [citation:5]
Sibonelo Mdluli (Legal)
Specialist in private and public M&A, equity capital markets, securities regulation and general commercial law. Appointed as Director in the Corporate practice at DLA Piper’s Johannesburg office in August 2021. Previously worked at Bowmans and spent time on secondment at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York.
Royalty from Mdluli last name
Mcoseli Mdluli (Chief)
Chief of the Mdluli people at Mkhambathini, near the confluence of the Msunduze and Mngeni rivers in central Natal. His reign occurred during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries when the centralisation of polities east of the Drakensberg Mountains disturbed life in the region.
Nomsimekwana kaMcoseli Mdluli (Chief)
Son and heir of Mcoseli who led the Mdluli people through a turbulent period of regional consolidation. Forced to pledge allegiance to various powers to survive, Nomsimekwana and his followers affiliated first with the Ngwane, later the Mkhize, then the Zulu, and eventually the British. Their associations shifted as threats changed—armies, hunger, marauders, and Boer settlers. After years of displacement, Nomsimekwana finally returned home to re-establish a chiefdom from the remnants who survived the transformation of the region. His story demonstrates the persistence of amalala identities in Natal through the mid-twentieth century.
Mdluli Clan Today
The Mdluli clan continues to exist as one of the traditional communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Their history reflects the complex relationships between smaller polities and the larger Zulu kingdom, with some Mdluli families now being recognised as traditional leaders in areas like Mtubatuba, though this recognition is sometimes contested by other clans who claim earlier occupation.
Mthembu kaMbulali (Royal Founder)
Founding ancestor of the AbaThembu nation, grandson of Mbulali. He settled with his people in Mbabane, Swaziland, and later moved to kwaMsinga in Natal. He had two sons, Ndilo and Mvelase (also known as Qudeni), and founded the tribe known as Abathembu BakwaMvelase. His descendants would go on to establish the Thembu Kingdom, one of the most significant Xhosa federations in the Transkeian territories [citation:2].
King Nxeko kaNtande (First Legitimate King)
The first legitimate king of abaThembu, ruling during the 16th century. He led the migration from Dedesi to Msana in the Mthatha district and was responsible for assimilating various fragments from tribes such as amaBomvana, amaVundle, amaMpondomise, and amaMfengu to build his kingdom. His reign unified the Thembu people and established the royal lineage that continues to this day [citation:6].
Chief Ngxeko/Nxekwa (Kingdom Unifier)
Under the reign of Ngxeko, the Thembu emerged as a unified people. He united clans living in Thembuland into a single political entity, owing allegiance to the Thembu royal family, or “Hala Mvelase.” This unification laid the foundation for the independent Thembu Kingdom that would exist until British conquest in the 19th century [citation:2].
House of Dalindyebo (Contemporary Royalty)
Recent Thembu kings, including Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo and Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo, took the surname Dalindyebo after a 19th-century king. The Thembu royal house continues to be recognized as traditional leaders in South Africa. Famous Thembus include Nelson Mandela, whose father was a reigning nobleman from a junior branch of the Madiba clan of kings, and Walter Sisulu [citation:2].
Patrice Motsepe (Finance/Sports) South African business tycoon, founder of African Rainbow Minerals, and owner of Mamelodi Sundowns FC.
Alf Khumalo (Photojournalism) Legendary photojournalist who documented the anti-apartheid struggle.
Sibongile Khumalo (Arts) Acclaimed singer known as “The First Lady of Song” in South Africa.
Popular people from Khumalo last name
Mzi Khumalo (Finance/Mining) – South African mining magnate and businessman who served on Robben Island. Former chairman of JCI Limited and Metallon Corporation. [Source: Wikipedia, News24]
Andile Khumalo CA(SA) (Finance/Technology) – Chartered accountant and CEO of KhumaloCo, an investment firm in technology, media, and financial services. Former investment banker at Investec. [Source: SAICA]
Alf Khumalo (Media) – Legendary South African photojournalist who documented the anti-apartheid struggle and historic events like the Sharpeville Massacre. [Source: Wikipedia]
Popular people from Khumalo last name
Mzi Khumalo (Finance/Mining)
South African mining magnate and businessman. Former chairman of JCI Limited and Metallon Corporation. Served on Robben Island.
Andile Khumalo CA(SA) (Finance/Technology)
Chartered accountant and CEO of KhumaloCo, an investment firm. Former investment banker at Investec.
Alf Khumalo (Media)
Legendary South African photojournalist who documented the anti-apartheid struggle and the Sharpeville Massacre.
Royalty from Khumalo last name
Khumalo kaMntungwa (Royal Founder)
The founding ancestor of the Khumalo clan from whom all Khumalo lineages trace their origin. He settled around the Mkhuze river in Northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. His descendants would go on to establish royal houses across Southern Africa, including the Khumalo royal house of the Mthwakazi Kingdom. He was succeeded by his son Mkhatshwa kaKhumalo.
Mashobane kaMangethe (Royal Patriarch)
Grandson of Khumalo kaMntungwa and grandfather of King Mzilikazi. He led the Khumalo people during a period of pressure from the expanding Ndwandwe nation under his father-in-law, King Zwide kaLanga. He was killed on the orders of King Zwide after the Khumalo assisted Dingiswayo of the Mthethwa. His death set the stage for his son Mzilikazi to lead the Khumalo on their historic journey north.
King Mzilikazi kaMashobana (c.1790-1868)
Founder and first king of the Northern Ndebele people (Matabele) and the Mthwakazi Kingdom. Born in the Nquthu area of northern KwaZulu-Natal, son of Mashobane kaMangethe. He was initially a lieutenant of King Shaka Zulu but after a falling out in 1823, he led his followers north, establishing settlements in Transvaal. After conflicts with the Voortrekkers in the late 1830s, he moved further north across the Limpopo River and finally settled in present-day Zimbabwe, establishing his capital koBulawayo in 1840. He united various conquered peoples into the powerful Ndebele nation. He died on 9 September 1868 and was buried in a cave at Entumbane in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe.
King Lobengula kaMzilikazi (c.1835-1894)
Second and last official king of the Mthwakazi Kingdom (Matabeleland). Son of King Mzilikazi and Queen Fulatha Tshabalala. After his father’s death in 1868, he defeated rival claimants in battle and was crowned king in 1869. A powerful warrior with a dignified presence, he ruled from his capital at Bulawayo. His reign saw increasing pressure from British colonial interests. In 1888, he was tricked into signing the Rudd Concession, granting mineral rights to Cecil Rhodes’ British South Africa Company. When the company’s forces invaded in 1893, the First Matabele War began. Overwhelmed by superior firepower including Maxim guns, Lobengula’s forces were defeated. He died in early 1894 under mysterious circumstances while fleeing, with causes ranging from smallpox to poison. His death marked the end of the sovereign Mthwakazi Kingdom. His descendants continued the royal line, including his sons Njube, Nguboyenja, and Mpezeni.
Bulelani Lobengula (Contemporary Royalty)
Current head of the House of Khumalo, recognized as Lobengula II, heir to the throne of the former Mthwakazi Kingdom. He continues to represent the Khumalo royal lineage and preserve the heritage of the Ndebele people in Zimbabwe and across the diaspora. The Khumalo royal house remains an important symbol of Ndebele identity and history.
