It’s necessary to have a profitable business or side hustle in order to have financial stability. This is exactly how these celebrities approached life, they decide to start a taxi businesses to safe guard their finances. In this post we will look at 15 Mzansi Celebrities Who are Taxi Bosses in real life.
Number 1: Zimiphi Biyela – actress and taxi Boss in KZN
Radio personality and actress Zimiphi Biyela also known as Zimdollar is a taxi boss in real life. According to Daily Sun report of 2021, Zimiphi owns about 6 minibus taxis which are currently operating in KZN. The actress did admit to be a taxi boss but she was unwilling to share the details because of the dangers associated with the business.
“I can confirm that I have taxis, but I don’t like to talk about it because as you know the taxi business has complications and a lot of uproar.” Said Zimiphi to Daily Sun.
“I’m trying my luck in this business, but I will not give more details for now because I might open a can of worms,” she said.
Most people came to know Zimiphi Biyela when she starred on etv drama series Durban Gen as matron Nkabinde and for hosting maskandi show on UKhozi FM.
Number 2: Hope Mbhele – actress and taxi boss
Actress Hope Mbhele is also a taxi boss in real life. She is said to own four to six taxis of her own just at the age of 28. However, she attributed her business mentality to her family background. Saying that her family is entrepreneurial. Growing up, she was very hands-on in her mother’s taxi business, learning how to run the business. In 2023 she was listed on Drum Magazine’s 2023 Top 50 Inspiring Women for her resilience and authenticity in the entertainment and business world. Drama fans came to know her when she appeared on several dramas including Umkhokha where she played Mabusi or Busisiwe.
Number 3: Big Zulu – taxi owner turned musician
Musician Big Zulu known for several hit songs was once a taxi owner who drove passengers from point A to point B in Gauteng. By that time Big Zulu was just a street musician who was broke but survived on the little money he made from driving his own taxi. Though he never owned a fleet of taxis like most taxi bosses, he was indeed a taxi boss of his own single taxi.
He never look down on his hustle as a taxi driver, instead he used it to his advantage, to finance his dream of becoming a well known musician. Even after becoming a well known musician, Big Zulu continued to embrace being a taxi driver. He would drive his taxi to go and attend music awards. No wonder why he loves taking pictures with taxis in the background.
Number 4: Africa Tsoai – actor and taxi boss for 20 years
Most people know Africa Tsoai as an actor who played in Skeem Saam as John Maputla but they don’t know that Africa is a businessman and one among taxi bosses in real life. Africa has been running taxi business for more than 20 years concurrent with his acting career. He has been running his taxi business according to book since he is also a member of the Dorljota Taxi Association in Roodepoort on the West Rand.
The actor has also acknowledged that being a taxi boss is not a safe status at all, you are always looking over your shoulders if there is no one coming after you. He said there has been taxi boss wars and by God’s grace he has survived them all.
Number 5: Sifiso Vilakazi aka Jomo- a soccer star turned taxi boss
Former football star Jomo whose real name is Sifiso Vilakazi is now a taxi boss after taking a break from football. Though he recently signed a deal with Sivutsa Stars as its new player, he is still pushing taxi business. According to the star most former football players struggle financially after retirement that is why he started taxi business.
His taxis travel between Kempton and Tembisa everyday. Sometimes when there is a shortage of employees or the business is demanding Jomo gets into the taxi and drives as well. He believes it’s not that soccer players are reckless with finances but they need a retirement plan as well because they can’t leave the field for 9 to 5 jobs.
Number 6: Willard Katsande – another footballer turned taxi boss
Another soccer star to venture into taxi business is the Zimbabwean born footballer and former Kaizer Chiefs Midfielder Willard Katsande. The star posted a picture of his new taxi on social media and asked fans to guess the kind of business he was venturing into. According to Briefly SA, the picture meant the star was venturing into new business territory of a taxi owner or taxi boss. It is also reported that the star is into clothing brand as well.
Number 7: Thembi Magubane – Gospel musician now taxi boss
Gospel musician Thembi Magubane became a mother at the age of 16 and had to learn to do business in order to survive. Her first business she did in order to support her child was to sell atcher. Thembi is an epitome of a real hustler who has become a self made millionaire through her series of business ventures. After years selling atcher Thembi bought a bakkie to expand her business then later in 2010 she bought a taxi and become one of the taxi bosses. Now she owns more than 5 taxis which are on the road. She is also a Gospel artist who has made a name for herself in the music industry.
Number 8: Maskandi artist Gatsheni now taxi owner
In 2024 maskandi artist Gatsheni whose real name is Khuzani Ndlovu won a minibus taxi worth R700 000 and was considering joining the taxi industry. He won the taxi during Mother of All Maskandi Music Festival beating all other maskandi artists. According to the event organizer Zimiphi Biyela who is also an actor and taxi boss, giving an artist a taxi was a way of helping them create other income streams. Even Gatsheni appreciated the gift saying he always wanted to become a business person and taxi is also a good way to start. He would like to do long distance routes because he believes they have more money than shorter ones.
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Number 9: Limit Nala another Maskandi artist turned taxi owner
At the beginning of April 2025 Limit Nala joined a music competition just like Gatsheni in which he hoped to win a minibus taxi. On 6 April 2025 Limit won the taxi like Gatsheni the maskandi artist and drove it home and is now a taxi boss. Limit Nala is just 26 years old and is looking forward to run both taxi business and music career.
Number 10: Siyabonga Sangweni – another soccer player turned taxi boss
Former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates soccer star Siyabonga Sangweni is also one of the taxi bosses. According to Daily Sun reports of 2018, the player became a taxi boss in 2017 after buying a taxi which began operating in December of the same year. Joining the industry was a way of earning money after his career was put on hold after a serious injury which led him to almost drowning in debt. So, a taxi was a relief to all the financial troubles he had find himself into. It’s believed by the time of Daily Sun’s report, Sangweni was planning to add to his taxi fleets.
Number 11: Nhlanhla Shelembe – taxi boss turned actor
Nhlanhla Shelembe is a taxi boss who happened to join the acting industry when he wanted to portray how the taxi industry actually operates. He claimed he saw many movies about the taxi industry but he was not pleased by what he saw and hoped to portray it better. So, he had to release a movie called taxi bosses which featured experienced actors and himself an experienced taxi boss.
Number 12: Nthabiseng Keroane – a taxi boss turned TV reality star
Taxi boss Nthabiseng Keroane became a reality television star when she starred in Imboni Yama Tekisi, a reality television show about taxi industry. The show doesn’t show only what happens on the road only but the family life of those involved in the business. Nthabiseng took over the taxi family business after her husband passed away. She decided to document what happens in the taxi industry in a reality television show to educate viewers and taxi commuters. The show premiered in 2022 on M-Net Dstv channel.
Number 13: Slikour (Siyabonga Metane) – hip hop artist and taxi boss
Slikour a member of the hip hop group Skwata Camp is a taxi boss in real life. He inherited the business from his father who owned the business before he took over. According to the rapper, his business owns more than 10 taxis but he doesn’t want to divulge more details. Slikour learned how to run the business from his father before taking over. He has been in the taxi business for more than 15 years and he is putting that experience in good use. He learned all that he knows from his parents. “They didn’t teach me business per se, I just watched and learnt. My dad is the first generation to be quite entrepreneurial.” said Slikour.
Number 14: DJ Bravo – DJ turned taxi boss
Another celebrity musician who has turned into a taxi boss is DJ Bravo whose real name is Robert Ndlovu. Most people know him as a DJ but they didn’t know that the vinyl spinner is also a businessman. He started as a taxi driver but later quit for DJing and doing decorations at parties and funerals. He then saved money from those hustles and started another business of fast food. After that he joined the taxi industry and he is now a taxi boss.
Number 15: Ben Motshwari – allegedly soccer player turned taxi boss
Another soccer star who turned to taxi business in preparation for his retirement is Ben Motshwari. What happened is Ben posted a picture in front of a taxi minibus on his Instagram and fans were convinced that the star is now owning a taxi. The picture had a cryptic caption which was not clear if he owns a taxi or not. In 2021 he made headlines again when he posted a picture behind the wheel of a taxi and fans assumed that he is supplementing his soccer salary by driving a taxi. So, all these are speculations since the soccer star never confirmed if he owns any taxi nor does he drive taxis.
