Lets talk fraud and corruption, you’d think that just because certain people are famous they’re also good, but the truth could be far from that as numerous actors, artists and celebrities alike have been found deep in corruption and fraud.
10 SA Celebs who committed fraud according to SARS, SIU and Hawks
So, these are ten SA Celebs who committed fraud according to the SIU, SARS and Hawks reports.While some were exonerated, most of them lost the properties and assets they had bought with the corrupt money. Note that all the celebrities maintain their innocence. So, decide for yourself what you think.
10. Sebasa Mogale

When we talk fraud, sebasa has to be one of the biggest fraudsters and scammers in the entertainment industry, allegedly. Sebasa plays Dr. Hlongwane on Skeem Saam. Since 2022, Sebasa was accused of scamming 140 people in limpopo of amounts ranging from R10k all the way to R200k, with a total estimate of up to R800,000.
He used his position at Thobela FM to encourage listeners to invest in his bitcoin company saying they would get big returns. And he even had offices for his company called mining city.
However, after people had invested their hard earned money with a minimum deposit of R10,000 and a maximum of R253,000, withdrawing became an issue. The victims were told that the company had collapsed due to a sudden inflation rate surge.
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And when they tried to call sebasa, his phone went straight to voice mail and the offices were non-existent, he had run away with their money. So, early this year, Sebasa was arrested for defrauding over 140 people of their hard earned money with his scam, he and his wife were granted bail to allow further investigations.
However, the couple owes people upwards of R800,000 which was defrauded the locals. Sebasa says the victims knew the terms and conditions, but it looks like he’ll be going to jail if the justice system works
9. Shawn Makhize
When we talk suspicious levels of wealth we’re talking Mamkhize, the lady has so much money she bought a football club called Royal AM and even has a bed made of gold, literally. But where does all this shmoney come from. Well, turns out she’s a tenderpreneur and a little bit of a fraudsterpreneur allegedly.
Well, not allegedly, Shawn Mkhize was actually convicted of fraud and owed SARS upwards of R200 million. Mkhize was convicted of fraud in 2005 and 2012 and owed the South African Revenue Service (SARS) over R200 million in 2013.

In May 2024, SARS obtained a provisional preservation order for a fleet of luxury vehicles in order to recoup R37 million taxes owed. However, Mkhize’s security and armed guards refused to allow the order to be executed.
In July 2024, an attempted assassination was carried out on advocate Coreth Naude as she left a tax enquiry into the affairs of Mkhize and her company, Royal AM Football Club.
The attempted assassination follows the 2023 assassination of Cloete Murray, who had worked with Naude on the tax inquiry into Mkhize’s empire. So, Mamkhize ain’t playing, and it looks like the government will have to work extra hard to get that woman behind bars.
Mamkhize is also close with some key people in power including judges and ministers, she even had a yatch party with former Police minister bheki cele, while he was still minister. So, good luck locking her up for her crimes.
8. Nolwazi Shange
Recently divorced Nolwazi Shange is best known for her amazing acting skills, in which some of the roles she’s played make her impossible to love. But aside from her devious acting, looks like the actress is a bit crooked in real life too. Maybe she wasnt acting after all.
According to a report by Sunday world, actress nolwazi ngubeni shange defrauded casting angecies on the show Queen Modjadji on which sje was the casting manager. She allegedly requested invoices from the agencies and changed the banking details and amounts to her own details and company.

According to the confirmed details about the case, she defrauded the companies up to R700k. And while initially her lawyer pleaded with the companoes not to press charges, sayi g she would pay back the money, it seems the actress has done nothing about since forcing one of the companies called Rhythm world to press charges which were confirmed by the poljce spokesperson.
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This meant a lot of actirs didn’t get their paychecks aftrr filming was done. Its possible she stole the money to pay for her divorce costs. However, even worse than these allegations is the fact that she claims she doesn’t have a clue what they’re talking about. Even though a court case exists and evidence is there proving that fraud was committed.
7. Duma Ndlovu
Ndlovu is known as the creator of top performing South African series like Muvhango and Uzalo, although Muvhango has fallen off to be honest, who still watches that stuff. Ndlovu is a hero to many, to the extent that his acting academy has produced many top actors who have honed their actibg skills there.

A lot of actors were given national and even international exposure thanks to him. However, it looks like he hasn’t been a fully upstanding citizen with the monsters we call SARS. According to a recent court case by SARS, it is alleged that Duma Ndlovu falsified his income statements for the periods of 2020-2022.
The allegations state that Ndlovu was underreporting how much he was making by a huge margin, defraudinh SARS close to R26 million in company and personal income tax. He was later granted R100k bail by the court, but his sins are not forgiven. It’s further alleged that his co-accused, was the one assisting him in this grand tax evasion. Looks like he’s going to pay for his sins soon.
6. Fezile Makhanya
Former Generations actor Fezile Makhanya’s company, Seacrest Investments 156, is embroiled in a R61 million corruption scandal related to asbestos eradication at KwaZulu-Natal health facilities.

The company allegedly invoiced the Public Works and Infrastructure Department for work that was not completed. While this story should’ve been a big story, it was only covered by news 24 and businesstech and all the other outlets ignored it.
Fezile continued with life like nothing happened and didn’t comment on the accusations and case at all. After all, who has ever gotten arrested for fraud and corruption in South Africa?
5. Presley Chweneyegae
We apologise for dragging presley into yet another mess but this word tsotsi seems to follow him around everywhere and for the wrong reasons. Presley was accused with 5 others of defrauding the national lottery commission of upwards of R15 million with his company.

It’s further alleged that the Presley Chweneyegae foundation faked empowernment events and other projects in an attempt to launder the money from the grant. Presley has not yet commented on these allegations but certain assets have been frozen including some linked to Actress Terry Pheto.
4. Terry Pheto
Terry Pheto is literally national treasure in the film industry, she and presley were co-stars in the oscar award winning film Tsotsi. And years later we’ve seen her in national and international films including a united kingdom in 2016.
While all this shows that she’s had a great career, in early 2024, she was a key suspect in the Special Investigation Unit for allegedly defrauding the national lottery commission alongside presley.

The actress was a beneficiary of upwards of R40 million which was supposed to go to a NPO but ended up in Terry’s business account and personal accounts. The money was thoroughly traced and it was discovered that it was used to buy her multimillion rand house which was frozen and auctioned by the SIU and 9 other properties.
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Other assets which were frozen include two cafés and vehicles. Terrg couldnt explain where she got the money to buy those properties, other beneficiaries from the traced money included her sister and her fashion designer friend.
Terry herself denied the allegations as is standard procedure in South Africa and pleaded innocent. The case has since gone cold and life has moved on but at least some of the assets were recovered.
3. Arthur Mafokate
When talk getting court without a good explanation, we’re talking mafraudkate, this guy requested R9.3 million from National Lottery Commission to help create employment for the youth in the rurals, in areas such as music, arts and crafts.
However, he only used R1.8 million towards this cause and pocketed the rest R7.5 million. He used this R7.5 million to purchase a luxurious property and cars worth close to the remainder of the funds. The national prosecuting authority proved that arthur had no money to buy the property prior to the grant.

And, that the money he used for inteded cause of the grant was R1.8 million at best and was supposed to return the remaining R7.5 million instead of pocketing it and using it for himself, which would be corruption and fraud.
As a result his guest house was confiscated by the government. It goes to show that the high unemployment in South Africa is not because of the government but because of people like Arthur, who pocket the money which is supposed to create those jobs in the first place, using it to enrich themselves instead of creating employment.
2. Dr. Tumi
As a gospel singer, the idea that you did anything illegal or immoral is alwYs scary and as such was the case with Dr. Tumi and his wife Kgaogelo.
The two were co-accused by the Hawks of defraudinh the national lottery commission of up to R1.5 million by falsifying information in their application forms for a grant.

Tumishang and his wife, complied and were exonerated as being fully innocent. The nPA withdrew all charges against them saying their representation was successful. However, these charges were a grim reminder that anyone can commit fraud, although in this case they were innocent.
1. Carol Bouwer
Former Generations actress, Carol Bouwer is the latest South African celebrity implicated in a multimillion fraud case. According to City Press, the businesswoman is being investigated by the Hawks for her involvement in a R40 million tender in 2013.

Bouwer is also being investigated for a R7 million payment from the National Lottery in 2020 that was allegedly paid to her non-profit company Venalor. It is reported that Bouwer was awarded the lucrative R40 million tender through her company Carol Bouwer Productions.